Daytonflyers.com q&a with head coach brian gregory

[DaytonFlyers.com]

COURTESY OF THE DAYTONFLYERS.COM

DAYTONFLYERS.COM Q&A WITH HEAD COACH BRIAN GREGORY

With the 2008-09 men's basketball regular season almost underway DaytonFlyers.com sat down with men's basketball head coach Brian Gregory as the Flyers in an interview about the upcoming campaign.

	Brian Gregory BRIAN GREGORY UD Men's Basketball Head Coach since 2004. Groomed by the likes of Judd Heathcoate and Tom Izzo at Michigan State, as well as Kevin O'Neill and others, Gregory's defensive-minded leadership has led Dayton to NCAA and multiple NIT appearances. A good recruiter, BG has elevated the athleticism of the squad in recent years and kept top area talent at home. Still looking for that breakthrough season with his own players that catapult him to the NCAA tourney. Graduated from Oakland University.

[Canonball]

Not that the whole thing wasn't pretty cool .... but the last question and answer was tremendous. Cheers BG!

[JimBo]

Originally Posted by Canonball Not that the whole thing wasn't pretty cool .... but the last question and answer was tremendous. Cheers BG!

Totally agree. I love having a coach who understands and appreciates the tradition of Flyer basketball. Great interview.

[NorthwestFlyer]

Link

http://daytonflyers.cstv.com/sports/...111308aac.html

[hessbz12]

Originally Posted by JimBo Totally agree. I love having a coach who understands and appreciates the tradition of Flyer basketball. Great interview.

I agree. My Dad played for UD back in the early 70s and he said that Gregory has treated the former players better than any other coach since Donoher. JOB was horrible as was OP. Gregory usual brings the former players back for a practice each year which is followed by a food and drink event up in the lounge. BG also sends out Xmas cards each year which I think is a great touch. BG definitely knows and recognizes the tradition of this program!

Good Q & A!

	Don Donoher DON DONOHER Legendary Flyer men's basketball coach who guided Dayton to 435 victories in 25 seasons (1964-1989) including the 1967 NCAA Runner-Up. Took over the program after the passing of Tom Blackburn and earned many NCAA and NIT bids over his career, including five Sweet-16s, one Elite Eight appearance, and the 1968 NIT Championship. Groomed All-Americans Don May and Jim Paxson, along with all-time leading scorer Roosevelt Chapman. Coached UD as they joined conference affiliation for the first time (Midwest Collegiate). A graduate of UD, Donoher played for Blackburn and credits much of his coaching success to his mentor's teachings: defense, ball protection, patience, and unselfishness.

	Brian Gregory BRIAN GREGORY UD Men's Basketball Head Coach since 2004. Groomed by the likes of Judd Heathcoate and Tom Izzo at Michigan State, as well as Kevin O'Neill and others, Gregory's defensive-minded leadership has led Dayton to NCAA and multiple NIT appearances. A good recruiter, BG has elevated the athleticism of the squad in recent years and kept top area talent at home. Still looking for that breakthrough season with his own players that catapult him to the NCAA tourney. Graduated from Oakland University.

[as_4]

I had heard that story told by BG before. Was it at the Celebration of Basketball last year? Either way it's a great story.

[UACFlyer]

Cannonball's right, BG's response to the last question was moving and impressive.

Dayton basketball is, indeed, special;....all the more reason why simply must keep at it until our goals are achieved.

[Bill McPeek]

Originally Posted by JimBo Totally agree. I love having a coach who understands and appreciates the tradition of Flyer basketball. Great interview.

I also have heard that story before, however, it never grows old! I was getting "goose bumps" just reading it. I am very glad to see and hear BG has embraced the former players. UD was and still is a very special place! Now....all we have to do is WIN!

[ClearTheRunwayForWLJ]

I totally agree ... BG is first class and seems to do everything right off the court and cares about the program currently and traditionally.

He HAS to start getting to the Ncaa tournament, all this cool stuff he does and these so called "recruits" he pulls in only raises the bar ... ultimately it falls on him to reach that bar otherwise he creates an image of failure.

[Chris R]

You can argue BGs Xs and Os and recruiting and anything else, but I dont think you can argue his passion and commitment. Don Donoher always "got it" but he was blood. He didnt need to be told what this place was all about. BG had to learn much of it on his own. But I think he embraces it extraordinarily well.

Are the fans sometimes fickle? Does the Internet sometimes make a coach's job more difficult? Most certainly. But I also think the community we partake in on UDPride is a small but meaningful example of why BG took this job. People are passionate and care about its success. Yes, we think UD Arena is pretty unbelievable too. There are few thrills in life more satisfying than opening night every season. Its the one day of the year where everyones wildest hopes and dreams remain entirely possible until proven otherwise.

	Don Donoher DON DONOHER Legendary Flyer men's basketball coach who guided Dayton to 435 victories in 25 seasons (1964-1989) including the 1967 NCAA Runner-Up. Took over the program after the passing of Tom Blackburn and earned many NCAA and NIT bids over his career, including five Sweet-16s, one Elite Eight appearance, and the 1968 NIT Championship. Groomed All-Americans Don May and Jim Paxson, along with all-time leading scorer Roosevelt Chapman. Coached UD as they joined conference affiliation for the first time (Midwest Collegiate). A graduate of UD, Donoher played for Blackburn and credits much of his coaching success to his mentor's teachings: defense, ball protection, patience, and unselfishness.

[DarksideFlyer]

I agree, I got goosebumps reading BG describe the feeling one gets when in the Arena.

[Glen Clark]

Sweet!

[San Diego Flyer]

Classy interview. Candid responses. Coach stepped up.

[Fudd]

Part of the appeal of landing the local recruits is that they generally know how important UD basketball is in the scheme of things in this city, and feel a personal connection to it. And like Kavanaugh expressed at his signing, they may have had a passion for UD basketball for a good portion, if not all of their lives.