695:  Tell me about your coaching background...

Coach: I started coaching with Dave Greenberg at Mt Hebron high in 1981.  Went on to Centennial for 4 years and then to Century high in Carroll County starting in 2000 before moving to McDonogh.

695: Did you play any sports growing up?

Coach: I played basketball and tennis.

695:  Who is the biggest influence on your coaching style and philosophy?

 Coach:Definitely Dave Greenberg who I coached with for 18 years.  We have always used a Bob Knight type man-to-man defensively oriented style.

695:  What do you think of the overall direction of girls basketball in this area?

 Coach: Baltimore has always been a hotbed for girls basketball.   There seems to be another crop of very strong younger players coming up that will maintain this tradition.

695:   You have a couple of nice recruits coming in. Talk about this year's team a little bit...

 Coach: We are very excited about our freshmen coming in this year.  We have some very good basketball players as well as some very good athletes that will help us compete in the league for the next several years.  We unfortunately, lost several key players from last year’s team, including our two top scorers, both of whom were 4 year varsity players.

695:  Who is on your staff with you this year?

Coach: Amy Brooks and I will be starting our 4^th year together as coaches.  Amy is an incredible asset as both a basketball teacher and from a team building perspective.  She is invaluable to the McD program.

695:  What challenges do you face with the program?

 Coach: We will be young again and relying on some inexperienced players to step in and contribute.  We will be very defensively oriented again this season and need to find a way to score points off of our defense.

 695:  How do you manage the parents and their expectations for playing time and things like that?

 Coach:  We have been very fortunate to have great parents and families over the course of my first three years in the program and I would expect that to continue this season.  We tend to keep smaller numbers on the team (like 10 or 11) and expect each player to contribute both on and off the court.  We tend to be very candid with the players so they understand our expectations and the role they are expected to play.  We also encourage very open communications and try to deal with any issues before they fester and get out of control.

695:  What do you do to stay sharp and improve as a coach?

Coach:  Along with reading a lot of coaching and leadership journals, I try to get to as many college practices as I can to pick up new drills and  strategies.  I will typically get to 6 to 8 different colleges each year and watch their practices.  It is also amazing how many great things you can pick up just watching the college game.  I always watch games with a notepad at my side (much to my wife’s chagrin).

 695:  What do you do beside coach basketball?

 Coach: I play a lot of tennis and golf in the off-season.  Professionally, I co-own a small company that finances satellite ground terminals.

 695:  What's the last good concert you went to?

 Coach: I am a huge Jimmy Buffet fan, so would have to say that was the last good concert I attended.