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PC aide joins Bryant hoop staff |
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Monday, 18 August 2008 |
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By BRENDAN MCGAIR Sports writer Making the leap from director of basketball operations to assistant coach would be the toughest step, Kevin Kurbec rationalized.
The shortcomings were glaring, the most notable pertaining to recruiting and on-floor coaching during practice. Yet if the need ever arose to organize team dinners, check up on the academic progress of the players or set up film sessions for the coaching staff, Kurbec was your man.
For Kurbec’s sake, the lack of those college hoops “musts” didn’t cloud the judgment of new Bryant University men’s basketball coach Tim O’Shea. In a profession defined by connections, Kurbec was assisted in landing his new gig as a Bulldogs assistant to O’Shea. Former Providence coach Tim Welsh lobbied on Kurbec’s behalf, informing O’Shea that the Smithfield High graduate/Cumberland resident would make a fine addition to the staff.
The timing couldn’t have worked out any better for Kurbec. New PC coach Keno Davis presented an offer for him to remain with the Friars. There was one catch: Kurbec would have been dividing up the administrative responsibilities with Cary Collins, who worked under Keno’s father, Dr. Tom Davis, at Iowa for seven years.
As much as Kurbec bled Friar Black & White (no doubt 10 years in the same setting will do that to a person), he knew taking a job at Bryant made the most practical sense. On June 30, one day before the new athletic calendar turned at Providence, Kurbec officially changed his work address.
“Definitely weird. I’m so used to going on (Interstate) 295 and getting off on 146,” said Kurbec. “I knew (O’Shea) casually, but once (Welsh) got in touch everything moved quickly.”
Kurbec climbed the ladder under Welsh at PC. The 28-year-old started out as a team manager in his undergrad years (1998-02) before moving to the position of graduate assistant (2002-05). In 2005, Kurbec became the point man for the day-to-day happenings for the Friars.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Kurbec credits Welsh for giving him the start and providing the necessary breaks to make steady progressions in the business.
“Tim learned to trust me early on; he always had confidence,” said Kurbec, who was asked by PC athletic director Bob Driscoll to chaperon the program between Welsh’s firing and Davis’ hiring. “He believed in me and put me in a position to move up.”
Kurbec wasn’t afforded much time to bask in the glow of his new position. He hit the recruiting ground hard, splitting time in Orlando and at the Eastern Invitational in New Jersey, where Kurbec served as a camp counselor (2004-05).
“I’ve learned that you have to go in prepared because it can be overwhelming. You need a list of priorities of which kids you want to identify,” said Kurbec. “It’s a grind; you can spend 12-14 hours in the gym.”
Kurbec needs no reminders regarding the challenges that await the Bulldogs this winter: a 29-game slate that includes road dates against Providence, Connecticut, Maryland, Boston College and Iowa.
“We’re looking forward to the season, but not in the sense that it’s a daunting challenge,” said Kurbec.
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Bellingham native and former New Hampshire star Ricky Santos has missed the entire season to date with the Montreal Alouettes with a hamstring injury. Santos signed with the Alouettes after getting released by the Kansas City Chiefs in May. … East Providence’s Jamie Silva, who is trying to land a roster spot with the Indianapolis Colts, registered four tackles (three solo) in a Week 1 NFL preseason game against Carolina and had three solo tackles this past weekend against Atlanta. … Reunited: Cumberland’s Conor Fahey and Bobby Swann both pitched for the Lowell All-Americans of the New England Collegiate Baseball League this summer. Also played in the NECBL was Lincoln’s Chris Pickering, who went 2-1 with a 3.55 ERA in eight games (three starts) for the Vermont Mountaineers. … Lincoln’s Tom Coulombe started 34 games and drove in 15 runs for the Hampton Whalers of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League. … Brad Hertzler, an East Providence native, is back pitching for short-season Vancouver (site of his five-inning no-hitter last summer) after starting the year with Low A Kane (Illinois) County, where he went 2-5 with a 5.26 ERA in 26 games (four starts). … Best wishes to Jim Mello, who is leaving his post at Collette Vacations Post 79 to spend some quality time with his infant daughter. The American Legion program, which made four consecutive Final Four appearances, is no question in better shape thanks to Mello’s tireless efforts. Mello was also the commissioner of the RI Junior Legion program. Whoever fills his shoes (Matt Allard perhaps?) inherits a club that should be infused with participants from the Wyatt Detention Center. The junior members of Post 79 finished runner-up at the Junior Northeast Regional Tournament, held over the weekend at West Warwick’s McCarthy Stadium. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 22 August 2008 )
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