Wake Forest大學總教練Skip Prosser於26日在慢跑時心臟病突發死亡,享年56歲。他或許不是台灣球迷熟悉的知名教練,事實上我對他也沒有太多認識,但他能擔任ACC聯盟學校的教練,功力不在話下。
我對Prosser的認知是,他在Pete Gillen將Xavier打造成一支中西部的知名勁旅,長年在NCAA錦標賽upset對手之後,成功的接下Gillen(轉到Providence去)的棒子,使Xavier戰力不墜,每年依然是同城名校Cincinnati的死敵,在錦標賽中也有不錯的表現。
隨後,他又到在ACC中屬於小學校的Wake Forest,接下Dave Odom的職務;Odom則轉到南卡大去。如果我們檢視Prosser的15年總教練生涯會發現,他一樣是走到那裡贏到那裡,在三個學校寫下291勝146敗,勝率6成67的紀錄,只有兩年未曾打進季後錦標賽。
他從高中教練幹起,被Gillen延攬為Xavier助理教練,作了8年之後被Loyola聘為教頭,馬上在一年內讓該校從2勝25敗進步為17勝13敗,同時打進錦標賽,隔年他就火速被請回Xavier掌兵。Prosser的教練資歷從基層作起,可說是相當完整。
兩年前Chris Paul棄學導致Wake元氣大傷,戰績下跌,但今年Wake的招生不錯,收進Al-Farouq Aminu、Ty Walker和Tony Woods三人,這三名球員都被列為全美前18名之內,眼看Wake就要轉運,不料造化弄人,Prosser撒手人寰。
很奇怪,在美國似乎沒有作到心臟病就當不成知名教頭,你看Don Nelson、Bob Huggins、Rick Majerus(不過他可能是因為太胖的緣故...),但從此也可看出,這些年薪逼近百萬美元、甚至在百萬美元之上的教練壓力之大。
所有的人都以「教練界沒有一個人不喜歡他」來形容Skip Prosser,在競爭激烈的美國籃壇實在非常不容易。光榮的戰績和這句話,或許為Prosser的人生下了最好的註腳。
Skip Prosser總教練紀錄
Loyola(Maryland)
1993-94 17-13 (NCAA錦標賽第一輪)
Xavier
1994-95 23-5 (NCAA錦標賽第一輪)
1995-96 13-15
1996-97 23-6 (NCAA錦標賽第二輪)
1997-98 22-8 (NCAA錦標賽第一輪)
1998-99 25-11 (NIT第三名)
1999-00 21-12 (NIT第二輪)
2000-01 21-8 (NCAA first round)
Wake Forest
2001-02 21-13 (NCAA錦標賽第二輪)
2002-03 25-6 (NCAA錦標賽第二輪)
2003-04 21-10 (NCAA錦標賽16強)
2004-05 27-6 (NCAA錦標賽第二輪)
2005-06 17-17 (NIT第一輪)
2006-07 15-16
這是Sportsline作家Gary Parrish追憶他和Prosser的最後一次談話。很平常的故事,但令人感嘆...
Day goes from routine to anything but with death of Prosser
LAS VEGAS -- I was sitting at the Riverview Park Activities Center last week in North Augusta, S.C., watching a summer basketball game, and when the buzzer signified halftime I hopped up, ran to the hospitality room, grabbed three bottled waters and returned courtside, handing one to Texas assistant Russ Springmann and another to a fellow writer.
I kept the third for myself.
"Did you think we weren't thirsty, too?" asked Wake Forest's Skip Prosser, who was sitting to my immediate left with assistant Pat Kelsey.
"I was looking for one of those trays like waiters have so I could bring drinks for everybody," I answered. "I just couldn't find one. But I've got you on the next trip."
Skip laughed.
I laughed.
And that was the last conversation I ever had with him.
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