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WCU - Western Carolina University Publications

Western Carolinian Volume 64 (65) Number 29

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  • April 19, 2000 SPORTS 21 Cata-Who? Cata-What? Cata-Madore? Before I get started, just a quick clarification. Rumors about Appalachian State head coach Buzz Peterson leaving Boone for the greener pastures of Houston are untrue. WLOS in Asheville reported that Buzz will remain in Boone— at least for one more year. Now, on to something worthwhile: As the front page of this week's Carolinian Sports points out, Western Carolina University has hired new men and women's head basketball coaches. Steve Shurina replaces Phil Hopkins on the men's side, and Beth Dunkenberger replaces Jill Dunn for the Lady Cats. Yet again, questions arise in my mind. Dunn was fired—er, discontinued—on March 5, following the Southern Conference tournament. Hopkins wasn't released until March 29. However, the men's vacancy was filled last Thursday, April 13 by Shurina, while the women's void, which was empty 24 days longer than the men's, took five days longer. Hmmm ... makes you wonder what took everyone so long. In the meantime, the recruitment period for basketball Hook? came, and WCU was left with no one around to scout out any incoming talent. Another issue involves the transplantation of Vanderbilt personnel here in Cullowhee. Currently, the Director for Intercollegiate Athletics, the new Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs, and now, head men's basketball coach all hail from jobs in Nashville. Conincidence? Yes, maybe. Connections are a vital part of athletics, but could this be one of the underlying reasons the men's job was filled much more rapidly than the Final Home Baseball Series of the Year! WCU vs Elon DOUBLEHEADER Saturday, April 22 ■■,.■■ ' ■;■■■■ . ■ ■■ ■■:.:::... Sunday, April 23 1:00 pm * IB- Come out and support Tracy Biggs, Aaron Kirby, and Austin Smithwick in their final home games as Catamoi «<<<< women's? I'll leave that for your speculations. Before I move on, the rumors that the beloved "Catamount" nickname and mascot are to be evolved into a combination "Cata-dore" are totally untrue ... at least I think they are. So what has become of the former Western Carolina University coaches? Both have put their houses up for sale and are moving on in pursuit of jobs. Just a little tip from me to individuals in the athletics department barring on the recent trend: Don't buy a house, that seems to be grounds for a firing—er, termination. I had the chance to sit down with former men's head coach, Phil Hopkins last week. The cordial 54-year-old Hopkins had nothing but praises for the small mountain community. "I am leaving Western Carolina with a sad heart, but I'm not going to let a small group of people, and I emphasize a small group of people, tarnish my feelings toward WCU and Cullowhee.Cullowhee is a special place. It's a great place to live." He added, "It's time for me to move on. I'd like to have moved under different circumstances." Hopkins stated that the chancellor called him Tuesday, February 29, prior to the Southern Conference tournament, and told him that he would be the coach for at least another year. "I thought I was going to stay and I wanted to stay," Hopkins said, "but the athletic director called me in and told me that he had made this decision on his own and that's all I've got to go by. I don't like it, but I can't change it. I don't look at it like a negative. It's just a chance for me to move and do something more positive. But I don't want to get out of coaching," added Hopkins. Hopkins will continue to coach this summer as he was named the head coach of the United States Athletes in Action team. They will compete in Argentina and Brazil June 20-July 16. "I feel like the Lord called me to coach that team over there. It is a great experience and a really high honor," said Hopkins. After the time in South America? "I'm pursuing lots of different jobs," he stated. "I'm looking at smaller Division I and Division II schools, as well as looking over seas to coach a foreign team." He also said that he hasn't ruled out an assistant coach position. Hopkins will be paid by WCU until the end of June. Back when the termination talk first started, the Asheville-Citizen Times quoted former assistant coach Jon Smith as talking about turmoil among the coaching staff, namely Hopkins and associate head coach Terry Rogers. Both Hopkins and Rogers were successful high school coaches, with Rogers winning 603 games at Morganton's Freedom High. When asked about the turmoil accusations, Hopkins sighed and simply responded, "I wish that Terry and I had worked out better together. It didn't work out like I had hoped it would and I'm sure it didn't work out like he had hoped it would. It's hard being an assistant coach, just as it is hard to be a head coach. Maybe were were both too old." Perhaps this was just one of the things that Athletics Director Jeff Compher found in his evaluations of the program. In an interview with Mr. Compher, I suggested my opinion that the Catamount basketball program had shown signs of improvement — improving the record to 14-14 over 8-21 the year before, two consecutive SoCon Freshmen of the year, wins over Division I Nebraska and Columbia, not to mention home wins over conferenc powerhouses Davidson and College of Charleston. Yet Compher stated he disagreed with my assessment and he did not feel like our basketball program was moving ahead. Hopkins was just as baffled as I. "I don't know what Mr .Compher means [concerning the program not improving]. He never told me, and he doesn't have to," said Hopkins. "I've had friends in the coaching profession joke at me saying that I spoiled them by going to the NCAA's in my first-year, and I probably spoiled myself also. It made me want more. Western's only been onetime and I hope they go back - I hope they go back next year. If the players are here that I recruited, I hope they win ev- \ ery game next year, for their sake." Keeping with the evaluations by Compher, Hopkins stated, "I don't have any skeletons in my closets, no NCAA investigations. I had and still have the support of the community. There's a small group of people and maybe a couple of players, but I don't have anything to hide. But, in this business, they don't have to tell me why. They just have to tell me that I can't coach here anymore." Right down to the very end of his time in Cullowhee, Hopkins displayed charactaristics he should be commended. I'll close with another thought that Hopkins shared with me. This quote shows what sort of man Hopkins became during his tenure in Cullowhee. "When man closes one door, God will open two." I've said it once and I'll say it again; Thank you, Coach Hopkins for everything.
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Western Carolina University Publications

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University’s student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolin...

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