If you take the time to look at Virginia men's basketball coach Pete Gillen after a Cavaliers' game, you would think he just ran a marathon.
After a game, the sweat pours down his face and seeps through his shirt and tie. Sitting in the press room listening to Gillen talk, it becomes rather obvious that he has given every ounce of his energy. Just like his players have.
His work ethic has turned the Cavaliers' program around from the depths of the ACC in only four short years. When he came to the University in the fall of 1998, Gillen inherited a program coming off of an 11-19 season, winning only three ACC games.
Gillen has directed Virginia toward powerhouse status in those four short years, and coaches around the country have noticed.
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"Virginia is really good," newly elected Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke said after Virginia's latest game against the Blue Devils. "They are on their way up. They are a very well coached team."
While much of Gillen's acclaim stems from the way he operates on the sidelines, no doubt remains that he knows what to do while his team is off the court as well.
After his first season, when his team went 14-16 with only seven scholarship players and seven walk-ons, Gillen proceeded to recruit one of the best classes in the country. That class consisted of Roger Mason Jr., Travis Watson, Majestic Mapp, Jason Rogers and Stephane Dondon, a junior college transfer. This marked an incredible recruiting class for a team that won only four ACC games the year before. Things have changed tenfold.
Now Gillen has students camping out in "Hooville" to see the Cavaliers play Maryland tomorrow night. Only four years ago, students easily could show up at University Hall five minutes before the game and still snag a seat.
"Coach has always been so good to us," Mason said. "He makes it fun to come to practice and work. He is so enjoyable to be around and it is obvious that he is going in the right direction."
Gillen's impact goes beyond the realm of basketball, however, as he looks for ways to improve both the University and Charlottesville community.
Whether speaking at a charity function or standing outside Barracks Road shopping center collecting money for the Salvation Army, Gillen demonstrates his awareness of others.
"It is good to go out and talk to the community and get the community involved," Gillen said. "Whatever we can do to let everyone know how we can be active in the community and promote Virginia basketball at the same time."
But while Gillen may look like a gentle man off the court, if one of his players makes a mistake, Gillen lets him know it. Even over a roaring crowd of fans, you often can hear him screaming the play or yelling at his players to move positions.
And if his team is in the middle of a run when a timeout is called, Gillen is the first off of the bench waving for the crowds to cheer on his team (even though such behavior technically is illegal).
If you glance at the redhead after a referee makes a questionable call against the Cavaliers, Gillen does not lose his cool and blow up at officials like many of his colleagues.
In fact, in all four of his seasons at Virginia, Gillen has yet to receive a conduct technical, which would place his team in an even worse situation. During the Cavaliers' game against Duke Sunday night, several calls looked questionable. But not once did Gillen scream at the referees to change the calls.
"Coach knows how to keep himself under control in situations like that," senior forward Chris Williams said earlier this season. "He knows how to address the referees and make sure nothing bad is happening on the court."
Gillen's up and down style is a favorite among young players coming out of high school, and it shows. He has managed to recruit some of the nation's top players, including 6-foot-7 Derrick Byars from Memphis, Tenn, who will arrive next season. He also has under wraps one of the best players in the class of 2003 - point guard J.R. Reynolds from Roanoke.
With Gillen's newly signed 10-year contract extension, Cavalier fans have plenty to look forward to over the coming years, as he has Virginia pointed in a direction 180 degrees from only three and a half years ago.
While it is Gillen the fans should applaud, the coach from Brooklyn is the one lauding the crowds for their enthusiasm, which he claims helped get Virginia back on the map.
Whether it's wings and donuts for Hooville campers or sending encouraging e-mails to students, Gillen makes the University community feel like they're part of the program. And with the way he has the team headed, that definitely is a good thing.
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