Joe goes ‘home’ to take Denver hoops job

Scott leaves for chance with Pioneers

By: Justin Feil
   Joe Scott left Princeton University once before to head to Colorado.
   He left Old Nassau again Wednesday for the Rocky Mountain State to become head coach of the men’s basketball team at Denver University.
   "There’s a certain irony in saying I’m coming home to Colorado," said Scott in Wednesday’s press conference to introduce him at DU. "But I do really feel like I’m coming home to Colorado. The number of phone calls and messages, it’s really been mind-boggling."
   Scott, a New Jersey native, fared well before at Air Force, a school that prior to Scott’s four-year tenure had no history of success. Scott led the Falcons to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 before returning to take over the Princeton head coaching job when John Thompson III left for Georgetown. It seemed like the dream job for the 1987 Princeton University graduate.
   "These days, I don’t know if there are dream jobs," Scott said. "There are no dream jobs. The job you have is the dream job. When I looked at Denver, when this opportunity presented itself, when I spoke with the leadership, when I heard what I heard, it was an unbelievable commitment."
   Scott will take over for Terry Carroll, who coached the Pioneers for six seasons. He was fired after Denver finished 4-25 overall, 3-15 in the Sun Belt West Division.
   Scott’s Princeton finish was anything but dreamy. The Tigers, who had their first losing record in Ivy League play in Scott’s first season, suffered an even worse fate in this, his third, season. Princeton finished 11-17 overall, 2-12 in the Ivies. It was the first time they finished in last place. Meanwhile, Air Force has maintained its success over the last three years and this season reached the NIT semifinals with Scott’s last recruits as seniors.
   "The results in the league were disappointing," said Scott, who went 38-45 overall at Princeton. "But we had injuries. We had tough breaks. We started three freshmen and they played exorbitant minutes. I was watching things that I watched at Air Force in Year Two and Year Three. And I know what’s happened at Air Force in Year Four and after that.
   "Ultimately," he added, "the results were disappointing. I think the players know what they need to do and exactly where the program will go. The players will take it from there."
   Scott never expected to leave Princeton just three years after returning to where he had coached and played previously. He struggled to leave a program that he had been a part of at every level.
   "That’s what made this hard," Scott said. "There are emotional ties, ties to the program. That’s never going to end. I’ll still be watching. I want Princeton to do really well. It’s always going to be the case. There’s nothing I can do about that. There’s nothing anybody else can do about that. It was a really hard decision. It’s emotional and emotional for (Scott’s wife and PU alumna) Leah and myself. We have ties. It was emotional going through the three years.
   "I’m going to miss the people, our friends, and people who have always been supportive of the program," he added. "I’ll miss coaching the players and I’ll miss the people. That’s pretty much the main things."
   In leaving Princeton, Scott will move back into the scholarship school world. At Denver, unlike at Air Force, his players will not be bound by military commitments. The Pioneers are looking to make the same inroads in basketball that they have in men’s lacrosse and ice hockey, both of which are national contenders.
   "There’s different situations, different places," Scott said. "There’s a commitment here to wanting to be good. The facilities are good. The resources are good. Their basketball program, they want to make it be very good. It’s that opportunity. They’ve seen all the success down the road (at Air Force). It’s a good fit. It’s a good academic school. They’re putting their resources behind this. It’s different in that regard. (Leaving Princeton) is more about Denver and what they’re trying to do, how committed they are to that. It’s what Denver can become and what they want to become. It’s a great opportunity professionally and great personally."
   Expectations are different at Denver as well. Princeton has an almost unparalleled level of success, and Denver does not. Scott hopes to change that perception for the Pioneers.
   "It does take time," he said. "We don’t want to skip steps. That’s the challenge. We’re going to go through that. They’re ready for that. And they’re willing and they’re committed. There’s an excitement out here about it."
   The excitement surrounding Princeton basketball tailed off this season. Barely 3,000 fans showed up for the Tigers’ season finale against their rivals from the University of Pennsylvania. That lack of interest was due in part to Princeton’s inability to win, but Scott thinks that could change quickly for the Tigers.
   "Guys have to stay healthy," Scott said. "If (Kyle) Koncz can stay healthy, if the young guys develop and continue to grow. Good freshmen become good sophomores. Good sophomores become really good juniors. Good juniors become senior leaders. Those elements are in place. The freshmen have to grow. They can really do it. Somebody has to come through, whether it’s a freshman coming in or a guy like Pawel (Buczak) who’s going to be a good player, or Chris Petrie. I think the guys know that too."
   Scott has attempted to contact all his former Princeton players, who are currently on spring break. An original report that surfaced on ESPN.com was the first public mention of Scott leaving, and for many of the players, the way they found out about Scott’s departure.
   "The whole Internet thing, it shows the ridiculousness of it," Scott said. "It wasn’t supposed to come out like that. But in this day and age, you can’t control it. I’ve been able to track them down. They were surprised overall, but there’s an understanding level. Kyle was unbelievable. Marcus (Schroeder) was good. There’s obvious disappointment and surprise. It’s not easy. I think overall, they were all pretty good.
   "I told them why, the reasons. That was probably the most important thing to me. It’s hard. They’re on spring break. I wanted to talk to them and have them hear it from me and not from somewhere else."
   Scott’s staff also had to be told of the move. They could be candidates as Scott looks to assemble his Denver staff over the next several weeks.
   "The staff’s reaction was probably the same," Scott said. "It’s an emotional thing. They understand. They think it’s a good opportunity. At the same time, they’re disappointed for Princeton."
   For the fourth time in eight years, Princeton will now conduct an immediate search for a replacement as men’s basketball head coach.
   "Joe spent three years as head coach at Princeton and gave a lot of blood, sweat and tears to Princeton basketball," said Princeton Director of Athletics Gary Walters in a statement. "Unfortunately, it might not have worked out the way he would have hoped. We wish him the best at Denver."