Upcoming 2009/10 NCAA Basketball Season with Coach Bernie Fine (No Relation)

I am so pumped for the NCAAs right now. I am not sure why. But in honor of my pumped-up-ness(?) We continue celebrating with a whole week of college basketball. Today we have an interview/article on Coach Bernie Fine of the Syracuse Orangemen (thank you to Rabbi Erez Sherman for hooking us up). 

Coach Fine is an associate head basketball coach at Syracuse University under legendary Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim. He has been coaching for him since 1976, although he has been coaching basketball for over 40 years.

Obviously, when anyone my generation thinks Syracuse basketball they think Carmello Anthony who Fine told me was the best player he ever coached. Fine said, "Carmello is a great player  and an outstanding young man." When asked who the best Jewish player he coached, he replied "Danny Schayes". It is very cool that coach Fine got to coach a great Jewish ball player like Schayes. Here is where I would like to compare Schayes to Melo but I will embarrass Jews everywhere by doing so (but its nice that they were mentioned in the same interview). 

This year the Orangemen will have to deal with losing superstar and now NBA point guard Johnny Flynn. When asked about this upcoming year without Flynn Fine said "We have good players and should be fine." He seemed optimistic throughout the interview about his teams chances. He mentioned that the "Big East will be very good. Top teams might be a little weaker but the bottom teams are a lot stronger". So, the Orangemen will have their work cut out for them.

I asked him, that assuming the Orangemen make the Final Four (Erez probably thinks they actually will) who else does he seem joining them. He responded with "North Carolina, Kentucky and Villanova". That makes two of the teams Big East (SU and Nova). Those teams go head to head February 27th at SU. 

We spoke a little bit about Fine's coaching career as well. He mentioned that "We had been to the Championship game before, but it was great to win it (this refers to their 2003 title)." He also said that he encourages his players to "be good people and work hard".   

Besides being a great coach Fine spends much of his time giving back. He serves as the adviser to the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity on campus (sweet) and is involved with Boy's Club and Make-a-Wish Foundation. Fine is no doubt a great coach with an NCAA title ring. He has helped produce some great players including Carmello Anthonyy, Rony Seikaly, and Etan Thomas. But he is also a great guy and involved with his Jewish communtiy.

We here at TGR wish Coach Fine, The Orangemen, and Erez good luck. Although if it comes down to the Illini and SU...there is no question which Orange would prevail...ILL-INI.

Below is a link to a podcast featuring Coach Fine.
http://podcasting.fia.net/5868/3998608.mp3

And Let Us Say...Amen.

-Jeremy Fine