Interviews

In the latest installment in his "Coaching Greats" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with former Dayton head coach Don Donoher, who to this day remains the winningest coach in school history. Donoher, who won 437 games at UD and led the Flyers to eight NCAA Tournament appearances and an NIT title, is now an assistant at Bishop Fenwick High School in Middletown, Ohio. 

Jon Teitel: You played three years for Coach Tom Blackburn at Dayton. What made him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing you ever learned from him?

Earlier this season CHN writer Jon Teitel was able to spend a few minutes with Jerry Sloan, who in addition to being one of the greatest coaches in basketball history is one of the greatest to ever don an Evansville uniform. After four seasons at the Indiana school that included a pair of national titles at the Division II level Sloan played in the NBA, where he was half of the famed backcourt tandem that included Norm Van Lier. Sloan recently resigned as head coach of the Utah Jazz after 23-plus seasons with the franchise.

Before the season began it was tough to find anyone who picked the Vermont Catamounts to repeat as America East champions. Having to replace four starters, most notably the conference's best player in Marqus Blakely, would make nearly any team a tough sell. But Mike Lonergan's Catamounts have found a way to not only survive but thrive, and a win over Maine tomorrow night would clinch the regular season title and at the very least a berth in the NIT.

In the latest installment in his "Coaching Great" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with former Robert Morris head coach Jarrett Durham. Coach Durham led the Colonials to three NCAA Tournament appearances in Moon Township and remains the school's winningest coach. Durham now works at his alma mater, Duquesne, as a Special Assistant to the Athletic Director in addition to calling the men's basketball games on the radio (WPBG-FM 104.7 in Pittsburgh). 

In the latest installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Centenary great Willie Jackson, the school's all-time leading scorer while also ranking second in rebounding. Aptly nicknamed "The Legend" by players when an assistant at his alma mater, Jackson is now the head coach at Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, Louisiana.  

Jon Teitel: Your nickname is "Legend". Who gave it to you, and how do you like it?

The Northeast Conference annually has a race that rivals that of many leagues in terms of competitiveness for the simple fact that not everyone qualifies for the conference tournament. With just the top eight teams eligible for the event any level of separation that a team can gain is a valuable benefit. Such is the case of Jim Ferry's Long Island Blackbirds, who have won 10 of their last 11 games in jumping to an 8-2 record in conference play (16-5 overall).

In the most recent installment in his "Coaching Greats" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with former Virginia Tech head coach Charles Moir, who won 213 games and led the Hokies to four NCAA Tournament appearances during his time in Blacksburg. An alum of Roanoke College, Moir's son Page is currently the head coach there.  

Jon Teitel: You played basketball and baseball at Appalachian State, and later played minor league baseball for a few years. Which sport did you like more, and which one were you better at?