Double Demint, Double Your Pleasure
In answer to a question posted on the UVA coaching search blog, it looks like UNCG is wrapping their own coaching search up quickly, by kicking it old school.
That's right. According to an article by our own Bill Hass, former UNCG coach Mike Dement is back for another turn.
It seems like a good fit for both sides. Things didn't work out for Dement at SMU, so he's got to be happy to get another shot at D-I head coaching job. Meanwhile, UNCG gets a guy they know can win in Fleming, because hey, the guy's done it before. Dement took over when the G moved to D-I and in four short years had them up to 23 wins.
I'm curious to see what Steve Huntley and the other vocal UNCG fans have to say about this hire. Feel free to chime in guys.
Comments (4)
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Or could this be like Jeff Brubaker coming back to Greensboro to coach the Generals (formerly Monarchs)? Local hockey fans will recall that Bru's second run in the ECHL wasn't nearly as successful as his first go-round. And the city's now without a hockey team largely because of the $109,000 he's still owed by former ownership thanks to that wrongful-termination judgment.
My question is: Is Dement returning to the same UNCG he left?
Posted on April 8, 2005 2:16 PM
I'm really confused by SMU. Dement had one bad season at a school who gets less support for it's basketball team than UNCG. He brought in three or four Rookies of the Year, signed a McDonalds All-American, had Sasser go in the first round of the NBA draft, and it's not good enough?
UNCG will be extremely glad to have him back. When he was here, we played awesome defense and rebounded the basketball better than any UNCG team since.
One of the biggest problems that I have heard UNCG supporters say that they had with McCaffery has been his lack of competitiveness against major programs.
Dement's biggest loss in our infancy of DI against a major opponent was around 26 points. Didn't G lose to Duke by 50 this year?
We don't expect Elite 8's or Sweet 16s every year, we just want to show up when we go to Wisconsin or Duke, or Tennessee. And even in his worst year at SMU Dement beat Purdue and Texas Tech on the road.
In 1995 at the end of the season we had a sold out gym for the last game of the season. We beat Charleston Southern by 28 at home, and the crowd charged the floor. Dement made basketball at UNCG exciting, respectable and important.
I hope he can do it again.
Posted on April 8, 2005 3:42 PM
My question is: Is Dement returning to the same UNCG he left?
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Jeff I'm not sure. He's returning to a team that has gone to the post-season three times since his last walk across that in-line (10 years ago).
He's walking into a team that has an outstanding sophomore forward, a good junior guard, a recruiting class the former coaches were ETREMELY excited about, and three open scholarships after next season.
The Southern Conference is a much better vantage point than the Big South from which to recruit from; and this hiring has lit up my telephone like a christmas tree from supporters who have abandoned the program since Peele dismantled it and McCaffery teased us with his early success.
Plus, the North Division of the Socon consists of App. State, WCU, Elon, UTC and UNCG now. Besides UTC, there really aren't any heavy hitters at this time. We should be able to get a tourney bye year to year without a problem if Dement is successful.
Posted on April 8, 2005 4:00 PM
WHY ON EARTH ARE THEY BRINGING THIS GUY BACK,,, YOU WANT MORE FANS AND BRINGING IN A OLD COACH WANT DO IT,,
Posted on April 19, 2005 5:39 PM