Behind every winning team stands a great coach, and he’s all smiles

Behind every winning team stands a great coach, and he’s all
smiles

Following years of criticism, UCLA head coach Jim Harrick has
gracefully accepted the praise after winning his first national
championship.

By Randy Satterburg

Daily Bruin Staff

The final horn sounded and assistant coach Mark Gottfried gave
Jim Harrick a crushing bear-hug as the two hurried over to
mid-court for the post-game handshake with Arkansas’ Nolan
Richardson. This much we know, because the CBS cameras were focused
tightly on each and every move of the first UCLA head coach to win
a national championship since the great John Wooden’s last of ten
in 1975.

But from there it becomes a whirlwind of celebration, emotion
and reflection for Harrick, who, after making appearances at
seemingly every postgame pep-rally in town ­ including a spot
in Disneyland’s main street parade ­ must still wonder if he
isn’t just lost in some remote corner of Fantasyland.

"It all just kind of blows you away," Harrick said recently,
after the excitement had been reduced to something slightly less
than frenetic. "It’s a terrific feeling.

"After a couple of days (of reflection), it’s probably been one
of the greatest things professionally that’s ever happened to me.
You dream your whole life of accomplishing this, and all of a
sudden it’s you."

The elation which Harrick felt when championship glory was
finally returned to Westwood could not have been more apparent to
those close to him. There were nothing but the kindest words
expressed after the game toward Harrick, who came to symbolize a
sentimental favorite of sorts in the tournament.

"He just had a big smile on his face when he walked in (to the
locker room) and that was great to see," Tyus Edney said of his
coach during the last four years. "He’s worked hard, he’s prepared
us, and he got us, I think, to where we are today. As much as he’s
been through, it was great to see him get a championship."

Said Marques Johnson: "As a broadcaster, I’ve been here three
years and seen all the slings and arrows that Jim Harrick had to
endure. Now, even though he’s not that kind of guy, he’s got the
last laugh. He’s got the national championship trophy."

But there was no such tirade during Harrick’s post-game press
conference. There was no soap-box sermon to the media ­ a la
Nolan Richardson last season ­ about a lack of respect. Not so
much as an, ‘I told you so.’ to shake things up a little.

Even with an abundance of ammunition with which to shoot back at
his critics, Harrick instead opted to ­ not necessarily in
this order ­ thank coach Wooden, thank his family, thank his
team’s players, praise the other team’s players, thank the city of
Los Angeles and praise the city of Los Angeles. Had he been offered
more time, Harrick might have thanked the peanut vendors as
well.

"I learned from coach Wooden that you never listen to criticism
and you never listen to praise, because both will hurt your
coaching," Harrick said of his refusal to get caught up in what the
media has to say about him, good or bad.

Harrick also took time to say that he was dedicating his
championship to all the coaches who would never have such an
opportunity ­ the assistant coaches who never move up the
ranks, and the head coaches who never come close to fulfilling the
dream. As a former teacher and high school coach who started his
career at the bottom rung and climbed the ladder of success ever so
cautiously, Harrick, it can be said, entered the circle of elite
coaches through the service entrance.

He points out that just 37, now 38, coaches can claim to have
led their team to a national championship, among them legendary
names such as Phog Allen, Adolph Rupp and John Wooden. Harrick
knows how lucky he is to have the dream fall into place for
him.

"To think that you’re up there on a stage with guys like Dean
Smith, Bob Knight and Denny Crum and you’ve taken your team to a
national championship. It’s a very special time," Harrick said.

"None of us (in our family) could believe it. From where we’ve
come from to do what we have done …"

That’s why they call it Fantasyland.