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Pitchfork Sports: Coaches have their baggage

Kaitlin Ochenrider / The State Press
ASU students fill up the designated student section for the ASU versus UNLV football game Saturday.  The amount of student tickets being distributed has been a controversial topic for the '08-'09 season.
Kaitlin Ochenrider / The State Press ASU students fill up the designated student section for the ASU versus UNLV football game Saturday. The amount of student tickets being distributed has been a controversial topic for the '08-'09 season.

A common occurrence in the world of collegiate coaching has taken place in Tempe: they leave and take all their bags with them.

Last week, Scott Pera, ASU’s assistant men’s basketball coach, took a job as assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania.

Pera was best known for his recruitment job, bringing James Harden and Derek Glasser from his previous coaching job for a high school team to ASU.

Pera demonstrated how to recruit former players to the collegiate level. His former team, a high school in his home state of Pennsylvania, went 33-1 with the help of future Sun Devils, Derek Glasser and James Harden.

This has become a key recruiting tool for collegiate coaches: bringing along their former high school players to the next level, or even college coaches moving up to the professionals and later coaching their former college players.

Pera leaves ASU, but now connects the University of Pennsylvania with his potential recruits. Photo illustration by Brendan Capria.

Coaches seem to reunite with their recruits at some point in their careers.

During the 2012 Olympics, we had seen Carmelo Anthony go on a scoring spree and reunite with his former coach and mentor, Syracuse University’s Jim Boeheim. His explosive offense—which was déjà vu from his short collegiate campaign—brought gold home for the United States. That gold medal run instills hope in New York Knicks fans like myself; we want those results in the NBA season.

The connection between player and coach can be crucial to the success of the team.

But, this doesn’t just apply to sports.

Certain teachers or professors can affect their student’s success in the classroom. Good chemistry between mentor and student will usually benefit both parties. Whether you are a student of basketball, or ASU 101, you learn with a good leader.

A student is always the product of their teachers; their connection is withstanding.

The Sun Devils will be hiring another assistant coach. Lamont Smith, another assistant coach who left, is headed to Seattle to be reunited with his mentor, Lorenzo Romar at the University of Washington. Romar, the head coach for the UW Huskies, has had Smith on his staff before. They date back as much as 13 years ago.

Great leaders affect the ones around them, and it worked for and against the Sun Devils—this time.

We were able to hire Scott Pera, and in turn bring along two fantastic players in Glasser and Harden. However, with the team having a mediocre season, Pera decides to leave for his home state.

Lamont Smith left the team to have a chance at learning more from his long-time mentor. This move might prove to be good for his coaching career, but now we are left to start over.

Of course there is potential for more change: Herb Sendek. The head coach of six years has led the Sun Devils to one NCAA Tournament appearance, but has yet to win a Pac-10/12 Conference title.

If that doesn’t spell “on the hot seat,” I don’t know what does.

So, while Sendek and the team search for coaches with recruitment ties and leadership skills, we must remember that the connections we make can help us to get where we want to be later. Being a mentor to someone can bring you success down the road.

You can reach me at etrianta@asu.edu.


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