Winner

What did last season's 28 wins and making the NCAA tournament mean for you and Boston College basketball?
It was an indication of some consistency for us. We had made it to the dance five out of the past six years. It also shows how long it takes to establish a program.

In a pro-sports town like Boston, is it easier or harder to coach college sports?
It works for me. The Celtics with their history, the Red Sox winning in 2004, the Patriots winning three titles. For a young person as a basketball player to grow up in this environment and see that success by those teams and how they handle success, to me, it serves a much better purpose than anything I could say to them.

On that note, do you see yourself as a teacher or a coach?
As I explain to my players, I'm not sure I'm the best motivator. I consider myself a teacher in a sense that I'm trying to give you an education about the game.

But still, you have to motivate college kids, don't you?
I didn't need a coach to get me pumped up. I needed the directions, the instruction, tidbits that you can give me. I would like to think the guys I'm coaching have that same attitude.

Should college athletes be paid?
There's a way to make that work. I would like to see - and I don't know what the figure would be - but if a young man plays four years and graduates, then maybe he could receive a stipend at the end of those four years to have a chance to start even. The truth of the matter is - and I don't like to look at it this way - you're providing a service to the university.

Talk about playing ball with one of the greats, Julius Erving, at the University of Massachusetts.
He had a tremendous love for the game, as I did. There was no dunking at that time. But when he played in a tournament in New York, he started doing stuff I had never seen him do before, like the dunks. We were riding home in a 1962 or 1963 Chevy, and I remember saying to him, "Where'd that come from?" He said, "Well, I could always do it, but I never had the chance."

Any interest in coaching in the NBA?
People have inquired. Before I can sincerely entertain that, there are some things I would like to accomplish here. Any NBA job I get, I'll be there for two years, three years, and then get fired. I know that, they know that.

You've got a boy who's 14 and a girl who's 15. Are they basketball players?
No - that's too much pressure. They play soccer.

What's been your most embarrassing coaching moment?
I tried to get thrown out of a game when I was at Rhode Island. But the referees knew they were wrong, so they didn't throw me out.