GAME ON The Sideline: Coach Black of LaSalle
GAME ON Contributor David Varhol
GAME ON The Sideline: Coach Black of LaSalle
GAME ON The Sideline: Coach Black
What’s been exciting about this season?
The most exciting part of this season is having a young and enthusiastic team. These guys have improved and matured as a team, which makes it a ton of fun to coach them. They work very hard and try to get better everyday.
Where is your team going?
We have a goal to get to the Ryan Center. We lost to a great Hendricken team in the quarterfinals of the Division. Next Saturday, we play a tremendous Tiverton team with excellent players who are very well coached in the Open Tournament.
What’s been your greatest success as a coach?
My greatest success as a coach is that I have the opportunity to work with great people. We get use basketball to teach life-lessons. Basketball has given me so much, so many relationships with wonderful players, coaches, and administrators. We get to work together to accomplish team things together.
What’s been your biggest failure?
My biggest failure occurred in our South Kingstown game this season. I got in an argument with an official, received two technical fouls, and was ejected from the game. As a result received a four game suspension. It was the toughest thing professionally that I ever had to go through. However, I was able to use it as a teachable moment and let the team know that we are all accountable and there are consequences for all of our actions.
What is your coaching experience?
I started as an assistant coach at Rhode Island College with Coach Bob Walsh from 2004-2006. Then, I was an assistant coach at Wheaton College from 2006-2008. I worked as Co-Head Coach with legendary Coach Eddy Heroux at La Salle Academy for a year. Now, I am in my second year as Head Coach at La Salle Academy.
Who have been the best players you’ve coached?
I care a lot more about the guys who play for me as people than I do basketball players, so the honest answer is - all of them. Kinsey Durgin from RIC was a Division 3 - All-American and played professionally oversees. In 2 years we've been at La Salle a few guys have moved on to play in college. Pucci Angell-Catholic University, Curtis Lucas-Johnson and Wales, and Jared Hopkins-Springfield College (Baseball)
How do you motivate your players?
That's the million-dollar question. At La Salle we have the best boys basketball coaching staff in state. We challenge our guys to become better everyday. We are very demanding and playing for us is a lot of hard work, but when all is said and done our players know how much we love and respect them. That relationship and trust motivates our players and coaches everyday.