Philadelphia man finds his roots

By Matt Conrad

Senior Sports Editor

mlconrad@sas.upenn.edu

The Big 5 is distinctly a Philadelphia entity, but its disciples range far and wide, from the NBA to college coaching staffs across the nation.

Billy Lange is one such displaced Philadelphia guy whose career has brought him to the helm of the up-and-coming Navy basketball program.

When Lange earned the job two seasons ago, he was, at only 32 years old, one of the youngest coaches in the game. And the path Lange took to get there went right through Philadelphia.

From his earliest days, Lange was a Big 5 devotee. "I grew up watching college basketball in the Palestra," he said. "I was a big fan of Villanova and Penn."

Lange played his college ball at nearby Rowan University under current La Salle coach John Giannini.

And after a year of coaching his former high-school team, Lange was hired by Philadelphia University as an assistant. In 1998, he joined the La Salle staff for two seasons.

Lange then spent one year as the head coach of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy before returning to the Big 5, now as an assistant to head coach Jay Wright at Villanova.

In 2004, 11-year Navy coach Don DeVoe retired, opening the door for Lange to get his first Division I head coaching job.

Lange beat out 80 applicants for the chance to head to Annapolis, but had to leave behind the Big 5.

"I love Philadelphia basketball. It's a difficult place to leave because you get so attached to the pageantry," Lange said.

He got a reminder when the Midshipmen rolled into the Palestra last year but ended on the wrong end of an 86-73 score.

His experiences in the City of Brotherly Love didn't go for naught, however, as Lange's coaching was greatly influenced by his time in Philadelphia.

"I've had great experiences with three great Philly coaches," Lange said. "Herb McGee at Philadelphia University, Speedy Morris at La Salle and obviously Jay Wright at Villanova."

While Lange may have traded in the "pageantry" of the Big 5 for the very different atmosphere of a military service academy, he feels it was a great move.

"I'm coaching our country's future leaders," Lange said. "It's just a blessing to be around people like this. These kids are truly inspiring."

Since Lange took over in 2004, the Middies have gone 27-38, a far cry from their 23-63 record of the previous three seasons. Lange's young team - the starting lineup consists of two juniors, two sophomores and a freshman - is off to a 7-2 start this season, and with the ability to keep this core together for several more years, a finish in the upper echelon of the Patriot League does not appear out of reach.

But even a world apart from the Palestra, among the barracks and mess halls in Maryland, Lange's Big 5 experience is still a part of him.

As he said, "it always stays with you."

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