A lot to like in HC’s choice
Kearney to lead basketball team
WORCESTER - Holy Cross and its fans will come to like new men’s basketball coach Sean Kearney very quickly.
Take it from someone who has worked with Kearney for the last 14 years.
“I think Sean will be a fabulous ambassador for Holy Cross and the Worcester community,’’ Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said yesterday. “College basketball people are happy for Sean Kearney, and they’re rooting for Sean Kearney because of the way he has handled himself, the way he has conducted himself as a true gentleman throughout his career.’’
Holy Cross named Kearney, who has spent the last nine seasons as Notre Dame’s associate head coach, as the Crusaders’ 15th head coach yesterday. He succeeds Ralph Willard, who resigned in June to join Rick Pitino’s staff at Louisville.
Kearney will be introduced at a news conference this morning. According to sources, Kearney will sign a four-year contract.
Kearney, 49, was one of three finalists to emerge from a pool of more than 50 inquiries. Kearney, Pitt assistant Tom Herrion, and Holy Cross product Rod Baker each visited the campus this week.
“We had a lot of candidates we liked a lot,’’ director of athletics Dick Regan said. “At the end of the day, we felt Sean was the best person to lead the program forward.’’
Brey is not the only person who put in a good word for Kearney. Regan said he talked to more than 20 people about Kearney, and “not one of them had anything negative to say about him,’’ Regan said. “He is very well liked and well respected, and he has a lot of qualities we really like.’’
The job will be Kearney’s first head coaching position at any level. Before Notre Dame, he spent eight seasons at Delaware, the last five under Brey. He was at
Regan said when the search began that he would likely lean toward hiring someone with Division 1 head coaching experience, but Kearney emerged as a viable candidate early in the process.
Kearney’s primary focus at Notre Dame was the development of the team’s post players. He also coordinated the program’s national recruiting efforts.
“Sean is a great communicator and relationship guy,’’ Brey said. “So much of leading people is the ability to communicate and connect, and Sean is fabulous at that.’’
The July recruiting period begins next week, so Kearney will be jumping right into his new job. Brey was a late hire at Notre Dame nine years ago, taking over for Matt Doherty July 14, 2000, so Kearney, who came with Brey from Delaware, has experienced this kind of rapid transition before.
Brey and Regan both said Kearney’s first order of business after today’s news conference will be getting out to visit as many of Holy Cross’s returning players as he can over the weekend. He’ll meet the rest while he’s on the road recruiting.
“It’s good to know who our coach is so we can move forward and look ahead to the upcoming season,’’ said junior forward Andrew Keister, who met Kearney Monday when he was in for his final interview and a tour of the Hart Center. “He seemed like a good guy, and I think coming from Notre Dame he understands the Holy Cross philosophy on academics and basketball.’’
Brey agreed that Kearney is a “great institutional fit’’ for Holy Cross. Kearney is a 1981 graduate of the University of Scranton, a Jesuit school like Holy Cross.
Kearney will inherit a Crusaders team that likely will be the favorite to win the Patriot League. Holy Cross returns an all-league performer in Keister, the Rookie of the Year in R.J. Evans, and four players who started at least 17 games last season.
Last year’s team won 18 games and advanced to the Patriot League Tournament title game despite injuries to numerous key players.
Kearney and his wife, Kim, have two daughters, Erin, who will be a senior in high school, and Shannon, who will be a sophomore. 