A big-time catch: Harvard reels in Amaker

By Josh Hirsch

Senior Staff Writer

jjhirsch@sas.upenn.edu

For a program desperate for respect, Tommy Amaker is a match in more ways than one.

Amaker, who has spent the last 13 years coaching big-time basketball at Michigan and Seton Hall, has accepted an offer to become the new head man at Harvard.

"It's a terrific opportunity for me," he said yesterday to the Associated Press after announcing he would take the job. "I've been fortunate to be associated with some of the finest academic institutions in the country, and none is greater than Harvard."

Later yesterday, Harvard confirmed the hiring on its athletics Web site, and announced a press conference to introduce Amaker tomorrow morning.

In a statement, Crimson athletic director Bob Scalise said that the former Duke player and assistant is a great fit for his program.

"We're delighted Tommy Amaker is joining us at Harvard," Scalise said. "He has been a well-respected head coach at the highest level of college basketball."

Amaker replaces Frank Sullivan, who was fired last month after 16 years as Crimson coach, where he went 178-245 and failed to get Harvard its first Ivy basketball title ever and first NCAA Tournament trip since 1946.

At Michigan, Amaker took over a program that was under heavy NCAA scrutiny after a litany of violations and subsequent sanctions, including a postseason ban.

He rebuilt the program and took the Wolverines to three National Invitational Tournaments in his six seasons, including a championship in 2003-04. But the failure to get to the big dance ultimately sealed his fate in Ann Arbor, and he was let go after this past season, with a record of 109-83.

Previously, he was the head coach of Seton Hall for four seasons, which included a Sweet 16 trip in 2000 during his only NCAA Tournament run.

Amaker graduated from Duke in 1987, and served as an assistant under Mike Krzyzewski for nine seasons.

The hiring lays to rest some criticism, including an article in the Boston Globe, that Harvard has no black head coaches at the varsity level. Another candidate for the job was also black, former George Washington and St. John's coach Mike Jarvis. There was also speculation revolving around other big-name coaches, like retired former Vermont and Yale head coach Tom Brennan.

But ultimately Harvard settled on Amaker, who will become the first Ivy League head coach with previous BCS-conference head-coaching experience since Yale's Dick Kuchen, who led the Elis from 1986-1999 after previously coaching California.

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