PROVIDENCE, RI Praise for Pete Gillen has been hard to come by in Charlottesville these days. The city of Providence, on the other hand, still has a lot of love for the current Virginia head coach.
When Gillen was introduced before tip-off last night, he received a warm reception from the Friar faithful. Many fans even got out of their seats to applaud the man that spent four seasons manning the helm of the Providence program in the mid-90's.
They had plenty of reasons to clap for Gillen. Current struggles under coach Tim Welsh, including an 0-7 mark in the Big East this season, naturally leads to a longing for "the good old days." And when Gillen was in charge, he took the Friars to the postseason three times, including a visit to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament during the 1996-97 season.
"I always liked him, I thought he was a good coach," Providence season-ticket holder Jim Rowe said. "Most people liked him and most people were sad to see him go."
Rowe, who graduated from Providence in 1972, listed Gillen among the top coaches the team has ever had.
Virginia fans would probably not come to the same conclusion after six years of having Gillen in charge. The Cavaliers haven't even come close to reaching the Elite Eight, making the Big Dance only once under Gillen and losing in the first round.
"I was surprised," season ticket holder Dave Piazza said of Gillen's futility at Virginia. "With the facilities, the money and the ability to bring guys in, I thought he would have done better."
Friar fans are well aware of Gillen's struggles at Virginia, but it doesn't seem to change their opinion of him as a coach. Season ticket holder Kevin Burns, who graduated from Providence in 2000 along with Piazza, praised Gillen's ability to bring in talent and said that most Providence fans would welcome him back with open arms.
The positive response didn't represent the opinion of the entire Providence fan section, however. One Friar devotee, who said he has been following the team since 1973, was not shy in his criticism of Gillen.
"It's just like his clock management," the fan said. "He always needed a couple more timeouts. I always sensed that there was a potential that wasn't achieved. He just didn't pace himself for the long haul. There are certain coaches that are best at building a program and there are others who are good at both building and maintaining a program. Gillen can get a program there, but can't keep it there."
Sounds like a pretty accurate analysis to me. But when the fan was asked for his name for this story, he declined to divulge it.
"I don't want to do that to [Gillen]," the fan said.
That seems to fit the general sentiment in Dunkin' Donuts Arena last night. Even the guy who has negative things to say about Gillen feels bad about criticizing him.
Tom Preleski and Andy Tyskewicz have been Providence fans for over 30 years and traveled almost two hours from Connecticut to watch last night's game. When I asked them if they would take Gillen over Welsh, they both said yes before I could even finish the question.
The way things have been going for Gillen and the Cavaliers this season, it seems like if Providence wants him back, Preleski and Tyskewicz's wish might come true.
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