By Justin Rodriguez
Times Herald-Record
West Point — Army athletic director Kevin Anderson put in a feeler call to Cornell two weeks ago to find, perhaps, his next Army men’s basketball coach.
As it turns out, the man who will lead the Black Knights this season will arrive on campus from the Ivy League school. However, it’s not the guy Anderson expected he’d be offering the job to.
Meet Zach Spiker, 33, who at 9 a.m. Saturday morning accepted the job. Spiker has served as an assistant under Steve Donahue at Cornell for the last five years. Donahue is the guy Anderson was originally going after.
“Ten days, 11 days ago, we went on the road and talked to a number of people,” Anderson said. “I talked to people I have known in the profession. I talked to head coaches, I talked to assistant coaches. I was talking to (Donahue) about the job and he said ‘I’m not in the position to take it, but I have someone who I think is special, and I think you should talk to. I called Zach and he had about six hours to prepare. I knew I had somebody special.”
Anderson confirmed that Spiker agreed to a six-year deal. It took Spiker only about 15 minutes to fax Anderson back the signed contract. The Academy will introduce its new hire at a news conference at 3 p.m. Tuesday at West Point.
Spiker, who was on campus for an interview this week, expected to leave Cornell Saturday morning and arrive to his new home on the Hudson Saturday afternoon. He replaces Jim Crews, who last month was canned for allegedly physically and
verbally abusing players. Crews went 60-139 (.302), including 22-76 in Patriot League play.
Spiker will try to lead Army to its first winning season since he was in grade school — 1984-85.
“I am extremely humbled and excited by the opportunity that Mr.
Anderson has given me to coach at West Point,” Spiker said. “I can’t
wait to get to work, and I am looking forward to serving this senior
class to make this season the best it can be. I am confident we will
all work together and make this a great experience for everybody.”
Spiker, a 2000 graduate of Ithaca College, where
he played basketball, has helped lead a revival in his five years at
Cornell. The Big Red are 43-16 over the past two seasons, winning
consecutive Ivy League championships to earn bids to the NCAA
tournament Before Cornell, Spiker spent two
years as an administrative assistant at West Virginia under John Beilein. He served as a
graduate assistant at Winthrop University from 2000-02
When Anderson met with Spiker in person he said he was immediately moved. Spiker reminded Anderson of another young coach he hired at West Point, late Army women’s basketball coach Maggie Dixon. Anderson hired Dixon in 2005, just 11 days before the start of the season, and she led the Black Knights to a 20-11 record and a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Just weeks later, in April of ‘06, Dixon collapsed and later died of due to a arrhythmic episode to her heart. She was 28.
“There were parallels to Zach and Maggie,” Anderson said. “There’s no question about it. Maggie wasn’t on my radar, either. I had friends call me about Maggie. I met her in Detroit and I knew, once I brought her back to West Point, people would want her to be the basketball coach. I felt the same with Zach. He came to West Point on Thursday and spoke to some people. I talked to the superintendent (Lt. Gen. Franklin L. Hagenbeck) Friday night and we both agreed that I would wake up Saturday morning and offer Zach the job.”
During his interview at West Point, Spiker met with several Army players, including senior captain Cleveland Richard and senior guard Marcus Nelson. Standing outside Michie Stadium before Army’s football game against Tulane on Saturday morning, they both said they were eagerly arriving Spiker’s arrival.
“He’s personable and he’s easy to talk to,” Richard said. “He’s energetic and he has a background at mid-major programs. Coach Spiker has a great background and knows a lot about the game. We are all looking forward to working with him.”
Added Nelson: “One thing that Spiker did, he just grew on us when we met him. That’s the kind of guy he is. He’s got a great energy and he’s going to have a great presence in the program. That’s one thing that I like about him.”
Two big-time Division I coaches give local football players props
First, Kingston’s own Coleman Edmond:
With his speed, Coleman Edmond can beat defensive backs deep.
He’s tough, has good hands, but what makes Edmond so dangerous is his ability to make big plays after the catch. To turn a 10-yard slant into a game-breaking touchdown.
University of California-Berkeley football coach Jeff Tedford hopes Edmond, who played quarterback and running back for Kingston in 2005, can exploit Pac-10 defenses like that for the next two seasons.
“We’re very excited about bringing Coleman in,” Tedford said. “I feel he brings a lot of play-making ability. What we saw on film, his skills, his speed, he’s something we are excited about in this offense. What he can do after the catch is eye-opening. There is no question he can make plays at a high level.”
Edmond, a wide receiver and kickoff returner, signed a letter of intent to play for Cal last week. He played for Pierce Community College outside Los Angeles last year and was named the Southern California Association offensive player of the year. Edmond made 37 catches for Pierce, including nine for touchdowns, putting up 1,584 all-purpose yards. He also returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns.
Tedford, 67-35 with five bowl wins in eight seasons at Cal, expects Edmond to be one of the four receivers he rotates in his pro style offense this fall. Edmond, who is 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, will also compete for the starting kickoff returner job.
“If Coleman performs, he will see a lot of playing time,” said Tedford, who could not talk about Edmond until after he signed because of NCAA rules. “We feel he can be effective in any part of the passing game. Coleman is our only junior college recruit. So we have that immediate need for him to contribute. We are not going to need the time we might with a high school recruit.”
As for Edmond, he’s ready to make lots of big plays for his new coach.
“That’s all I ever think about, hitting the home run, the big play,” Edmond said. “I get over- confident and want to get 400 all-purpose yards on one play. I have to realize it’s one play at a time. I just want to keep working hard and be in top shape for the season.”
And don’t forget Washingtonville’s Bryan Murphy, who starred at national power Don Bosco Prep this season:
After watching only a few plays on the highlight tape, University of Pittsburgh football coach Dave Wannstedt knew he had to have this recruit.
He knew Washingtonville’s Bryan Murphy would fit into Pitt’s defensive scheme.
“The first time I saw Bryan was on his Don Bosco (Prep) junior tape,” Wannstedt said. “I loved his style, his energy, and I loved how he made big plays. It was exciting and I knew that’s what we look for in our scheme.”
Murphy, a defensive lineman, signed a letter of intent to play at Pitt last week. Wannstedt, who led his Big East school to a 10-3 record and No. 15 national ranking last season, couldn’t comment on Murphy until he signed because of NCAA rules.
Wannstedt, a former head coach in the NFL with Chicago and Miami, thinks Murphy should thrive in Steeltown.
“Our defense is very defensive lineman friendly,” Wannstedt said. “We count on them to make a lot of plays. Both of the Big East defensive players of the year (defensive end Greg Romeus and defensive tackle Mick Williams) were from Pitt. With Bryan’s effort and energy, I think he can come in and do some things for us.”
Added Wannstedt: “But what I’m really impressed with is Bryan as a person. He wasn’t just interested in football when he came to visit us with his mom. He was interested in the campus, the academics. I think Bryan has all the intangibles and you can build a program around him.”
Murphy, recruited by several top 25 schools, led Don Bosco to a 12-0 record last season and a 35-15 win over St. Peter’s of Jersey City, N.J., in the non-public, Group 4 state championship on Dec. 5. Don Bosco, located in Ramsey, N.J., was named national champions by all national rating services, including USA Today, ESPNRise, MaxPreps, Rivals.com and the National Prep Football Poll.
With Pitt rotating eight defensive lineman every game, Wannstedt thinks Murphy, who is 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, could see playing time as a freshman. Murphy verbally committed to Pitt last June.
“I mean, it’s up to me, I want to play. We will see what happens,” Murphy said. “I like the fact that the defensive lineman (at Pitt) have free reign. Coach Wannstedt told me early on that he liked my motor and energy. I really get along with him. He’s a family guy and I like the way he runs his program. I’m really comfortable with him.”