RIP - Rollie Massimino
- Thread starter PaBoiler78
- Start date
Did he have some tradition where he would have the team over for spaghetti the night before games or such? Also was thinking he may have been a 1-2-2 match-up guy ...but that was so long ago I'm not sure. Think he was a switcher of defenses between zone (primarily?) and man? Funny guy back at a time the coaches were personalities as well...
he was defensive minded coach who would think of D's that the other team never expected and sometimes the Nova players admitted they didn't even know what they were playing. He was big on having a family atmosphere. When he got the Nova job he was making $19 K/yr as an assistant at Penn. Nova offered the HC job for $17K/yr and took it.
yes, TJ.
http://www.csnphilly.com/villanova-...owed-big-5-coaches-impact-can-be-made-players
Also, from various sources:
"Massimino compiled a 355–241 record in 19 seasons at Villanova, but it was the Wildcats’ run 32 years ago that cemented his place in sports lore. Villanova advanced to the Final Four as a No. 8 seed in the first year the tournament expanded to 64 teams, winning the Southeast Regional over North Carolina after a fiery halftime speech from Massimino.
“Do you know what I’d really rather be doing now than anything?” Massimino told his team at halftime. “Than being here in this room? I’ll tell you. I’d rather be at home, sitting behind a big, steaming, heaping plate of spags [spaghetti]. Yeah, that’s right! Macaroni! Linguini with clam sauce! I’d rather be doing that than losing this damn game! Now get out there and do what got you here in the first place!"
I kept that game for so long and not sure what every happened to it. Anyway, my memory is not completely shot I guess. Thank you !
