Spring Break
The Daily OrangeBattle | Younger Willard looks to follow in father's footsteps
By Kevin Ware
Posted: 2/19/08, 1:02 AM EST Section: Sports
Kevin Willard has practically taken the path of his father, Ralph.
He developed a love for basketball at a young age because his father did. He became a gym rat because his father was one. And so, fittingly, he became a college basketball head coach just like his father.
Ralph, now in his ninth season at the helm for Holy Cross, has achieved success at the Division I level. In his 17 seasons as a head coach, he has six NCAA and three NIT appearances to his name and has averaged nearly 20 wins a season for the Crusaders, who are 14-10 this season - a down year for the program while under the watch of Ralph.
It is his son who, at the moment, is enduring a much more difficult task.
Kevin, 32, in his first head coaching job, took over at Iona this season after the program hit rock bottom last year with a 2-28 campaign.
"It's challenging any time you take over a program that's been down," Ralph Willard said. "But he's relishing the challenge. He really likes the people he's working for. He really likes the president of the college. And that's nine-tenths of the battle."
And it seems Kevin already has the program headed in the right direction.
The Gaels' record is not blinding with wins, but with an 11-17 record, Iona has at least accomplished respectability.
Not only do Ralph and Kevin share the common bond of being head coaches at the D-I level, but they experience another connection while on their respective paths to their current destinations.
Ralph and Kevin were both assistants to one of the most respected and legendary coaches at the college level, Rick Pitino.
And Pitino isn't a bad guy to be an assistant for. It's not that he is the only coach to take three different schools to the Final Four, but Pitino, in his eighth season at Louisville, has a knack for grooming his assistants into head coaches. Nineteen former Pitino assistant coaches or players have become collegiate head coaches.
"Working for Rick is tremendous because you get such a tremendous amount of responsibility," Ralph Willard said. "He definitely prepares you to be a head coach at the collegiate or, really, the pro level. … He prepares you to be successful. And he's very demanding. There's no friendship once you walk through the office doors; there's no such thing as being a friend."
In 1986, Ralph was a member of Jim Boeheim's coaching staff at Syracuse, but when Pitino left Providence after that season - a team that went to the Final Four - to take the head coaching job with the New York Knicks, he asked Ralph to come with him, and that was that.
After two seasons with the Knicks, Ralph followed Pitino to Kentucky, and after a season there, Western Kentucky called asking Ralph to be its head coach, and at that point he said goodbye to Pitino.
In his fourth and final season at Western Kentucky, Kevin came to play point guard for his father. When Ralph left for Pittsburgh, Kevin followed.
As Kevin was finishing school, Pitino decided to give the NBA another chance - this time with the Boston Celtics - and he knew of another Willard ready to get into coaching.
"Actually, Rick had gotten to know Kevin at camps and stuff so he was familiar with Kevin," Ralph said. "So when he took the Celtics job he knew Kevin wanted to be a coach so he said, 'Come along with me and be a graduate assistant.' And it turns out one of his coaches left, and Kevin ended up on the bench that first year. So it's kind of an interesting scenario."
Kevin would later follow Pitino to Louisville, but didn't have his chance to become a head coach until after six years as an assistant and an embarrassment. Kevin was offered the head coaching position at Delaware in March 2006, but the offer was revoked after Delaware officials discovered a DUI Kevin was charged with two years prior.
A year later, Iona offered him the job, and he finally received his chance to reach the same level as his father.
"Obviously working for Rick is extremely demanding, and I was fortunate enough to get out after three years and still have my hair," Ralph said. "Kevin lasted nine years and doesn't have any hair. So I was the more fortunate of the two of us."
Kevin was the recipient of a wakeup call when Iona squared off against Pitino and Louisville earlier this season on Dec. 29. The Cardinals took it to the Gaels, 67-36.
Now that they are both head coaches, Kevin and Ralph don't get to see each other as much as they would like. There is golf in the summertime and holidays in the winter, and they run into each other on the recruiting trail as father and son battle for players alike.
"We have a relationship that is obviously father-and-son, but there is also an extra added dimension of him loving the game of basketball and me loving the game of basketball," Ralph Willard said. "So that's created an even deeper bond if you will. There are family things to talk about, there are father-son things to talk about, but eventually everything leads back to basketball."
Ware's picks
No. 3 North Carolina (-7) at North Carolina State
Wednesday, 7:00 p.m., ESPN
UNC absolutely destroyed N.C. State the first time they played this season, 93-62. The loss sent the Wolfpack into a tailspin as they have now lost six of their last 10.
North Carolina 91, North Carolina State 79
No. 10 Wisconsin at Illinois (+8)
Wednesday, 9:00 p.m.
This pick goes against all conventional wisdom. Illinois has lost six games at Assembly Hall while Wisconsin is 7-2 on the road. Yet Bruce Weber conjures up an outstanding performance from his troops, and they upset Wisconsin, sending Madison into shock.
Illinois 76, Wisconsin 70
No. 5 Kansas (-5.5) at Oklahoma State
Saturday, 4:00 p.m., CBS
Kansas should be able to take this one from Oklahoma State. Kansas must be furious after losing to Texas last week, 72-69, and the display of redemption started with a thrashing of Colorado this past weekend, 69-45.
Kansas 82, Oklahoma State 72
No. 18 Drake at No. 8 Butler (-4.5)
Saturday, 5:00 p.m., ESPN2
Yes, this game in late February between a Horizon League team and a Missouri Valley Conference team has become a marquee matchup. Butler seems like a safe pick at home behind senior Mike Green, who leads the Bulldogs in points (15.1), assists (4.9) and rebounds (6.3).
Butler 74, Drake 68
No. 2 Tennessee (+3.5) at No. 1 Memphis
Saturday, 9:00 p.m., ESPN
It doesn't get any better than this - No. 1 against No. 2. Odds are this is the last chance of Memphis losing before the NCAA Tournament. Chris Lofton will deliver a signature performance for Tennessee, and the Volunteers will knock off the Tigers.
Tennessee 79, Memphis 78
kjware@syr.edu
He developed a love for basketball at a young age because his father did. He became a gym rat because his father was one. And so, fittingly, he became a college basketball head coach just like his father.
Ralph, now in his ninth season at the helm for Holy Cross, has achieved success at the Division I level. In his 17 seasons as a head coach, he has six NCAA and three NIT appearances to his name and has averaged nearly 20 wins a season for the Crusaders, who are 14-10 this season - a down year for the program while under the watch of Ralph.
It is his son who, at the moment, is enduring a much more difficult task.
Kevin, 32, in his first head coaching job, took over at Iona this season after the program hit rock bottom last year with a 2-28 campaign.
"It's challenging any time you take over a program that's been down," Ralph Willard said. "But he's relishing the challenge. He really likes the people he's working for. He really likes the president of the college. And that's nine-tenths of the battle."
And it seems Kevin already has the program headed in the right direction.
The Gaels' record is not blinding with wins, but with an 11-17 record, Iona has at least accomplished respectability.
Not only do Ralph and Kevin share the common bond of being head coaches at the D-I level, but they experience another connection while on their respective paths to their current destinations.
Ralph and Kevin were both assistants to one of the most respected and legendary coaches at the college level, Rick Pitino.
And Pitino isn't a bad guy to be an assistant for. It's not that he is the only coach to take three different schools to the Final Four, but Pitino, in his eighth season at Louisville, has a knack for grooming his assistants into head coaches. Nineteen former Pitino assistant coaches or players have become collegiate head coaches.
"Working for Rick is tremendous because you get such a tremendous amount of responsibility," Ralph Willard said. "He definitely prepares you to be a head coach at the collegiate or, really, the pro level. … He prepares you to be successful. And he's very demanding. There's no friendship once you walk through the office doors; there's no such thing as being a friend."
In 1986, Ralph was a member of Jim Boeheim's coaching staff at Syracuse, but when Pitino left Providence after that season - a team that went to the Final Four - to take the head coaching job with the New York Knicks, he asked Ralph to come with him, and that was that.
After two seasons with the Knicks, Ralph followed Pitino to Kentucky, and after a season there, Western Kentucky called asking Ralph to be its head coach, and at that point he said goodbye to Pitino.
In his fourth and final season at Western Kentucky, Kevin came to play point guard for his father. When Ralph left for Pittsburgh, Kevin followed.
As Kevin was finishing school, Pitino decided to give the NBA another chance - this time with the Boston Celtics - and he knew of another Willard ready to get into coaching.
"Actually, Rick had gotten to know Kevin at camps and stuff so he was familiar with Kevin," Ralph said. "So when he took the Celtics job he knew Kevin wanted to be a coach so he said, 'Come along with me and be a graduate assistant.' And it turns out one of his coaches left, and Kevin ended up on the bench that first year. So it's kind of an interesting scenario."
Kevin would later follow Pitino to Louisville, but didn't have his chance to become a head coach until after six years as an assistant and an embarrassment. Kevin was offered the head coaching position at Delaware in March 2006, but the offer was revoked after Delaware officials discovered a DUI Kevin was charged with two years prior.
A year later, Iona offered him the job, and he finally received his chance to reach the same level as his father.
"Obviously working for Rick is extremely demanding, and I was fortunate enough to get out after three years and still have my hair," Ralph said. "Kevin lasted nine years and doesn't have any hair. So I was the more fortunate of the two of us."
Kevin was the recipient of a wakeup call when Iona squared off against Pitino and Louisville earlier this season on Dec. 29. The Cardinals took it to the Gaels, 67-36.
Now that they are both head coaches, Kevin and Ralph don't get to see each other as much as they would like. There is golf in the summertime and holidays in the winter, and they run into each other on the recruiting trail as father and son battle for players alike.
"We have a relationship that is obviously father-and-son, but there is also an extra added dimension of him loving the game of basketball and me loving the game of basketball," Ralph Willard said. "So that's created an even deeper bond if you will. There are family things to talk about, there are father-son things to talk about, but eventually everything leads back to basketball."
Wednesday, 7:00 p.m., ESPN
UNC absolutely destroyed N.C. State the first time they played this season, 93-62. The loss sent the Wolfpack into a tailspin as they have now lost six of their last 10.
Wednesday, 9:00 p.m.
This pick goes against all conventional wisdom. Illinois has lost six games at Assembly Hall while Wisconsin is 7-2 on the road. Yet Bruce Weber conjures up an outstanding performance from his troops, and they upset Wisconsin, sending Madison into shock.
Saturday, 4:00 p.m., CBS
Kansas should be able to take this one from Oklahoma State. Kansas must be furious after losing to Texas last week, 72-69, and the display of redemption started with a thrashing of Colorado this past weekend, 69-45.
Saturday, 5:00 p.m., ESPN2
Yes, this game in late February between a Horizon League team and a Missouri Valley Conference team has become a marquee matchup. Butler seems like a safe pick at home behind senior Mike Green, who leads the Bulldogs in points (15.1), assists (4.9) and rebounds (6.3).
Saturday, 9:00 p.m., ESPN
It doesn't get any better than this - No. 1 against No. 2. Odds are this is the last chance of Memphis losing before the NCAA Tournament. Chris Lofton will deliver a signature performance for Tennessee, and the Volunteers will knock off the Tigers.
kjware@syr.edu
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