The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, October 24, 1994 - 3 Ir" s 4loi 11 1s jo~I pi * I j:i 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. ST. JOHN'S SPORTS INFOF aI FOR.. WEEKENDS/HOLI DAYS BIRTHDAYS/WEDDINGS & HOME COOKIN'! Bock eary kor hol da and sad Call today for cwurent lw fares and available dates. ComcI lm uvd 1220 S. University Dr. (Above McDonalds) 99$sOO Explore exciting career options in Not-for-Profit organizations: plan to attend: Opportunities with Not-For-Profits Monday October 24, 4:10-5:30PM Career Planning & Placement Learn about career options and job search strategies from professionals representing a variety of not-for-profit organizations access career information and job leads through resources such as: Good Works, Non-Profits Job Finder, Community Jobs Non-Profit Employment Newspaper, Directories for Foundations, Museums, Research Centers, Development, Healthcare and many more! available at the CP&P Career Library Monday-Friday 8am-5pm; Wednesdays 8am-8pm The University o Michigan Career Plannin Placjent A Unit of Student Affairs ll N t t, YOU'RE LOOKING AT TWO COMPLETELY OPPOSITE, FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT WAYS TO INVEST IN STOCKS. WE RECOMMEND BOTH. Introducing the CREF Growth Account and the CREF Equity Index Account. 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