The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, October 24, 1994 - 3
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Carnesecca
Legend talks about state of basketball
RACHEL BACHMAN
Bach's Score
Lou Carnesecca is one of the most
outgoing, lovable coaches in college
basketball. He is well known for wear-
ing outrageous, 'lucky'sweaters and
adamantly shows his emotions as he
paces the sidelines.
He hung up his clipboard and
whistle at the end of the 1991-92
season, after he spent 24 years as
head coach of a successful St. John's
basketball program, comprised
tainly of the best New York City
players Carnesecca could get
his hands on. During his time
at St. John's, he had the plea-
sure of coaching presentNBA
players Chris Mullin (Golden
State), Mark Jackson (Indi-
ana), Malik Sealy (L.A. Clip-
pers), Bill Wennington (Chi-
cago) and Jayson Williams
New Jersey).
He compiled a 526-200
career record at St. John's,
leading the Redmen (now
known as the Red Storm) to
18"JNCAA tournament ap-
pearances.
Before his years as head
coach of St. John's, he
coached the ABA'sNew York
Nets from 1970 to 1973. He
#as inducted into theNational
Basketball Hall of Fame in
1992. Recently the Daily's ,{
Brett Krasnove caught up with
Carnesecca.
Daily: How have you held ":
up in the last couple of years
without coaching?
Carnesecca: I've actu-
ally been doing fine. Forty-
ree years of coaching (full
time) is plenty. They were a
great 43 years, but it was
time to move on. I'm still
coaching, you know. I coach
the NIT overseas, and I'm
also going out to Spokane,
Washington to run clinics
out there.
D: Of all your years at St.
-John's, who would yousay is
he greatest athlete you've
ever coached?
C: I don't know who the
greatest athlete I've ever
coached is, but I'd have to
say the greatest player I've
ever coached has to be Chris
Mullin. Of course, there was
also Mark Jackson, Walter
Berry, Bill Wennington, and Malik
Sealy - all great players.
D: Speaking of Bill Wenning'ton,
you must be pretty happy with how he
did with the Bulls last season.
C: I'll tell you, I'm so happy for
Bill. I'm glad he finally got to play
and show what he can do. You know,
he played in Italy for two years before
he came back and played with Chi-
cago.
D: Do you try and keep contact
with your players on a regular basis?
C: Oh yeah, of course. I love all
my players. It's hard, but I try to keep
in touch with all of them
D: I'm sure you're aware of the
great recruiting program at the Uni-
versity of Michigan. How do you
feel about the recruiting program
here as compared to that of St.
John's?
C: Of course, you guys always get
great athletes. It's in big part due to
the fact that Michigan recruits more
on a national basis, getting great play-
ers from all over, whereas we try to
get the kids from the city (New York
City). But we have a great
recruiting class with (New
York products) Felipe Lopez
and Zendon Hamilton.
D: How do you feel about
the rest of the recruiting class
besides Hamilton and
Lopez?
C: Oh, it's excellent. We
also have the Turner kid
(Tarik Turner) from Virginia
who's got a lotof talent. About
the only thing we're missing
is a true big man.
D: Do you feel Lopez is
the best player in the coun-
try?
C: It's hard to say, but I'll
tell you he's solid. You know,
he's 6-5, he can play inside,
he can shoot the jumper, he
can handle the ball well. He
can do it all.
D: On January 29th, St.
John's is playing at Michi-
gan. What do you predict as
that game's outcome?
C: I'm really looking for-
ward to that one. Michigan
has some real fine players.
It'll be a real tough matchup.
Yeah, I'll be watching that
one since it will be nationally
televised.
D: How do you feel about
Mark Jackson and his situa-
tion after being traded from
the L.A. Clippers to the Indi-
ana Pacers?
C: Oh, I couldn't be
happier for Mark. It's ex-
actly what he wanted, to
play for coach (Larry)
Brown. It's a good oppor-
tunity for Mark.
D: Do any of your former
players ever call you up for
advice?
C: Yeah, but they all call
RMATION collect.
'Games' feature real
athletes, real people
ay Hill grew up playing football. At Ann Arbor's Pioneer High
School, in the shadow of Michigan Stadium, he played on his
team's offensive and defensive lines. Like a disciple, he followed each
Wolverine squad.
"I got it in my blood early," he says. "My mom used to take me to see
the band when I was a little kid, and I used to march around with the
band."
When he began attending the University, Hill continued his interest in
sports, as well as his 1 I-year attendance streak at Wolverine home football
games. He wrote for the Daily for a time, then went to the athletic
department, doing work for the men's tennis, gymnastics, football and
basketball teams. Through his work, Hill made scores of friends and job
contacts.
He never told any of them he was gay.
"Back then I didn't really equate being able to work in sports with being
gay," he says. "I thought I could be one or the other."
Eleven years later, he became executive director of Gay Games IV, a
week-long athletic competition and cultural festival. This year's was held
last June in New York City.
With 10,400 athletes from 44 countries competing, the Games were the
largest multi-sport athletic event in the world. They were bigger than the
Goodwill Games, bigger even than the Olympics. And the caliber of
competition? Four world records were broken.
Why, some might ask, does one sector of the population need a separate
competition? The answer lies in the event's name.
"The Gay Games are called Gay Games because the United States
Olympic Committee was willing to fight a long and costly battle to keep
them from being called the Gay Olympics," wrote Degen Penner in the
Games' media guide. "The USOC has not taken similar action against the
Rat Olympics."
Besides animosity trom various camps, organizers of the games also
dealt with problems foreign to other sports events.
"I've worked hundreds of sporting events for ABC (Sports) - the
Kentucky Derby, the Indianapolis 500, the Super Bowl," he says. "But the
amount of debauchery that goes on there is never something that people
talk about."
*For most of the athletes, including gold medal-winning diver Greg
Louganis, it was the first time they competed openly and honestly.
"I think it's great that so many people were able to walk into Yankee
Stadium (for the closing ceremonies) to a full house of cheering people,"
Hill says. "This is gays and lesbians taking center stage and saying, 'This is
who we are and we're very proud of that, and we're going to celebrate it."'
Hill's unbridled triumph at the Games was a long time in coming.
"When I was 10 years old and attending Wolverine football camp, you
just knew that things weren't going to work out if you came out," he said.
When he got to college, things hadn't changed much. "The atmosphere
was one that I really thought that if somebody ever found that out, that
would ruin my life."
Today, because of his high profile position, many people see Hill
simply as a gay man. He is also a Wolverine.
"When I was there, Michigan went 7-20 one year under Bill Frieder,"
Hill says, laughing at how times had changed.
You can hear his love for Michigan sports, sense the wide smile in his
voice. Right now, as he slips into the banter so common among diehard
fans, he could be anyone.
Contrary to popular belief, there are many people like Hill in the sports
world. There are gay swimmers, runners - even football players.
Somehow, the world keeps spinning.
And, because of people like Hill, it's getting a little bit better.
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