Just about seven months removed from his dismissal as head coach of the Seton Hall Men's Basketball program, Bobby Gonzalez is once again in the basketball world.
Gonzalez, 47, will be the final speaker at the Five Star Basketball/Naismith Hall of Fame Coaching Clinic in Springfield, Mass. at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, October 2. He rounds out a collection of collegiate coaches speaking at the clinic, including former Big East counterparts in Providence's Keno Davis and Connecticut's Jim Calhoun.
Reported in a blog post on the Five Star Basketball website, Gonzalez is billed as a "veteran sideline boss and proven assistant coach." He will speak on Individual Player Improvement, "My Favorite Practice Drills," and Offensive Plays in Special Situations.
"Five-Star is thrilled to have Bobby Gonzalez as a contributor to this clinic," the blog on Five Star Basketball's website reads. "If you haven't seen a Bobby Gonzalez clinic, then you better bring a cup of coffee! He will deliver loads of energy, tons of material and will provide ideas, drills and coaching philosophy that will make you a better coach and improve your team."
Gonzalez boasted a record of 129-77 in seven seasons at Manhattan including two trips to the NCAA Tournament. His 2003-04 Jaspers made a trip to the second round after defeating the Florida Gators.
In his four years at the helm for Seton Hall, Gonzalez built a 66-59 record, including a 27-43 mark in the Big East. His best and final season came a year ago as the Pirates finished tenth in the Big East with a 9-9 record.
A 19-12 finish earned the Hall its first postseason appearance since Gonzalez took over from Louis Orr following the 2005-06 season. He picked up his seventh technical foul of the season in a first round 67-89 loss at the hands of Texas Tech at the Prudential Center. The game would be the last of Gonzalez's tenure at Seton Hall as he would be dismissed the following day.
"It's not about wins and losses," Patrick Hobbs, dean of Seton Hall Law and overseer of the athletic department, said following the dismissal. "It's a totality of representation by our coaches and how they represent our university and how they develop young men - that we are fulfilling the ideals of the university."
Since March 17, 2010, the day of the firing, Gonzalez has found himself in the glare of the media on multiple occasions. Following the firing he sued Seton Hall for "breach of contract;" The two sides have since settled. More recently, Gonzalez has been charged for allegedly shoplifting a "satchel" worth close to $1,400 from the Polo Ralph Lauren store in the Short Hills Mall.
Despite everything, Gonzalez will be making at least one more trip to the sidelines. The Five Star Basketball/Naismith Hall of Fame Coaches Clinic begins Oct. 1.
