Latest / Committee 215 / Conwell Egan Coach Sean Tait

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Conwell Egan Coach Sean Tait · Committee 215

• Sinni: welcome back to committee two one five. Today we have Sean Tate with us, longtime PLC legend, player, and coach. Got a lot to cover. I also a friend. we're here today to talk really about his team, but we're gonna go back to when you played, Sean, high school, college, why you became a coach. We'll talk about that a little bit. And of course this year's team. Sound good? Sounds great. All right. First let's start off with all his accolades, which is actually longer than McNesby's. I won't t I won't mention that to him. Yeah, for sure. So just again, this is all AI AI driven, so make sure I'm not lying. Gross gross lies. class at 1995, Father Judge. Correct. So he's a judge guy. All Catholic choice. MVP 1995. That's what they said. I'm gonna round up and say 17 a game. Yeah. In Foxy's offense. Yeah. That's impressive. Yeah. if you don't know Sean's former coach, they did not go up and down at all. A lot of sets. got to the palestra. Correct? Twice, yes. Twice. I don't I thought it was once year and my senior year. I was a game short. I was a game short. Everyone reminds me of that. My sneakers have never touched the palestra for c for PLC activity. Okay. So then you move on to Cabrini. ninety five ninety the ninety nine. I have ninety seven, just some again, seventeen's your number per game. You guys won the chip in the in the pack in ninety seven? Yeah. Okay. All right. And then you kinda go from Cambrini and you jump into coaching. So Wood, I don't think the program was in the best shape, but we'll get into that later. Yeah. but you definitely turned it around. Your last year, sixteen and seven. Yeah. My whole year. My only year. the only year. Sorry, I thought you were there twice. two. And then you got Coach of the Year, Bucks County. And Bucks County. Yeah. so that is one example of you turning a team around. And then right from there you leaf leaf frog in the father judge, which had to be at the time your dream job. I'm guessing. We'll talk more about that. he was there for twelve years, which is a long time. in the Catholic League. here's some stats. nine out of 12 years he got into the the playoffs, the PLC playoffs. Hard to do, especially back then. Coach of the year in 16, I believe. 17, yeah. Yeah, 16, 17. 22 players that played college ball. I'm probably it's probably higher than that, but that is still an accomplishment. Remember twelve seasons. That's a lot of kids. my favorite was Mark. We'll talk about that later. and then also had Nasir who scored a thousand, right? Those two guys. then you had a stint at Del Wa Del Val, right, as an assistant. We'll talk about that later. And then now your current job, which is why he's here, is to talk about Egan, the program. This is his third year. This is going into going your third year. And he's on the committee two one five radar. we think this is gonna be a big year for you. we'll see how that goes. But they're primed to do it. And he's gonna talk about the program from year one, two, and three, the players. I'm gonna ask him a bunch of questions. so that's that's it for like credentials. you coat you played for legendary coach Bill Fox. And then it also said your dad played for Doherty. Yeah, yeah, he was a 67 grad. he played for Bobby Harrington's first team at Doherty, who was a legendary coach at at Cardinal Doherty, won Catholic League Championship in 1970. so yeah, I I have a little bit of roots there, early with the Catholic League and my dad. Yeah, that's gotta be nice. So it's in your blood, so let's start off in the very beginning. Let's go back to like your neighborhood in grade school, of course Saint Matt's, which was a little better program than Orlando Calvary, but like talk about your basketball roots as a young player. yeah, I mean, as you said, Saint Matt's in in the eighties and nineties had a had a lot of success. y you mentioned Coach Fox's having having great coaching in high school, but I was fortunate enough to have, you know, really great coaching from the beginning. Jimmy Ritchie, who had success in the girls side at Archbishop Wood and he's now assistant at Ryder. Richard Rich Richie Miller, my early years at at Father Judge is my freshman coach. and then that spilled into, you know, Coach Fox. So But St. Matt's, I I think similar to probably your experience, Joe, living in a neighborhood where the basket par basketball court was like the center of the activity, we would get up there at five o'clock, and y and you had to win. Or you watched. Or you watched. So it awful. Yeah, it was it was brutal. And and it told you how to compete and you know, so many good players, St. Matt's that I was fortunate to have you know look up to with, you know, you know, Mark Armstrong, Kevin Hawley, Chuck Hiller. I saw Hawley last week in it the White Hucky. I saw a picture. I I well I said how how long until they get an argument. your first team okay. No, no, it didn't happen. No, it didn't get there. Okay. so yeah, I mean I had a lot of, you know, good players in front of me that I always wanted, you know, look looked up to and wanted to be and you know, the environment there at Saint Matt's, the gym. I think, you know, if you always look at cheerleaders. Cheerleaders freaked me out when I walked in. It was like a high school atmosphere. Yeah, we absolutely before you got to high school. So and the way they ran the program. Jimmy Richie, Richie Miller, how they run that program was like a high school program, uniforms, warm ups, bags, travel. and then we ran, you know, pretty much what Coach Fox ran. So it was a feeder, you between Matt's Tim's and Bernards, r running the Yankee offense, running Jam, run all the all the you know, all the sits. So did Fox take their offense or did they mimic Fox they I I'm gonna go say f they mimic Fox. I don't think I don't think Fox was taking stuff off of Joe Cam and you're gonna Jimmy Ritchie and that's great. I d I remember talking to Armstrong and I don't know it was just in pacing. I forget when it was. and we talked about that connection with him and Hawley 'cause I think they were a year apart, right? He was a year below. Now Armstrong went to the prep. Yes. Which was a surprise. I think for folks in your neighborhood. Yeah. but what a nice player he was. crafty. Yeah. I mean great guy too. I mean if if it wasn't really for him, 'cause we were pretty close, I I was a gray below him. But I remember live leaving the gym at Saint Matt's and Mark was going to Sunny Hill practice and Priesty's like, take him take Sean to Sunny Hill ya. and and Mark's like, Yeah, let's go. And so Johnny O'Connor was our coach who later, Georgia Tech. Yeah. Yeah. Lab. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And but I get to that practice and he's like, You're not a I was like a forward at Saint Matt's. He's like, You gotta be a guard. But that practice was like Joe Harvey, Kev Paul like then I'm like, Man, I gotta get so much better. So, so yeah, I mean if it wasn't if I wasn't living in Mayfair, playing at Saint Matt's, you know, and basketball's such a big part of my life that, you know, this, I probably wouldn't be here, you know. Yeah. Yeah, he did talk about that fraternity as well, how holy helped him. on a regular basis and that was I guess it ended in in after grade school. But he he spoke very fondly of Mark Armstrong of Kevin Hawley. Yeah. and I didn't know that it w it worked its way down to you too, which is very interesting. I think it's also the having that program. and just to compare for notes. So our lead of cavalry practices where once a week scrimmage scrimmage in for an hour, if we didn't have the best athletes we were in trouble. Yeah. You know, we didn't have the best athletes. yeah you were like eighth grade team. was pretty good. Yeah, we had we I agree. football neighborhood and I'm gonna talk to Coach Dig about that. but I think that helped us too the toughness but we did have some freak athletes but if we were not out basketballing people right you know yeah yeah we we practiced every day a week you know yeah high school it was like a I never knew that Chris Black told me that for Bernard's very similar type of program back then and I'm like yeah we just ran around for an hour paid pickup and then we'd do like out of bounds Place. It's about it. And again, no not diminishing the effort that people volunteered. It was great. They probably just didn't know. Yeah. Like this is, you know. It was very interesting. do remember a conversation I had with you too, and I want to talk about this. I don't know if you remember. I do remember the first time I seen you play. I was at Ryan, I was probably a freshman, I think you like in a maybe a tournament at Ryan. But I think you told me you were like a late bloomer. Is that true? Yeah, I mean as far as basketball. Yeah, yeah. I mean like fifth grade I didn't even play for Saint Matt's. I like you know, which is unheard of sick, I didn't miss practice and didn't go back. Sixth grade it came back, you know, was good. I think ended up starting by the end of my J V year. Seventh grade didn't start. I mean it was, you know, Mark Armstrong, but that team is okay. Yeah, who Jet Henrik was on that who who else was on that team? Well like Maddie and them guys were burners. They were Burns, I'm sorry. So Drew Dixon. yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, Drew Pom Pomeroy, Dennis Pomeroy, Mike Carroll, Frankie Sykes. Frankie Sykes. That's who I'm thinking of. I played with him after yeah So I didn't even start on that team. Yeah, I was a s seventh grade bench guy. And then I I think that summer is when I I grew a little bit, really worked on my game and I think my eighth grade year, we were forty seven and We won, the city championship, our styleces and finished fourth in the state and I think at that point Which was common for Matt's back then. Yeah, right. I'm not like, hey, that's a lot of wins, probably. but Yeah, yeah, no, no. You guys were a beast. Yeah, so I think at that point I felt like I I like was kind of a player. That was the first time I really felt like I was a player player. Like those other guys. But I Like that's when you knew. Yeah. And and you know, the point was is like I I always had this like fear of not of like losing my spot. Yeah. Even when I I was second team as a junior and I still go into my senior year, I was you and McDermott who played behind me who didn't really play much. you know, if I was you know, missed a workout or something, I I just had that like a like not that I wasn't good enough, but I just, you know. The drive. Yeah, the drive, I guess. Well that's what it is in high school, if you think about it right, you're competing with your teammates. It's real. Yeah, yeah. Right? Yeah. So all right, we talked about Saint Matt's. let's get in your Saint Judge sorry, Father Judge playing days. Talk about your I mean talk about Foxy of course. Don't forget your teammates, like the league at that time, like who was good and like, you know, that error. Yeah, so I I was a little bit not the norm. My sophomore year I I was fortunate enough to play varsity at judge, which doesn't happen. Doesn't happen. Back then. Yeah. Back then as a sophomore. So I I I which was good because early in the season I had some pretty good non league games. I think my first varsity game was at O'Hara. came off the bench, it was a close game and then I hit four threes and I think I finished with sixteen and Buddy Garler was the coach of the time. He's like, Who the hell is that kid? you know? So I you know, I I so in a in non league now you know you could do it. I could do it. I and I was doing it in non league. But as the season got closer, I I do remember my first Catholic League game at La Salle scoring 13 in a close win and being like, man, I'm That was a weird gym too. It was like we never we never played well at La Salle. Either did I. We never Maybe was a ride. I don't know. I don't know. And we never had good success there. but then, after that game, I'm like, okay, but gradually as the season went on, my Started to shrink a little bit and you know, after the season talking to Coach Fox, it was about like going with Jay Log for more of like a defensive player, 'cause we had Ofield. Yeah. We had Hiller Hawley. They they they didn't really need me to score. And he brought a better like toughness and rebounding and but the one thing that rang in my head in my head a little bit it was the fact that defense was like the the reason, like and so I'd really transformed my body and you know, sophomore year going into my junior year and I like got in killer shape and worked on my, you know, strength and conditioning and I changed myself like totally and start jumping rope. Jumping rope, strength shoes, all that like nineties stuff to make you athletic. That's McNesby walking around those platform shoes. Platform shoes I I did that too. A bunch of dumbasses, yeah. I love it. But I mean, you know what it what it I gotta get a picture of that in it w on the if on the podcast. Those things were crazy issues, by the way. but that like But like that was a blocker and you're like I got it. Yeah, I gotta do I was like I'm not gonna have this conversation but like this is why you didn't play. So I wasn't gonna let that happen. And like I said, junior year. Well Jay was like he was probably way bigger than you then too, right? Physical Catholic safety, yeah, that's I understood why my role That's what they need diminished but that's what they need. That team that's what they need to Yeah, O Phil's not gonna be covering he's not covering anyone. No, he's not covering anyone anyway. Holly a little bit. Holly a little bit. Holly was Holly's Holly was good, man. Holly's tough man. Hiller and yeah, yeah. That'd be the best was him and Harvey going at it. I enjoyed watching that. Yeah, he's he's he's a handful. okay so you talked about the talk about your cook Foxy a little bit. So yeah that had to be a huge impression on who you like as a coach today, right? Yeah fundamentally. yeah yeah yeah just how to like run a whole program. Like not even like X's and O's, yes, but like how to handle like situations, kids you know 'cause shit happens or they're teenagers. Yeah, right. And like coaching, yeah, X's and O's and wins are are important, but we're in this to build relationships. You know, I think the biggest success that like I I've had is just seeing kids, you know, play four years after me, have good college careers, you know, and then get married and I've been to a few weddings of my former players and they're productive, you know, people in society now. So Coach Fox, you know, obviously, As a coach we know his wins and losses, but i it takes a village, right, to raise a family, as they say. So I think that's the saying, right? Yeah. so you know, your parents are so influential, but you need people like the coach foxes of the world and you know, I I hope that I it was that for some of my players, you know, to to to give them to clearly you look up to him. Yeah, you want to a hundred percent. He's he's yeah, he's your role model. Yeah. And hey, that why not? Yeah, no. right? Yeah, winner, great family man and slow you down and just talk about your NV the MVP run. Like why, you know, that's your senior year, It sounds like you're steadily improving all areas of your game. And then like what happened in ninety-five? Like how did you get VP? Was what what clicked? Was it the team? Did you start realizing things that you, you know, could do and or but you didn't really apply them in the past? Like you you're the best player in the northern division at that time, right? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean so junior year, just to go back a little bit, you know, that team was was unique because it was like seven. Seven seniors and me. And we were like twenty four and five. You know, we went to Alhambra that year. We we beat Steve Wojowski and Cardinal Gibbons and you know, I we got you know North Catholic guys might not say this, but we got upset down the plethora. I Kevin Gary won't won't w won't admit to it, but they upset us down the plethora. We beat him twice during the regular season. That's an upset, Kev. Yeah, yeah. So Dennis. I I still Dennis, you know, I still feel that like even though it was my junior year, man, I I like have nightmares. 'Cause I really think that team we could have won the championship. We beat Carroll in the preseason that year with Begas as a junior, Romanchuk as a junior. so we lose that game and know, going into my senior year, we graduate all those guys. That's a ton. So literally I sketch I am the only one that has varsity experience. So who who who played for that year? Yeah. So and and I think this goes into you know the St. Matt's thing. All the J like and and you can have a whole story on Mr. Cook and J V winning seven hundred games. But all those guys just play J V and won a lot at Jake. Which was common back then. Yeah, not that drastic. Now they all move up and they're just used to winning. So it's like, you know, we struggle from grade school up. From grade school up. So like Jimmy Thomas was my teammate. Yes. Bernards. So Jimmy Thomas, Mike McDonald. John McCann, who who ended up being a very good player, was all Catholic that year, went to Princeton. Yeah, I just played with him in pickup. Yeah. Yeah, he's he's he was he had a great junior year for us. Mike O'Connell, one of my best friends, who I seen him also. Yeah, and he ended up having an all Catholic season and you know, i it was hard 'cause, you know, the non league we we weren't very good. It took us, you know, back then you'd play like twelve or eight, ten to twelve non league games. Max. Yeah. It wasn't a lot of games. Yeah. So we were I wanna say we were like five and six. I think it was eleven games. We were five and six going in the northern division and coming off of, you know, my junior year where it like Holly's year, we were like twenty and something. My junior year we're twenty four and five and we've already lost six games and I'm like, you know, we're gonna be like the first team that, you know, doesn't make the play. Like that these were my fears. But I I Fox did a great job. He was coach of the year that year. you know, he coached with twenty-five years. I think he only got the award twice, which is crazy. but one of was my senior. What in his history? Yeah, I think in the Catholic league, he was like twice, maybe three times. ninety-five was one of and he did a unbelievable job. We were twelve and two, we won the Northern Division. with just had to give it to him. And losing all the seniors. All the seniors and the run we went on. I gotta talk to Heimenegger like a mental note about why he only won that twice. That's crazy. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I don't, I know. Sorry to cut you off. You could check that. But I know it wasn't like five or six times. It was two or three times. It wasn't equitable. Yeah. Regardless. Yeah, yeah. So So they start figuring it out in the preseason. Yeah. Like was there a moment like where, you know, or it just like they just over time they found their roles. Yeah, like they knew what their jobs were. Yeah, like McCann was starting to get a bigger role. The the J V guys. kinda figured it out and you know it just you know, we I I was healthy, I didn't get hurt, you know, we we everything kinda fell into place and what was your record that year? Do you remember? so we were twelve and two in the league, so I think we ended up nineteen and nine or something or eighteen and nine. Twelve and two. So a school dropped off. I think we played sixteen when I was a senior. Yeah. And we beat Les Al Sid up in the playoffs to get to the Pletra and then we lost to Rafael Biggas and r they won it. They beat that was like the first team that beat Roman. So That was a little easier to digest than my junior year lost to North. But but yeah, so you know, it ended up being a you know, a good career a a good season or season to get the you know, the first team all Catholic and the MVP votes and we won the northern division and that was kinda like out of nowhere 'cause of the turnover. Cool. All right, so let's let's transition to Gabrini and remember we still have to get to your team. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But all good. So I I I'm I'll go and give you my experience going from Ryan Danny recruits me, I go to holy family. Didn't play the first year, but I didn't change. it wasn't a big transition for me. I think it's easier for point guards, get over half court, get the right guys. But like what as a scorer, I could see it being a difficult, maybe take a little longer. What how was it transition? It didn't seem like it for you since you got all conference right away, but how was the transition from high school to college back then? yeah, so my freshman year, Billy Carr was a senior who played Monsignor Bonner, who's all time right, Cabrini. Naples, Eric Tidwell. The team was loaded. And I was lucky enough to be on that team, practice with these guys every day. But what it did was open my eyes to like, holy Christ, these guys are men. Yeah. I thought I was good. Yeah. I thought I was good. I was not. I'm like I'm like 18. They're like twenty-two. Yeah. And it like a lot of them second stops. too or well, yeah, yeah, yeah. we had some other guys that were twenty six that were same older and you know and and it was similar to it was almost like, you know, high school all over again. Like, I'm not good enough. Like I got I had that ship on my shoulder again and and and after that freshman year I did what you know continue to get stronger. More so like strength wise than athleticism. I was what I was at that point. So sophomore year was similar to my senior year at Judge. We graduated that whole team. We had a big recruiting class as a freshman class, so we're all sophomores now. we had a couple guys that were like upperclassmen that didn't play much on that team, Johnny Watson and Kent Ski Tech. And you know, we put it together, similar, struggled in the non league. got into the, Plaque conference company. And and hit a stride and and won the whole thing. and I think that year three Catholic league guys like Joey Harvey was first team, myself and I think John McGovern. Yeah. Or he might have been second. McGovern's a judge guy. Yeah, he's a judge guy. Very unorthodox player. You would look at him, you're like who but like today you would today you would understand why he was so effective. Yeah. 'Cause the way he went up wrong feet, like wrong hand. Yeah. Very like unique, but he could just fill it up. who who coached it, Cabrina? so again I I blessed to have great coaching. John Zeke who's legendary at the division three level, over four hundred wins, you know. Jesus. we we won the pack conference six years in a row. So not only my freshman year, my sophomore year, my junior year we won, my senior year we lost. I was the first loss in s in six years. So we won that conference six years, went to the NCA tournament. So He's he was he was a really good coach. He was so I had Zeke, I had Fox, I had Jimmy Ridd, I had some really good coaches. How did he play in regards to style compared to Foxy's similar system? Yeah, well, you have the shot clock, so you have to be a little bit more, what was it, forty five then? I wanna say it was thirty five. Thirty five maybe. Yeah, it's a long it was long. I don't remember ever having a problem with it. No, I know either do I. They did press, more so my freshman year, but 'cause of the athletes. 'Cause the athletes and the depth that team had, but we were more, you know, just like man to man sets, you know, transition, you know. He was great. State of the date I'll tell you what he John Zeke was great situational and game planning. I get a lot of that. Like what but makes sense, yeah. What's good for this game. Like it's not necessarily this is what we do, but he would do something that would really the outcome and an ad an advantage. Yeah. So he was a great coach that way. when did you know I asked Chris this question, I think it's a good one, like you already told us like you're in eighth grade and you're like, I can I can do this, I can play, I have it. when did you like think I want to coach? Like w where in your care like career or was it early or was it I'm out of h I'm out of college, I still love the game? Like where when did that happen? I think, when you're in college you you start to think about what you want to do for your life, right? You're trying to get a major, you're trying to figure out what you would like to do. And you know, when I went to judge a a a lot of of the teachers there at the time taught and and worked in recreation and I feel like that was like always like they looked like they had a good time doing it and you know I think coaching was a was a part of that too. I'd I'd like to do that with which will enable me the time to coach. Because really, if you're gonna coach high school basketball anymore, you gotta be in business for yourself or you can make your own schedule or be a teacher. Because it takes so much time. Just keep talking about that 'cause I don't think people re realize. I think everyone Chris mentioned it, but I think everyone under like understands now it's a twelve month job. Yeah. I think twenty thirty years ago you could get away with doing a lot less. yeah. Especially with like new social media, but you didn't have to recruit because of the feeder schools Tell b talk about that commitment and how much it takes. I we when I talked to Chris it was and his assistant Billy, it's there's a month of the year where you're just not available. You're not there per se. You do your best, but what's like the yeah, what kind of level of commitment do you have to do and flexibility with your job and yeah, like I said, being a teacher i it fits nicely 'cause, with the summers off and then working at a rec center that has, two basketball gyms that I can get the guys in and work out helps. but yeah, I mean, you know, now if you're not playing in the events that are offered and and you're not, you know, doing things all the time then you're just gonna fall behind and and the kids wanna, be in it 'cause they social media aspect, right? they know what's going on. They want those real time. They want those reels. So, you know, I I could say August might be the only time that we really don't have anything on this calendar. But I always say come up to May Fair to get shots up and lift. But other than that, every month there's workouts there's events, there's off season tournaments. It's twelve months. So and and like we'll play s close to, you know, thirty games between summer, spring, you know, shootouts and things of that nature before the season even starts. And we only s we only have twenty two league games. Like I think so I I I just want people to hear that 'cause I don't think they realize. Like they might see something on social media like, you know, Egan played this weekend. But you're You're on all the time. Yeah. and it's crazy how you have all those, you know, preseason, postseason play. Yeah. There's summer league. Yeah, if you play down to the States, you're playing until you know March and then spring league starts in April. It's like And summer league's no joke. Like I remember play when I played, it was like, you you went to a rec center, you played old old men. Yeah, you know. Yeah. but yeah, thanks for explaining that. All right, so let's let's slide into your coaching kind of kind of career in your different stops spots. So like so wood pop up I think I read that you were an assistant first. Wha what do just help walk us through that so going back to like when I knew I wanted the coach real quick you know I was I graduated Cabrini, I was down Wildwood for the summer working. my only job where else would you be yeah my only job that I had at the current moment other than my job that I was doing in Wildwood was Joe Setti hired me as the freshman coach. for that got the foot in the door yeah two thousand season two thousand two thousand one season so I had that and then I got hired at grade school at Transfiguration of our Lourdes so I had the teaching job. so that's how, you know, it started at Wood. and then Coach Fox needed a freshman coach and I left Wood and went there and got on Coach Fox's staff for a little bit. And then Seti called me up to be the J V coach at Wood and Coach, Cook was the J V coach at judge, he wasn't going anywhere. yeah. So, I I They were a package. Yeah, so I slid over back to Wood and I was doing the J V for I think three seasons. and that's when, you know, Joe kinda said to me, like, look, I'm looking to get out, you know, I'd r I'd like you to, you know, have this job, so we're you know, we're gonna kinda make it where I coach up until the start of the season and then we'll take a sabbatical and I slid in there. hand off hand off. very common back in the and it was a sabbatical year so it wasn't guaranteed that you would have it the next year I had to re apply to have so so there's a little pressure there, right? It's like this is my this is it. Like I got an opportunity opportunity. But I was fortunate enough I walked into a tremendous team who I had coached all those guys as mostly sophomores on the J V I didn't think about that. it was great. You know I had I had Joey Who ended up being a Division I player played at UNBC. was you know two-time all Catholic. Fran Dockerty, who went to Penn, was second team all Ivy League. Brian O'Grady, who was like one of the best athletes I ever coached. He ended up playing for the Cincinnati Reds. Baseball went the Ruckers, it all everything. Jesus, you're Sean, you only won 16 games. I know, I know, I know. Well, we had to we had to beat Newman. And three times. Yeah, so three times. So we we did get to that third game. We we lost to them in the quarterfinals, but we We gave we were down two and a half. We ended up losing by fourteen or fifteen and they went to the pleasure we didn't. But that whole team was coming back. We only had Timmy Faye who was actually an all cat, he was only senior on that, which is Con Gillespie's cousin. Yeah. and he was the only one graduating. So, you know, all those guys were back. We had a great year. I think the year before they were two and whatever, five and whatever, and we Huge swing now. Yeah, we we were we were in the in the, Elite Eight or the quarterfinals to get to the plestra and with everybody coming back. So that was a good situation to to be in. And obviously I was lined up to get that job and then things changed because Judge made a change and they kind of, you know Yeah, walk me through that. So yeah that's So that but that's all re that but to to me that shows again at a coaching level you can do it. Right. First shot. Again, you can say the kids were great, but at the end of the day you still gotta get ready and they still gotta win games. Right. in a competitive league. But So yeah, what happens next? How does the judge opportunity pop up? Yeah, so you know, they they decided to go, you know, in a different direction and you know, I was teaching at the time. Obviously we've talked about my past with Father Judge, and you know, coming off the season that I did at Archbishop Wood, you know, they they, you know, wondered if I'd be interested. And I still would have to go through the process. There was no, so that was a big decision. It was like stay with what I had and you know, those kids were I mean, love those kids and that was probably the toughest decision and you know, toughest conversation I had. That was your dream job. Yeah, no, yeah, but I know what you're saying. When build those relationships and those kids and you know, there's Well and you all those kids coming back. And they're all coming back. We could we could maybe get to the plush with that group. Yeah. it was tough. But yeah, you're right. You know what I mean? I was teaching a judge. It's my alma mater. And so, that was the direction I decided to go. Now, was there no, so you switch over to judge. Was there a different kind of pressure to win a judge? 'Cause you knew everybody. Back then everyone's from the neighborhood still. Yeah. You know, did you w or or was it similar? Yeah, no, no, i it's a good point 'cause and I'm glad that I was able to get that 'cause it's so different and it's only what sixteen years later, but back then, like you said, it was still neighborhood. Yeah. You could still get the Mark Rodriguezes, the Reggie Charles, the Seamus Rackies out of the neighborhood and be competitive and make runs and But even the alumni, you knew all of them. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, I mean, yeah, it wa it was. I mean, you know, again I walked into a situation at Judge who they had just missed the playoffs for the first time in a while. And I walked into Reggie Charles who ended up being an all everything at your Amamana Holy Family. Seamus Rackey, six nine, played at Chestnut Hill. Nick Sullivan who had a nice career at Del Val and and's doing a great job AAU with with Revolution. Iverson. I got I should have him on. I should bring Yeah, he'd be a good one. Yeah. So so I wal walked into those guys. it took a little bit of molding to get them to, you know, play a certain way. We did really struggle early with that my first year, but we did make the playoffs. we really made strides. We we got beat by North Catholic by a ton in the beginning and then We played the last game ever at the pit, which was fitting. It was Judge North before that school closed and we lost at the buzzer. So we had really gotten so much better as the season, you know, went on and all those guys were coming back. So for that next season, you know, my second season, you know, we we we took that to the brink. We we lost to Chris's Roman team. it was a tie game of 30 seconds to go, and they ended up winning by four. if that team could have made it to the plestra, you know, you know never know. So that's why we're here. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, and and and that's kind of how my my beginning of of my judge coaching career. and it helps in your second year that you're able to have it we were seventeen and immediate success. Yeah and get to you know quarter final. Maybe that yeah did that get you over the hump like the anxiety's a bit like I know what I'm doing, trust me. I mean we finished fourth, we had a home playoff, we had beaten Roman that year. Philly U, that's one of them. there's one. I I told you that's like two of those, but he's beat me about twelve times, so I'm doing twelve. No one's keeping the score that way. Yeah, no. But so that that was a good start. And you know, well we had, you know, some more success under the Rodriguez run and Yeah, so yeah, twelve years, right? Totally. Twelve years total. I it's it's it's it's difficult not to go back and look at all the teams and all the kids, but if there was there was one team that you were like or one stretch of gr of guys that you were like it was it was the best group. you were really proud of them. Yeah. Doesn't be the best. Like was there like was there like a two, three year spurt and that's 'cause that's a lot of kids coming through. You had a of success. Yeah. yeah, I I would probably that f that first year into the second year that we finished fourth and really had a shot to to get to the pleasure and and maybe make a run at winning it with Reggie and and and Seamus and Nick and and Steve Griffin that team. just how how better they got from my day one as the juniors walked in the door to being a legit contender w within that short time of period. That that was that was fun to watch. But they had talent. the Mark run had talent, but not the I don't think there was as talent as them. But those guys really, played super hard and and ran the offense that we run to the top. Give me a couple more guys on Mark's team. Because everyone knows him or remembers him. So Mike Mike Tremendous athlete. Like he Yeah, and great kid, great person, great human being. Still doing great work with Judge and their strength. Yeah, he's still around, right? Yeah. good business that he has, the village. So that team was we didn't have a guy over six foot three. No, that's my team. Exactly. I won all guards. Now think about two thousand seventeen, you know, the league, the top of the league, you know, Wood won it that year with Conn Glesby and they had a seven footer w with Pickney and Crowley Round trade with Newman and they had a the McDonald's old American in green. So that team he was good. He was good. Yeah. so we didn't have a kid over like six three. It was Matty O'Connor who had a nice career at Moravian. it was Mike Power who started out at at Holy Family Mark who went to East Strasbourg. Shane Dooley. Yeah football right football who went to Westchester. he's like in the middle of all the dualies, right? He is tough. But he was quarterback too, right? He was quarterback too. I yeah, I remember watching him play. Yeah, he was tough. and our center was he played way better than he was. yeah, yeah. Yeah. You could put him four and fives. Yeah. You're gonna have a good day. When you walk in, you play that kid, you're you're you're you're icing something. He's beaten you up. Yeah, no matter what. He's beating you up and who was your f who was the five. And then Drew Riley. Drew Riley was like six three, tough as nails. I never felt like it's like my team. my god. And I never felt like we had rebounded. Now we had Tom Corey off the bench who ended up being a really nice player. Yeah. He's playing overseas now. Nikki Conway came off the bench. He was young then, right? He was a junior. He was junior. and Nikki Conway came off the bench. But that that's like I always say that's like the last region one kids that have any relevance in the Catholic league. 'cause like I said, we finished nine to four, tied for fourth with Ryan and had a chance to to beat them to get to the pleasure. But that whole starting five was Region One. And he went you know, and I was seventeen, so yeah. since then I I don't know if you're getting five kids from Region One now. No. I was think you what I was thinking about, again I'm gonna have Joey soon, maybe even tonight actually, which would be weird, but he's got kids this this team, he's got a kid from Calvary who went to Holy Ghost and I don't know how Holy Ghost let him go. He's Jeremy T Thompson. They have a kid from Jerome's C J. They got a kid from Catherine's Jackie McMullen. and I'm missing one more. the kids soup pan or whatever's from Dons, right? K-Pon. K Pan, K Pan Kapon. Yeah. He's a cra crazy athlete. Yeah, yeah. yeah. Okay, Judge comes to an end. Yeah. You've been there for twelve years, ups and downs. And I always I don't think you and I ever talked about this. and of course there's all different kinds of stories. Yeah. But just and I'm not gonna ask any questions, I just went w to you, to from you, your your point of view, how did that how did that like how'd it be, you know, tough to lose that position. Just talk through like the process and what happened so people can hear it from you. Yeah, yeah. I mean when something like that comes to an end it's it's there's no easy way. you know, it was difficult. Like, you know, it was difficult on me. I'm not gonna say it wasn't, but you know, it was I think it was more difficult on my family, you know, my dad, my parents, my 'cause they've been all in for joy. Yeah, my wife. Yeah, yeah. so i it was difficult, you know, they decided to go in a you know, a different dys you know, different direction, you know. which is fine, you know, like They always say you you get hired to get fired in in the world of basketball. so, you know, hey, look, I feel like I always I said this to somebody, like Coach Fox was the perfect coach for that time period. I feel like I was the perfect coach for the time period that I had. and and Chris Roan tree's doing a great job with them now, and he's perfect for what the way the basketball is now. You know? so, you know, yeah, it was tough. but I I kind of just went back on what I would tell my my players, right? I've been in locker rooms after tough losses. And you know, if if you know, everybody's watching to see what my reaction would be. So if up my reaction to Well yeah, the players are def d just deflated. Especially the competitors. But even even just the neighborhood, the people, like what how is he gonna react to this? Yeah. You know, you get people that go nuts and go social media and then we're out in public, but you know, and and I didn't have any of those thoughts. It was like, yeah did I still want to coach you? Sure. You know? But it was almost like a moment where I was like, all right, I gotta pivot. this is at the end of one thing. And how I would always tell my guys, after losses, tough losses, hey guys, this is life. you can't feel sorry for yourself. And if you do, no one cares. So, you know, I I kind of did the same thing. I mean didn't feel sorry for myself. you know, I still continue to teach a judge. My two boys are are there, so it wasn't like I'm anti judge. I think you weren't like F this. No, no. listen after the admin. It's if anybody tells you people know this, he's still coaching at Father Judge. Teaching, teaching, yeah, teaching a judge. And my kids go there and you judge was such a big part of my life. I love Father Judge, I'm who I am. because of Father Judge and the sledge and spirituality that's there. Yeah. it's a real thing. so something like that happens, you can't go and you know, bash the school or you know, go crazy. Today most people would. Yeah, no, yeah. Like I mean it's a high road, I think, in my opinion. Yeah. I mean a lot of people would handle that differently. There'd be resentment and a lot of bitterness. Right. I think you handle with class, but it's good to hear like your perspective. Yeah, and you know, you know, in the end, Joe, I mean we're coaching high school basketball and it is important but in the grand scheme of life it's you know I I don't want to burst any high school coach's bubble but we're really not that important but it's fun to be you know a part of stuff like this and so yeah you know what the pivot is what's next and I was fortunate enough my my phone rang not too long after that and college came calling. So Yeah, talk about Del Vale. It's a natural pivot. Yeah, so you know that happened. Because I didn't expect that. I thought it was gonna be I didn't expect time off. Yeah. But I think if you take time off, it's you might enjoy the time off. So I I you know, I was home. I had built a pretty good relationship with Mahabadu Kaba, Coach Kaba. you said his name and I didn't have to. Yeah, yeah. So he we had a good relationship because he was the top assistant East Strasbourg and he recruited the crap out of Mark. And so there was already a relationship. Yeah, we knew each other and Quick funny story with the recruitment of Mark, he you know, they did so much to to get him and they came. I remember Whoa, are we gonna go how far did they go? yeah, there wasn't money back then. There was no money back then. But they came all the way down one night to Mayfair to try to get the yes out of and you know, he he like he like still wasn't sure 'cause he had like an unofficial visit to like FDU. There were still ones trying to So Martin, lingering. He was like, We're out, you know, like we have this other kid we 'cause it was late, it was getting late and so the head coach and him left and His mom's like came back in. She's like, You better talk to him. She's like, I want him to go to East Traso. He's I love these. He's I haven't really talked to the coaches from FDO. he's like hanging on. So I said, All right, so you want me to like tell him that, you know, no division one, we're going division two. Like Shitter up the top. Yeah, so we brought him back in Mark. I'm like, Mark, you got a great situation. They're paying for I you like get your you You don't gotta pay for a pencil. You're gonna play, which he did. He had a great freshman year. They to the like Elite Eight, which like the final four in division two. Yeah. But They had left. They're like on the turnpike. So he decides, okay, I'm in. So I'm after they left. So I'm like, all right, we gotta get on the phone. They were probably talking so much on the way home. So you might want to pull over here. So Mark gets on. He's hey, like I thought about it. I'm definitely gonna go. And he's like, you know, so they were excited. So then he lands at Del Vale. So he yeah, so he leaves, takes Del Val job. It the He knows you know everybody in the PCL. It's good for recruiting. It's it's good. And and he wanted to run a little bit of the Princeton stuff. So so you know he called me, he said, take your time. Me and my wife drove up to Del Vale just to see how far, you know, it would be commute-wise. And you know, I wouldn't make any decision without her, you know, saying, Yeah, let's do it. So So yeah, it it it it it was a yes and I three years there, yeah, elevated me to the associate head for the last two and I thought about maybe staying in this and trying to go that route but You can't get hired. It's very hard to get hired as a college coach if you don't have Ace assistant coach. Yeah. on your resume. Right. Today. Like they it's very rare. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And you know, he ends up, you know, winning the conference the year after I leave. I'm like, come on, man. Well it's because I said because he does. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got in the kids. Yeah, he yeah, so he wins and then now he's he's the assistant at Lafayette. He left and awesome. Yeah, he took the assistant at Lafayette, so with McGarvey. So And he's like you I think you told me that. Like he's on his way up. Yeah, he's on his way up and hopefully and I like Mike's a great coach. He'll get it he'll get a shot. Yeah. Yeah. I think you would think. And he's a great human being person. And so we knew each other, and that's how I ended up with Del Val for three years. So, coach, if you ever want to talk to me, we'll have you on. Yeah, we can. Okay, so that was player, coach for all your stops, and now we get to the program. So Egan, why now you w you made another pivot, right? You said I'm not gonna stay in the college game. What how did this opportunity present itself to you? And again, when did you know like this is what I want to do? Yeah, so similar to you know the judge situation, they also had some turnover in their coaching and I you know They were bad dude. They were yeah, they were. It was it was it was different than taking over at Wood. And it was different than taking over Father. I went to a game at Judge, I think Egan Judge, and I think Judge could have scored a hundred and twenty if they wanted to that night. Yeah. not Again, dismissing the coach was who is there. it just wasn't a good time. Like it was just not it wasn't working out. Yeah, I mean and the legs. And that's it's hard it's hard enough to have success. Yeah. Yeah, it can happen. It's a tough league. It's tough. I mean it is it is if you don't, you know, have the ability that, you know. So why Egan? What happened? So I get a call, from somebody that's says, you know, it's kinda like a call from a call like, Hey, would you be, you know, interested in this if if it you know. So I thought about it and you know, I was like, what, it's thirty minutes from judge. I can get there, I can get back, you know, to home in thirty minutes. A if anything's like thirty minutes and I can do that, I'm good, you know? So you don't gotta tell me. Yeah, my kids are GA. Like it's it's tough. That's a that's a not a big Commutes yeah, commutes are not bad. So and I really never had a commute, man. I was like teaching a judge, living in Mayfair, rec center at Mayfair. It was so you can walk. They could walk or bike leaves. So, you know, I I went up, I I took a look at the school, I interviewed, they showed me around. you know, I hadn't they do have good facility. I mean, I hadn't been there in a while and when I looked around and what they did to the school, it's like wow, this is this is super nice. Yeah. You know, the And they seem they keep on the they keep on building. Yeah, they built we just built a field house out back that's gonna have a weight room and an auxiliary gym. So, you know, it's it's a it's a the the facilities are are are super. and then I looked at the the the the the roster, you said that, they they they they it wasn't good and and it wasn't, but there was some talent though. Like I felt like in no way am I just meant yeah, like the kids there was kids that could play. Yeah. Some kids didn't play. Yeah. you know, they might have had, you know, DNP for whatever reason, academics, what have you, but So, you know, that was there. It wasn't like a you know, like no players. And then, you know, I had the ability to try to get some in in year one players to to go and play at Egan, which we were able to do. and, you know, even though the wins and losses were not w what I thought they would be, we were super competitive, you know, like close losses and I know there's no but when in this situation it was a a a good thing to have close losses 'cause the guys that have been a part of it prior n they were playing really not competitive basketball. And we were playing competitive basketball. So, you know That was year one. Year two, I really thought we were gonna take the jump and and we were back into the whole we lost three games in overtime last year to Newman, the prep, Devin prep and double double overtime. And then we might have had seven games that came down to the last three minutes. We just were stake bitten for whatever reason. and and but I do think, it's weathered us. In this day and age, if you don't win, you could have They're battle tested. They're battle tested. Again, right? Yeah. Everybody's back. Which is very again, very rare. It's very rare. Like we could have had like Miles more. That's that's testament to you as a coach. They're coming back because Yeah, you can lose most kids take all I mean, people would take Miles more. You're gonna lose one to two kids. Yeah, yeah. I mean he was the fourth leading score in the Catholic League. People are probably like, he won you know, so there's a lot of that going on in the world. Tar still kid. Yeah. Ronnie's his father, great dude. Yeah, he's a good guy. And just how many points did he average? I think he was like at like sixteen in this. Sixteen, seventeen? Yeah. Not all Catholic. Not all Catholic. Which not all Catholic. Again, I I have to say like people might go, well, you only won at six. We're doing a whole episode on the I said like he didn't he's like we had maybe two games that we were not like with in the fourth quarter in. Yeah. We lost three in overtime. Newman who almost won the Catholic Championship, he had twenty-nine in that game. He and then all there's other close games. So he wasn't scoring some teams that don't win, they get blown out. Y you score twenty points against the JV in the fourth quarter. Yeah. They weren't his points. They were not hollow. So well what I saw is when you play against Egan last year, your best defenders on who? Yeah. Miles. Yeah. Right. Yeah. and they rotate. So if you're the best player, the the other poding coach is gonna try to stop that best player. to ensure a chance of winning. Yeah. So it wasn't like you said, he was getting cupcakes. no, no. And I I you know, I didn't think you know, he has to be a first team, but I at least a third team will catholic. There's a lot of things that would make sense. I'm like so these interviews for the folks that don't are listening, these are like extra I never thought I was gonna do these. The real podcast is a weekly like recap of the PCL activity of the week before. Like that's what we're trying to do. And the four guys that everyone everyone on there, it's Tom Tommy Salman, Jimmy Hanratdy and Chris McNesby. we're gonna do an episode just on we're gonna do a recap of last year, we're gonna talk about the playoffs but the other thing is the the Catholic league all Catholic selections. I don't understand most of it to be honest. Yeah. But I don't wanna bore you and get sidetracked because we got a rabbit hole. and I know like you're still a coach and you represent Egan. Again, no one's gonna see this or watch this or listen to this, but it's that's complete bullshit that he didn't get even like an odd like a nod. Yeah. That blows my mind. Yeah, I thought so. And there's a couple of other kids that were in that same category. and I get it. a lot more teams, it's not like north and south. Right. but the league isn't watered down. and I I just don't it it doesn't make sense to me. It's it's not, in my opinion, fair and equitable. If you take him off your team, how many games did you would you win? Yeah, again, I think that was the big thing. Like I always look at it like, yeah, first how'd the team do? Second, how'd the kid do? And how did we, you know plan for this kid. So like you could play the best player in the league and do a good job on him and and shut him down, but he still gets my first team of Catholic vote 'cause he you know, he's he's that good, you know? So, you know, I I think people got caught up in the wins and losses, but if you watched us like We weren't a one or two win team. I it was three overtime losses, like you know, five or six, six, seven point losses. Like so, you know, it's a tough one. I mean, it there's a lot of good players. Sometimes this happens and and I get it, but you know, yeah as a coach you just I don't wanna drag you in. So we have I can be very opinionated on the process and so were the other three guys when we do that segment, if you will. I can't wait to do that 'cause I think the numbers alone Top three teams, I think it was five, four, and three. Yeah. That and it dominates over half the all Capital selections. And I get it. There's some great players out there. and just because you're a good player on a great team doesn't mean you shouldn't get the nine, but it doesn't make sense to me. okay, so you talked about so so what what should the what should folks be excited about Egan this year? What what do you think you're gonna who's gonna make a big jump? You said you have your core back. Why don't you talk about the kids a little bit? Yeah. so We have really everybody back from last year. Miles obviously we talked about as fourth or fifth in the league in scoring. point lar point guard play is so important as you know as a point guard. and and and Matt Tollerson, Erby, who is our stort and starting point guard who was for the last two years, had had a really good summer. you know, we have some kids moving up from the JV, and Tristan Laster and Wayne Graham Jr. that had really good summers. Wayne shot shooting ball really well. Jasir Ross, Dom Dorsey, who were full-time varsity players for us last year. Dom led the Catholic League in three point percentage. Yeah. nice player. Nice player, tough. Fun to watch. Just like coaches dream, like he does anything you ask. Yeah. Yeah, he's good. He definitely stood out like in the AR games. Yeah. And Any newcomers? And then we picked up yeah, we picked up a six nine kid. Okay. from from Canada. Okay. I I would probably compare him he kinda has a similar game to Jeremiah from Judge. Okay. obviously Jeremiah's a year older, so he's not maybe as polished as that, but for being six nine, two sixty, the dexterity, the feet, the good hands, good feet. Yeah, can put it on the floor and face and knows how to play. Knows how to play and and so and it's fun that changes your dynamic your team. It has he has the same last name as as Jeremiah. J G. It's the same l and they're not related. It's just funny. and they have like similar games. So it's like That's interesting. So you you're gonna you're you're probably gonna play differently on offense then, right? Well he you know, he can he can like is it stretch? He can like he he's hit a couple of threes in in this fall basketball and he's a pretty decent passer. So a lot of the stuff we do out of horn or or or like, you know, with the pr like the pinch post, like an elbow and passing out of that and he he can do it. So he's intriguing. The biggest thing that he is now though that we didn't really have last year is at the glass, you know, blocking shots. I think the first weekend we had him. Westchester in the Rome runs he had twelve blocks and four games. It changes the game. Yeah, I it's just a thing. Yeah, and I think Miles especially 'cause there's not a lot of pressure on him. Got a rebound. He had a rebound. He had yeah. Block shots. 'Cause he played five a lot, right? Or he played the opposing five. We did put at the five. When Justin Baob got in foul trouble, we're talking about the floor, we went small, played him at the five and so he really doesn't have to do that anymore. we also picked up a kid from North East. Ivan Arsena, so he's a six six wiry kid that just plays hard. Learning how to play, you know. What year? Senior. Senior transfer. One g one year. Jer Jeremy's a junior, so we have him for two years. Okay, cool. so yeah, I mean the core, those two guys. That's not a question. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm just hoping, you know, again, those tough losses the last two years are gonna, you know Just gotta learn how to win. That's it. That's it. and I thought we did that 'cause we had a early on a good win last year against Springside Chester Hill was who's you he beat Wood and had a really good non league and they they kind of tailed off towards the end. But I thought that was like the one, yeah, we got that one and we're and then we you know, we just we we go to the prep and lose in overtime. It's like Yeah. You know, so it's just a tough the one thing I can say about these went to the prep. Went to the prep awful gym. Tough tough to play. Tough to play at They should play away for having that gym. It's a tough, tough gym. But put the curtain curtain down. Just put the curtain down. That was speedy, speedy. Like always keep the curtain up. It's awful. Like I feel bad for the kids. it's like an air hanger. Yeah, yeah, there's no background stuff to shoot. Yeah. so yeah, you know, again, we got everybody back, they have the experience. We added some size, you know, hopefully that, you know Sounds like a n nice key additions, returning core. Yeah. So and the real goal is I know Rare have has given us some shout outs about we're gonna make a run of. Flash where I'm like, please don't say we haven't done anything yet. But I told you, you're on the committee, committee's radar. We think this is the year. I just want to be a playoff team. Yeah. You know, we haven't been in the playoffs in ten plus years, and I don't think they have a plan. It's what you do. So you you're gonna you're gonna take them and you're gonna get them ready. Yeah, hopefully and you're gonna go in there and make some noise. Yeah, hopefully we can. Yeah. Yeah. Again, kids stay healthy, right? Yeah, kids gotta take care of the take care in school and all that good stuff. But we know you're gonna do your job. Yeah. thank you. So I'm looking forward. I'm looking forward to this year. I'm so good I'm talking to you before this season. I hope there's a way I'm sure I'll talk to you outside of this and you know, me, I always root for you, send you text and I'm excited for you. I really am. yeah, I have all Catholics so I don't want to get into that. So we're kinda wrapping up now. Thanks so much. I I have some quick hitters. We call I call press O. So I'm gonna say a question. You gotta respond to it. And then I go right in the next question. All right. There's no passing. All right. So some were serious and some were fun, but let me get wrong. So buckle up. Sean did not have these questions ahead of time, just so you know. and they were a lot of these are from the committee, so you know who I'm the only one. All right. This should be good. Buckle up. Okay, best player you ever played with. Kevin Hawley. Okay. best player you ever coached? Marco Rodriguez. toughest matchup you ever coach against. Who's the toughest coach? Man, Jalen Duran, his freshman year, walked into the gym. I'm like, this kid's sixteen years old. I didn't know what to do. I had no I had nothing. Well he's a pro. He's a pro. Three hundred million or whatever. most points in a father judge game. For me? Yeah. Twenty six, I think. Twenty six. Twenty eight. Okay. All right. PCL average assist per game. Over or under one point five. Over. Over. Come on, you have two assists by mistake. That's bullshit. Two assists by mistake. I was from Tommy Siama, by the way. That's definitely under. favorite gym in the Catholic League? I mean, used to love and This Is Odd, but going down to the Pit. Yeah. Yeah. It was fun, wasn't it? It was great. Yeah. And it's crazy and I played well there. I just had good games. Wood was my I always played Wood g good at Wood, but I remember playing against North and they would get backdoor cuts in that gym. I'm like, how's that even possible? Yeah. okay. one coach you would love to sit down and just talk to for an hour. Any coach at any level, if you could pick pick their brain. probably Tom Izzo. I've always been an Izzo fan. Okay. Most underrated skill in basketball today. Pivoting. Playing off a two pivoting. Unbelievable. completely agree. One stat you pay attention to that most people don't really look at after a game. deflections. Okay. I was good at that. one coaching habit you can't stand that you see today, trendy, dumb, that a lot of guys do. That just pisses you off. Well, I'm traditionalist, so I don't know if this fits but I was always I like this shirt, jacket and tie. And after COVID. Zee Z brought the he did and I appreciated that. And I'm I'm like told my staff I said, we might do shirt, tie and jacket this year. All right. Well we looking. we looking. I'd like the casual wear on the sidelines. It it took me a while too much. Got Now it's the norm, so I'm good. The committee frowned upon at any level wearing jeans as a coach. Well, yeah, that's that's no CYO use And stay off your phone. Don't be on the phone doing the game. All right. Okay, what matters more in February? Talent, chemistry, or experience? Chemistry. Okay. Who's a better defensive player? You or Joe Harvey? Show Harvey, I guess. No way. he's gonna love that. the this is we heard from folks that you play with and other folk to judge. Did you ice your arm down at halftime? I always say to those guys, do we win a lot of games or do we lose a lot of games? Hey, when you're on my team, pick up we won lot of games. then lastly, it's not really c a question, but do you know the committee's nickname for your team? It's hysterical. Nickname for the Commonwealth in basketball. Well we call you guys. Now this committee's been texting for over for years. So I I have no idea. We call you guys the flying tates. And I hope that sticks. It's the best. Okay. So Sean, thank you so much for coming. Had a great time. thanks for making this so much easier. went through a lot. so I appreciate it. Is there anyone before I wrap up like that you would like to thank? You talked about your wife numerous times throughout this. Your father, anyone like coaches, anyone you want to thank, I'll time is yours and then I'll wrap up. Yeah, I mean, this'll be a tough year, you know, coaching wise, my dad passed away. so he won't be around for this year and that'll be the first time. and I probably wouldn't be part of this, you know, Catholic League and basketball if it wasn't for him. and my mom who she God went to every game, took pictures, still does, you know, w takes pictures of my eyes. Always there, selling hot dogs. so yeah, obviously your parents, you know, a big part of who I am and and what I am and I go back to, you know, my kids and and my wife. I mean, you alluded to it earlier, how much time and and away from home. this this this this job does. So, you know, Kate Tate and and Kevin Orion, you know, for their support and being, you know, allow me to do this really 'cause if they didn't, you know, I wouldn't I wouldn't be in this industry. So so that's about it. Okay. All right, Sean. thanks for coming. Appreciate the stories the time with a great time. sign off from committee two one five. Thank you guys for having me, Joe.