POST Stadium Shootout

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PHX

Game Over. Game On.November 2008

STRIP TEES POST LAYS OUT A SINFULLY SWEET VEGAS GOLF TRIP

A MAZE-ING ALIPOST goes on a private

chopper ride over a corn

maze with the Champ

TONY MANDARICHSREINVENTION

The former football starfound a fresh start, and new

career in the Valley

MURPHYS LAWNASU baseball coach PatMurphy has the coolest

backyard in the world!DESERT

REUNION Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith and Herb Sendekmeet again in the Stadium Shootout inGlendale almost 20 years after they servedtogether on the same staff

TAT TALENew Sun MattBarnes talks abouthis tattoos, and hisalmost NFL career

JOCK OF ONE TRADEDave Pratt has beendominating Valleyairwaves for three

decades

PLUS

// PHX PERCUSSION CANT BE BEAT// EDDIE MATNEYS HOUSE CALL

// THE MAN WHO CAN MAKE ANYONE A TV STAR


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Left to right: R ick P itino , t ubby S mith and h eRb S endekP hoto by t Racy R aSinSki

Stadium Shootout

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Back in 1989, University o PhoenixStadium was a cornfeld. Barack Obama was at Harvard Law School,Sarah Palin was reporting sports scoreson KTUU-TV in Anchorage, the cost o gas in the US was a buck twenty. Anda trio o young coaches in Kentucky would spend their days strategizingand drilling players at the University

o Kentucky, their early evenings breaking down videotape ortheir demanding boss, and their nights dreaming about someday

being all on their own with college programs they could try tomold into national champions. Lets ast- orward to right now.Where the old boss, Louisville head coach and basketball iconRick Pitino, comes to town to ace two o his protgs, nowfrmly entrenched as college coaching hotshots Tubby Smitho Minnesota and Herb Sendek o ASU in the Stadium Shootoutat University o Phoenix Stadium in December.

POST talked to all three coaches about what things were likealmost two decades ago, when li e wasnt so complicated. Smithand Sendek werent making the big dough yet, but they certainly had big dreams and aspired to get to where Pitino already was;a Final Four veteran and one o the games most respected andaccomplished coaches. I saw greatness in both o them, Pitinotold POST . I thought theyd be extremely success ul down

the road. Herbs work ethic and intelligence, as well as Tubbysperseverance and outgoing personality stood out. When Iinterviewed them, I told them both that I dont hire assistantcoaches; I hire uture head coaches. ats the way that I eltabout both o them.

And to get them to a position where they would becomehead coaches someday, Pitino worked their butts o . He was asdemanding on his players and assistants like Tubby and Herb ashe was on himsel . Being exposed to that work ethic as they triedto restore pride to a Kentucky program that was in shambles wenta long way. A natural question is, did they sit around at night and

say, Wait until its our turn? Well, it was not really discussed,Smith told POST . Coach Pitino has always been supportive o allo his ormer assistant coaches and people he has worked with,and I appreciate them giving us the opportunity and chance toplay against a team o Louisvilles caliber, because he did nothave to. For us, we know we have to be very good but we are justgrate ul, I know Herb and I are, that we have gotten coaching jobs and we have been able to survive in this business. I dontthink we ever talked about these types o match-ups, but it is acomplement to Herb and Rick Pitino and mysel to be able tosurvive and sustain the success we have had in this business.

Sendek had even more experience working on Pitinos sta they worked together at Providence too, and he echoes Tubbysthoughts.

59MAY2009www.postphx.com

A S tAdium Shootout A lSo

ServeS A S A d eSert r euniont hey ShAred long hourS , dreAmS of running their own progrAm SomedAy , And the opportunity to leArn under A mASter nAmed r ick p itino . n ow , two decAdeS

After working together under p itino on the SAme StAff At k entucky , ASu S h erb Sendek And m inneSotA S t ubby Smith reunite with l ouiSville S p itino At the S tAdium Shootout in g lendAle .

By Zack Simon


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I think more than anything we just enjoyed the moment and didnt worry so much about down the road. We had a great sta . We worked extremely hardand had a lot o un. It was truly the experience o a li etime.

Pitino is himsel a mini-corporation now. He was already an A-list collegecoach back in 1989, but now hes written several best-seller books, hes sockedaway millions rom coaching in the NBA, and hes taken a total o three teamsto the Final Four. Hes a living legend who has still plenty o space in hismemory bank or recollections o what it was like mentoring Tubby and Herb.Youd think he might have a couple unny stories to share. We asked Pitino,and he readily obliged.

With Tubby, we used to play basketball as a sta rom 5:45 until 7 every morning. His wi e told me that he was so paranoid about being late that hewould go to bed at night wearing his jock strap, sweat shocks and his T-shirt sohe could save a ew minutes in the morning. It looked like he was going to play in a game when he would go to bed with her. As or Herb, well, he has a very dry sense o humor. He came into my o ce one time to ask or more time with hiswi e because he was getting into the o ce at 5:30 in the morning and staying inthe o ce until 9:30 or later at night. He came in my o ce with Billy Donovanasking or more time to spend with his wi e. I knew that Billy Donovan put himup to it. Billy wasnt saying anything, but it was not like Herb to ask or time o .I asked Billy i he had anything to say about it and Billy just said, No coach, Im just here with Herb. He put it all on Herb, and I knew Herb was ready to killBilly at that moment because he put him up to it. I told them that they couldhave more time watching tape at home instead o at the o ce. I know that Herbwas uming at Billy because he didnt say anything.

Maybe there will be payback in December, when either ASU or Minnesota

aces Louisville. at possibility alone is reason enough to buy a ticket or theStadium Shootout. Its a great treat or Valley hoops ans, to have marqueeteams like this, along with BYU, whos rounding out the quartet. Not tomention coaches at the top o their game bringing their programs to Glendale

or a sneak peek at what a Final Four might look like inside University o Phoenix Stadium. Coaches who all share memories o what li e was likepaying their dues. And whatever it was about those early morning pickupsessions where the coaches played together, it remains with Tubby too. Wewould have pick-up games at 5:30 or 6 in the morning and they were pretty competitive. I remember Herb tearing his knee up and having surgery andeverybody was wondering why Herb wasnt playing anymore. We thought itmight be because o the early time, but come to fnd out, lo and behold, hisknee was damaged and it took him a while to recover. But those were the mostmemorable moments.

Make no mistake about it, despite their decades-long riendship and deeprespect or each other, they are all coming to the Valley to win in December.

e reminiscing can happen when the season is over. ats why all threecoaches have been so success ul running their own programs. ey are pretty single-minded during hoops season. Sendek lives here, o course, so its notlike he has to take his kids sight-seeing or show them what a 70-degree day inDecember eels like. ats not the case or Tubbys Minnesota Gophers, whoare leaving the rozen lakes o Minneapolis or Valley sunshine. My playersare not only excited about the weather but also the competition. We realizethat we will have the opportunity to measure our team against one o the bestteams in the country, with one o the greatest coaches in the history o thegame in Rick Pitino. Our players are excited as well as our ans, who will beexcited to come to Phoenix during this time o the year, and we also realizethat the University o Minnesota has a large alumni base in the Phoenix areathat we hope will come out and support the Gophers.

Pitino has a new book out on the newsstands right now, but doesnt planany book signings while he brings his Louisville Cardinals out here. Justanother business trip. Well defnitely enjoy the weather, but we wont havethe opportunity to sight-see much.

Tubby isnt a raid to admit that Scottsdale has some o the countrysbest shopping. And Christmas will be right around the corner during theStadium Shootout.

Obviously, it is a great time to get some holiday shopping done. My wi e will especially enjoy that. Were just excited to be playing in University o Phoenix Stadium. It will be a special treat to be able to witness such anarchitectural marvel o a building.

Sendek believes its a great opportunity or ASU ans to see a marqueeholiday tournament by simply driving on the 101. It should be a very exciting event or the ans and the community. ere are our good teamsand were all ready to go.

Pitino has traveled to the Valley hundreds o times over the years. Hehas scores o great riends and memories o being here, including one thatPhoenix sports ans may have not known. At one time, we thought aboutliving there and possibly coaching the Phoenix Suns. I really enjoy the area.Its not only a great place to live and visit, but the people there are outstanding.Its a wonder ul community.

And in late December, its going to be place or a desert reunion o coaches whove been riends or over 20 years, and would like to express that

riendship by winning the Stadium Shootout.

The 1989-90 Kentucky

Wildcat team photofeatured more coachesand support staff thanactual players. Threeof the coaches arereuniting as the bossesof their own programs,at ASU, Minnesotaand Louisville for theStadium Shootout in

Glendale. Herb Sendekand Tubby Smith areseated lower left, andRick Pitino is seatedlower right.


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Stadium Shootout

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