Assistant Sports Editor David Heim sat down with the new head coach of the women's basketball team.
DH: What is your favorite part about Seton Hall so far?
AB: Just the family atmosphere and the people. The people and the family atmosphere is great. It's still the same like when I went here and graduated in 88-89.
DH: What helped guide your decision to come coach here?
AB: The family atmosphere, the discipline of our president, Dr. (Gabriel) Esteban and our athletic director who I am very familiar with. I know he'll (Pat Lyons) support women's basketball fully.
DH: What is your best individual moment of your career?
AB: A lot of my senior days because I recruited all of those kids. I recruited some of the kids from when I was at South Hampton and Iona when they were 15 years old and to see them graduate was special. My first postseason victory in the NITs and probably when we made the finals when I was at Iona. We had taken a team that hadn't really done anything and brought them to the finals.
DH: What are the benefits of New York City and it being so close to campus?
AB: I think it's great. The diversity that New York City has allows us to recruit a very diverse group of young women.
DH: What is your favorite thing to do when you're not coaching or working?
AB: Obviously everyone says they enjoy spending time with their wife and kids but I do enjoy playing golf. I enjoy going to their sporting events as well and being a part of their lives.
DH: What is your favorite sport other than basketball?
AB: Golf. I should actually say football. I'm a big football guy. If I wasn't coaching basketball I would want to be a football coach.
DH: Favorite football team?
AB: Well, it was the Cowboys growing up. Then it was the Jets for a while. I jump all over actually.
DH: Has men's basketball coach Kevin Willard said anything to you in your first season?
AB: Well Kevin and I know each other very well from our time at Iona together, and Kevin has been a great mentor to me basketball wise. But personal wise he's told me to stay the course, believe in the program, run the program you want to run, establish the work ethic you want to run and don't take any shortcuts.
DH: Is there a team motto for this team this season?
AB: The team motto is obviously 'Why not Seton Hall?' but also 'Something to prove.' These kids were picked 10th. So I've told them to just believe and work hard because I believe we have a good opportunity to do a lot better than that.
DH: What do you think of the campus atmosphere thus far?
AB: I think it's been great for me. I thought Big East Madness was a tremendous success. But what really jumped out for me was Homecoming Weekend. We had a lot of people come in here for our Blue-White scrimmage.
DH: Do you follow NBA basketball?
AB: Very much. I'm a big NBA guy. I think NBA players are the best basketball players in the world.
DH: Favorite team?
AB: I'm a Knicks guy but I actually do like the Nets as well. I really enjoy watching the teams that play well together. I'm a big Spurs guy, they've done a great job establishing a culture, sort of like what we want to do here.
DH: What is your favorite vacation spot?
AB: We love San Diego. That was great. We've also taken an Alaskan cruise; that was great as well. We've also taken a skiing trip in Denver. Those are our three favorites.
DH: What is the importance of the point guard position for you?
AB: So important. Being a former point guard, a point guard is our leader, it's the person who controls the team on the floor. Everyone is important but she's most important person on the floor. She's the extension of me.
David Heim can be reached at david.heim@student.shu.edu.
