Tulsa University coach Tom McIntosh has built his Golden Hurricane into a national power, and has been there through every step of the way - from a player, to an assistant coach to the head man.
Eric Bailey of the Tulsa World writes of how McIntosh developed his program into one of the nation's elite.
"It's kind of mind-boggling to think that I've been a part of just about everything this program has been through, good and bad," McIntosh said. "It's a huge part of me."
Former players all call McIntosh a "player's coach." The most formal title they give him is "Coach Mac." Most times, they simply call him "Tom."
"You always feel so comfortable around him," said Ryan Pore (2002-04), the program's first two-time All-American. "He doesn't feel like a coach, but a friend or a father figure."
McIntosh was only 27 when he took over the program in 1995, and there was a "feeling-out" period, said Anthony Pampillonia.
"It was an interesting time because Tom was a young coach and there were a lot of veterans on that team that didn't necessarily like a young coach coming in and changing a lot of traditions," said Pampillonia, who played from 1995-98.
By McIntosh's third season, TU broke into the top 25. In 2001, McIntosh became the school's winningest coach. One year later, the Hurricane beat top-ranked Stanford, and in 2003, the program advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991.
McIntosh is very well-respected by his peers, and expect to see he and his Tulsa Golden Hurricane among the nation's elite again this season.
No comments:
Post a Comment