Byline: Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News
Staff writer Chris Tomasson contributed to this report.
AIR FORCE ACADEMY -- Guard Matt McGraw delivered the winning shot Wednesday as Air Force players reacted to Jeff Bzdelik being hired as the academy's men's basketball coach.
'When we all heard the word, we were excited because we actually have a coach now,' McGraw said. 'We were waiting and trying to figure out who our coach was going to be. We now have a coach again, and that will motivate us to continue working hard every day.'
Bzdelik, 52, becomes the sixth coach in Air Force history and third in the past three seasons. He has 25 years of coaching experience, including 15 in the NBA.
He was coach of the Denver Nuggets for two-plus seasons and engineered a 26-game improvement in 2003-04 that was the sixth-best in NBA history. He was fired Dec. 28 with the Nuggets 13-15.
'I did a little research and he's highly credited,' Falcons guard Antoine Hood said. 'He's been coaching for 28 years and has experience. He's a step up and the best we could possibly do. The sky is the limit from here on out.'
Bzdelik agreed to a five-year contract with a buyout clause. Academy personnel are reviewing the contract and details will be released next week.
An introductory news conference is scheduled for Monday.
Bzdelik was not available Wednesday because of personal commitments and did not return phone calls. Air Force athletic director Hans Mueh was away from the academy because of professional commitments.
Air Force deputy athletic director Brad DeAustin confirmed the search for a new coach had been whittled to Bzdelik and Falcons assistants Mike McKee and Larry Mangino.
'Given his name recognition, his stature in the sport, his desire to stay in Colorado, his philosophy about basketball, which reflects a lot of the good things about Air Force basketball, he kind of rose to the top,' DeAustin said. 'He's a smart coach. The people we talked to had no doubt that he could adjust quickly from the NBA to something that our guys will play.
'He brought it up that he will try to stay with a similar system that we have now. The kind of system with the gritty matchup-zone defense and a take-care-of-the-ball, slow- down offense.'
Bzdelik, who has attended Air Force games and practices the past two years, replaces Chris Mooney, who resigned May 5 after only one season to become coach at the University of Richmond. Mooney had replaced Joe Scott, who left after the 2003-04 season to become coach at Princeton.
The Air Force program has used the deliberate, Princeton- style system to compile a 40-19 record the past two seasons.
'We received an indication that (Bzdelik) might have an interest and just followed up on that,' DeAustin said. 'We started talking to him quite a bit the middle part of last week.'
DeAustin said Air Force officials believe Bzdelik will 'keep that excitement' the Falcons have generated the past two seasons and 'can help us build it.'
'He has a tremendous following in Denver,' DeAustin said. 'We think that will help us in terms of camps, ticket sales and a lot of different things. We think he will be a very effective recruiter. So we're excited and we think the program will continue on an upward slope.'
Bzdelik did not accept the job until Wednesday morning.
'He and his wife (Nina) had a very sleepless night going over the positives and negatives,' Bzdelik's agent, Warren LeGarie, said. 'Ultimately, the positives outweighed the negatives. It's a good fit for him. It's a program where the players will make it easier to coach.'
Center Nick Welch is one of those players.
'The fact he's said he doesn't want to change anything, he just wants to push us harder, is a positive,' Welch said. 'Obviously, we're not going to run up and down the court with a team like UNLV or some team like that, so to have that kind of continuity is really good.
'I'm just really anxious to meet him. He's a family man. To have a great coach and, on top of that, maybe a guy that cares maybe a little more than just coaching you is what we really need here. With our other coaches, it's always been more of a professional relationship, and then they end up leaving you.'
Air Force is expected to return four of its top five scorers from a team that went 18-12.
'As far as a coaching style, he might coach us a little more to our talent,' Hood said. 'We might exploit some mismatches more, we might do some things that other teams try to do to us. We have a solid core, we're a young team and with coach Bzdelik stepping in, he is the man that can take us to that next level. With the right man behind the reins, the horses can ride forever.'
Forward Jacob Burtschi also applauded the hiring.
'I've heard from the administration that some of the NBA (executives and coaches), Pat Riley (of the Miami Heat) and Gregg Popovich (of the San Antonio Spurs) said he was a great guy and said he was the man for the job,' Burtschi said. 'I'm very excited to find out what he is like as a coach, and I can't wait to play for him.'
INFOBOX
Bzdelik's coaching record
Year Team Wins Losses Pct.
2004-05* Denver Nuggets 13 15 .464
2003-04** Denver Nuggets 43 39 .524
2002-03 Denver Nuggets 17 65 .207
1987-88 Maryland Baltimore County 13 15 .464
1986-87 Maryland Baltimore County 12 16 .429
Total 98 150 .395
* Fired Dec. 28. ** Not Including 1-4 In The Nba Playoffs.
CAPTION(S):
Photo
Jeff Bzdelik has agreed to a five- year deal with the academy.
