RIP Charlie Coles

[Hank_Scorpio]

Pretty good coach and an even better guy. Great interview and press conferences.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9352870/long-miami-ohio-basketball-coach-charlie-coles-dies-71

 

[Bubbler]

Great guy. RIP.

 

[slappy4428]

He was an awesome individual... one of the funniest guys I've ever met.
Someone once asked him how one of his CMU teams could have lost to a Big Ten team (don't remember which one).
Charlie looks at the reporter and drawls... "That team had ath-a-letes on it..."

 

[Here me roar]

Charlie was so funny. He was a great interview, in a crowd or alone. Coached some of the MAC's great players. RIP to a hell of a guy.

 

[BenPoquette]

This one stings. Great coach. Better man. Coaches like this don't come around very often. His blast after the last-second loss to Kentucky remains one of the funniest press conferences I have ever seen.

 

[Brian]

I loved when he would point at the opposing team's student section and waive his finger at them in the middle of an offensive set. The man understood what was great about college basketball and embraced it.

Even if his style of basketball was like watching paint dry. He won games, though.

 

[BenPoquette]

I loved when he would point at the opposing team's student section and waive his finger at them in the middle of an offensive set. The man understood what was great about college basketball and embraced it.

Even if his style of basketball was like watching paint dry. He won games, though.

He brought some amazing talent to Oxford...he could recruit with the best that have ever been in the Mid-American Conference. Wally Szczerbiak, Ira Newble, Devin Davis...his teams in the early 90's were fun to watch...not boring at all.

 

[Starman]

I loved when he would point at the opposing team's student section and waive his finger at them in the middle of an offensive set. The man understood what was great about college basketball and embraced it.

Even if his style of basketball was like watching paint dry. He won games, though.

He brought some amazing talent to Oxford...he could recruit with the best that have ever been in the Mid-American Conference. Wally Szczerbiak, Ira Newble, Devin Davis...his teams in the early 90's were fun to watch...not boring at all.

Coles's teams were not boring at Saginaw HS in Michigan in the 1970s. Those teams were like UNLV at the high school level.

In fact, the senior year of Ben Poquette (the real one) in high school, his team had gone 18-1 in one of the top conferences in the state and was ranked No. 4 going into the regionals.

There they met Saginaw, which was 22-0 and ranked No. 2 after roaring through its league. In pregame warmups, every single Saginaw player did the faux-dunks fashionable in the 1970s -- reach your hands WAY up over the rim, as if you are going to dunk, then drop it in.

Standing there bug-eyed, Poquette and the boys never had a chance. It was 79-54 and could have been 99-54 real easy. I believe 9 guys off that Saginaw HS team played at D-1 schools.

 

[Stoney]

He brought some amazing talent to Oxford...he could recruit with the best that have ever been in the Mid-American Conference. Wally Szczerbiak, Ira Newble, Devin Davis...his teams in the early 90's were fun to watch...not boring at all.

Perhaps an RIP thread ain't the best place for correcting, but nonetheless I might point out that Coles did not become the Miami HC until the 96-97 season (after the above players had already been recruited, btw). So I'm not certain as to what "early 90s" teams you're talking about.

 

[LanceyHoward]

I loved when he would point at the opposing team's student section and waive his finger at them in the middle of an offensive set. The man understood what was great about college basketball and embraced it.

Even if his style of basketball was like watching paint dry. He won games, though.

He brought some amazing talent to Oxford...he could recruit with the best that have ever been in the Mid-American Conference. Wally Szczerbiak, Ira Newble, Devin Davis...his teams in the early 90's were fun to watch...not boring at all.

Coles's teams were not boring at Saginaw HS in Michigan in the 1970s. Those teams were like UNLV at the high school level.

In fact, the senior year of Ben Poquette (the real one) in high school, his team had gone 18-1 in one of the top conferences in the state and was ranked No. 4 going into the regionals.

There they met Saginaw, which was 22-0 and ranked No. 2 after roaring through its league. In pregame warmups, every single Saginaw player did the faux-dunks fashionable in the 1970s -- reach your hands WAY up over the rim, as if you are going to dunk, then drop it in.

Standing there bug-eyed, Poquette and the boys never had a chance. It was 79-54 and could have been 99-54 real easy. I believe 9 guys off that Saginaw HS team played at D-1 schools.

Not trying to be a jerk but in the first line you said Coles was at Saginaw and team was ranked fourth in the state. Then his team played second ranked Saginaw in the state tournament. I think you have the same high school playing each other.

 

[Starman]

I loved when he would point at the opposing team's student section and waive his finger at them in the middle of an offensive set. The man understood what was great about college basketball and embraced it.

Even if his style of basketball was like watching paint dry. He won games, though.

He brought some amazing talent to Oxford...he could recruit with the best that have ever been in the Mid-American Conference. Wally Szczerbiak, Ira Newble, Devin Davis...his teams in the early 90's were fun to watch...not boring at all.

Coles's teams were not boring at Saginaw HS in Michigan in the 1970s. Those teams were like UNLV at the high school level.

In fact, the senior year of Ben Poquette (the real one) in high school, his team had gone 18-1 in one of the top conferences in the state and was ranked No. 4 going into the regionals.

There they met Saginaw, which was 22-0 and ranked No. 2 after roaring through its league. In pregame warmups, every single Saginaw player did the faux-dunks fashionable in the 1970s -- reach your hands WAY up over the rim, as if you are going to dunk, then drop it in.

Standing there bug-eyed, Poquette and the boys never had a chance. It was 79-54 and could have been 99-54 real easy. I believe 9 guys off that Saginaw HS team played at D-1 schools.

Not trying to be a jerk but in the first line you said Coles was at Saginaw and team was ranked fourth in the state. Then his team played second ranked Saginaw in the state tournament. I think you have the same high school playing each other.

OK, I should have made it more clear: it was Ben Poquette (the real one) 's HS team, ranked No. 4 with an 18-1 record, facing No. 2, 22-0, Saginaw.

That's what I get for posting at 3:12 a.m. : :

 

[the fop]

He brought some amazing talent to Oxford...he could recruit with the best that have ever been in the Mid-American Conference. Wally Szczerbiak, Ira Newble, Devin Davis...his teams in the early 90's were fun to watch...not boring at all.

Perhaps an RIP thread ain't the best place for correcting, but nonetheless I might point out that Coles did not become the Miami HC until the 96-97 season (after the above players had already been recruited, btw). So I'm not certain as to what "early 90s" teams you're talking about.

Actually, Ben Poquette (the message board one) isn't wrong. Charlie first returned to Oxford as an assistant to Herb Sendek -- the other assistants were Thad Matta and Sean Miller -- and was instrumental in recruiting Szczerbiak and Newble, and Davis was very close to him.

 

[Cousin Jeffrey]

He was hired in 94 to assist Miami, from Toledo Central Catholic. A pure coach and teacher, Coles actually enjoyed college kids, and liked the MAC. That's rare. Also, just hilarious.

 

[Here me roar]

He was hired in 94 to assist Miami, from Toledo Central Catholic. A pure coach and teacher, Coles actually enjoyed college kids, and liked the MAC. That's rare. Also, just hilarious.

He was really good at CC, too.

 

[Cousin Jeffrey]

I've never heard anything but admiration and adulation for Coles. How many college coaches can you say that about?

 

[BenPoquette]

He brought some amazing talent to Oxford...he could recruit with the best that have ever been in the Mid-American Conference. Wally Szczerbiak, Ira Newble, Devin Davis...his teams in the early 90's were fun to watch...not boring at all.

Perhaps an RIP thread ain't the best place for correcting, but nonetheless I might point out that Coles did not become the Miami HC until the 96-97 season (after the above players had already been recruited, btw). So I'm not certain as to what "early 90s" teams you're talking about.

Actually, Ben Poquette (the message board one) isn't wrong. Charlie first returned to Oxford as an assistant to Herb Sendek -- the other assistants were Thad Matta and Sean Miller -- and was instrumental in recruiting Szczerbiak and Newble, and Davis was very close to him.

Charlie got more out of Devin Davis than I think even Davis realized he had...I ran into Charlie after a Cavs practice when Davis was trying to make the team as an undrafted free agent. Thought it was really cool that one of his college coaches would actually come up to Cleveland (four hour drive) to see one of his former players in a RFA camp. That's the kind of guy Charlie was.

 

[lantaur]

As someone who had the opportunity to cover Coles, Szczerbiak, Davis & Newble, the notebook was always filled up with great quotes. RIP to a good guy.

 

[Knighthawk]

One of the truly good ones, both as a coach and a person.

 

[slappy4428]

Not many writers knew him better than Mick McCabe of the Freep.
I remember in the 80s -- back when McCabe used to war with Jim Spadafore of the News and Charlie went at it with Vern Payne at Western Michigan. Remember this exchange vividly from a MAC media day...
McCabe -- "Hey... look. it's Vern Payne. Sit down and tell us about your team."
Charlie -- "Hey! Spad. You're looking good."
Both said at the same time "**** You..."

http://www.freep.com/article/20130607/HSS1201/306070115/charlie-coles-miami-of-ohio-saginaw-basketball

 

[Orange Hat Bobcat]

Will never forget the 10 minutes Coles gave one March night years back after his team was knocked out of the MAC Tournament. He was on his way out of the presser and I approached him for whatever reason, a question, a comment, a clarification after an SID had cut him short. He dived right in and we started to walk and talk, just us, right out of the room. He didn't know me other than the credential around my neck, but he just went on about strategy and plays and the game and life and the offseason. He reached the door of his team's locker room and kept talking. I was left wondering what verbal gifts I had just received.

Also worth noting, his last coaching assignment wasn't Miami. It was his granddaughter's AAU team.