Watching the Big East Final tonight, I realized what really makes a coach great.   Jim Boeheim never shows panic.  Instead, he can consistently take a rag-tag group of average players and cut his way through any tournament.  It’s strange to watch a team that has been mediocre all year suddenly excel, in fact rise above every0ne.  Tonight, Louisville won, and they are good, but Syracuse was the better TEAM.  More unselfish, more forgiving, more relentless, only out of gas…

There’s only so much a coach can do, but Boeheim does it all.  He never yells…unless necessary.  He understands the limitations, weaknesses and talents of his teams, and strings them together like a master conductor.  I know Jonny Flynn got the MVP of this game, but Jim Boeheim deserves the credit.   His ability to rest, relax, fire up and instill trust reflects a god-given talent to bring a team together and inspire them to excel when the time is necessary.

He’s a master tactician, something lacking in the ACC, and he sets a standard in the Big East that has yet to be replicated.

Jim Boeheim will go down in my book as one of the greatest.   I put him on a level above Dean Smith, mike she-chef-ski (yes, I know how to spell it.. but hate to do so – Krzyzewski), Jim Cahoun, Roy Williams, etc…  There are some historical coaches that have done more and won more, but Jim, although not the greatest recruiter, has done more with less, more impressively than most any other coach I’ve seen.

On top of that, the energy in tonight’s Big East Championship was phenomenal.  It was one if the greatest basketball tournaments I’ve ever seen, full of passion and desire.  I can only hope that the National Championship can prove itself worthy.  The Big East has earned a reputation of bowing out, these last few years but by all means have they proven themselves worthy of good entertainment this year.

I can’t wait to be in Madison Square Garden next year….

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