DON’T GET ME STARTED on so many changes at the University at Buffalo and wonder what the future will hold.
Art Wander
It’s been widely bantered about how White may have short-changed Bobby Hurley and allowing him to bolt the Bulls. Of course, Hurley had higher ambitions when he came to the school and the city. Developing a long lasting program certainly wasn’t reflected in his actions after U.B. went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Hurley parlayed that into another big job.
Also, most people never relate to the change of the name from its previous U.B. to the State University of New York at Buffalo. That’s a lot to swallow, let alone print or say. It has been and always will be U.B. and University at Buffalo and the Bulls.
Shortly after arriving, White let Reggie Witherspoon go as coach of the basketball team. I’m sure that Reggie was pleased that those players he recruited played such a major part of the team’s getting into March madness. Reggie went to the University of Alabama’s basketball program.
White brought in rookie Bobby Hurley who, after the NCAA tourney was hoping he would get the DePaul or St. Johns jobs – but he was turned down for either of those. Back he came to Buffalo and proclaimed “My Heart Is in Buffalo” That heart didn’t throb long after, as he then took the job as basketball coach at Arizona State University.
Then Hurley maneuvered to get Shannon Evans to join him at ASU. Evans has to sit out a year before paying dividends.
Assistant Nate Oates will get his first taste as head basketball at the school. Good luck to Nate.
After saying bye bye to football coach Quinn, who began developing an entertaining squad that resulted in at least 2 players now playing in the NFL, White brought in a Division III coach to try to improve the Bulls football program. He is Lance Leipold.
And as far as the good guys that left Buffalo? Topping the list is Ward Manuel, the former UB A.D. and currently in the same position at Connecticut, a job he loves. But his alma Mater, Michigan has him on the top of the list to become the A.D. at Michigan.
Manuel, Quinn, Witherspoon were all good communicators with Buffalo, the media and the fans. You don’t hear much from White but it’s apparent he will have his hands full.
That’s a lot of changes in the athletic department under Danny White. The big question will be how White and the “new” coaches in basketball and football will be able to attract those highly sought after high school players to compete at the State University of New York at Buffalo on Don’t Get Me Started?
Filed under: Don't Get Me Started
Tagged with: Art Wander, Danny White, UB
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