Welcome to the Ivy League.
It isn’t often that an entire conference sees a significant overhaul in its coaching staff during the offseason, but that is exactly what has happened in the Ivies this year.
Going into the 2010-11 college basketball season, fans will be seeing several new faces pacing the sideline, as half of the conference’s teams — Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth and Penn — have welcomed new head coaches to lead their basketball teams.
With five weeks left until the first tipoff, let’s take a look at what each coach has to offer.
Jerome Allen — Penn
Much has been written about Allen since he was named interim head coach in December and full-time coach in March.
Though Allen had no prior collegiate coaching experience, the former Quaker and NBA draft pick has received widespread support from current students and alumni.
As he enters his first full season as the Quakers’ head coach, Allen will be looked upon to revive the program, which has fallen short of its rich history in recent years.
“I told [Athletic Director Steve Bilsky] I was going to do my best to get the brand of basketball the Penn community is used to seeing,” Allen said in a press conference in March. “We will get it done.”
Kyle Smith – Columbia
An 18-year veteran assistant coach at the Division I level, the 2010-11 season will mark Smith’s first go-round as a collegiate head coach. He last worked for Saint Mary’s College of California as the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator.
At St. Mary’s, Smith helped turn a team that won just two games in 2001 into a 28-win team in 2009-10 that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament.
He will face a similar battle at Columbia. The Lions finished last season tied for fifth at 5-9 and have not won an Ivy League title since 1968.
“I look forward to the challenge of building an Ivy League championship men’s basketball program at Columbia,” Smith told The Columbia Spectator.
Bill Courtney – Cornell
A former assistant coach at Virginia Tech and George Mason, Courtney inherits three-peat Ivy champions Cornell, who went to the Sweet Sixteen last season. He replaces one-time Penn assistant Steve Donahue, who left Cornell for a job at Boston College.
Courtney will be rebuilding a team that lost nine players due to graduation, including All-Ivy selections Ryan Wittman, Jeff Foote and Louis Dale. But recruiting shouldn’t be a problem for Courtney, who is largely credited for bringing in key players that led George Mason to the 2006 NCAA Final Four.
Paul Cormier – Dartmouth
Cormier is back for a second stint with the Big Green after spending most of the past 12 years working with various NBA organizations. He initially served as Dartmouth’s head coach for seven seasons (1984-91), leading the team to two of its three winningest seasons (1987-89) in the past 50 years.
Cormier will be looked upon to lead the Big Green back to its winning ways, especially after the team finished last season with a 1-13 conference record.
“Everything I heard throughout the selection process was that men’s basketball needs to be built into a successful program — not just a competitive one, but one that vies for the Ivy championship on an annual basis,” Smith told The Dartmouth. “That is exactly why I am here.”
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