Aggies Name Watkins Head Basketball Coach
Apr 01, 1998 | Men's Basketball
April 01, 1998
Melvin Watkins, who led North Carolina-Charlotte to two consecutive 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances, has been named head basketball coach at Texas A&M, Athletic Director Wally Groff announced Wednesday.
"Melvin was one of the top three candidates from the start of what was a very thorough and exhaustive coaching search," Groff said. "I am extremely pleased and excited that he has accepted the position and we look forward to working with him and his staff. The primary goals for all of our programs are to contend for Big 12 championships and to be competitive on a national level. I am confident in Melvin's ability to lead us to those goals."
The 43-year-old Watkins compiled a 42-20 record with a pair of NCAA Tournament victories at UNCC. He was co-captain for the UNCC team that reached the 1977 Final Four and served as an assistant for 18 years under three head coaches - Mike Pratt (1978-82), Hal Wissel (1982-85) and Jeff Mullins (1985-96). He replaced Mullins before the 1996-97 season and led the 49ers to a 22-9 record, including a win against Georgetown in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He was named Conference USA's Ray Meyer Coach of the Year after leading his alma mater to the C-USA White Division title and a 22-9 record.
This season, the 49ers defeated Illinois-Chicago in the first round of the East Regional, then pushed top-seeded North Carolina to overtime before losing in the second round. UNCC finished 20-11 overall and placed second in the C-USA American Division.
Watkins built a two- year mark of 23-7 in C-USA play and advanced to the conference tournament finals each year. In addition to the 1977 Final Four, as a player Watkins also helped the 49ers to the 1976 NIT finals and the inaugural Sun Belt Conference crown in 1977. UNCC retired his jersey (#32) soon after his senior season along with that of teammate Cedric Maxwell (#33). He played in 94 games in his career and finished with 712 points, 382 rebounds and a former school record 376 assists.
Watkins was selected in the fourth round of the 1977 NBA Draft by the Buffalo Braves, the third player in 49ers history to be drafted. Watkins is the only person in UNCC history to be involved as a player or coach in all eight of the school's post-season appearances. He is married to the former Burrell Bryant of Madison, N.C. and they are the parents of daughter Keia and sons Marcus and Manual.
Press Conference Transcript Introducing Melvin Watkins as Texas A&M Basketball Coach: April 1, 1998: Room 701 Rudder Tower.
Texas A&M Athletic Director Wally Groff:
"Thanks everybody for coming today. It is a very big day in my life and the life of a few other people including some people from North Carolina. Before I get started on this I want to take just a second to thank the people on the search committee who located such a fine individual. With that I am just going to say, `Melvin, it's your day'. Coach Melvin Watkins."
Texas A&M Head Basketball Coach Melvin Watkins:
"With all these lights I feel like I am driving up to Mc Donald's. I am not sure I am used to all of this. You want to thank the committee. I want to thank the committee for making this happen. As you may well know the last few days have been some tough days for me. I have had some sleepless nights. I have got an unlisted phone number and I do not know how you guys got a hold of that. That was part of those sleepless nights. I am very excited about this opportunity. As we finished up this past year we had a pretty good run until we ran into North Carolina, that other North Carolina school that beat us in overtime, and kind of sent us home. I had no intentions of leaving Charlotte. I played there and went to school there. I pretty much just called that home. I really never looked at any other opportunity, even as an assistant coach. But sometimes an opportunity presents itself and it knocks you in the head and wakes you up a little bit. As I began to do some investigation, I know they were recruiting me, but I was recruiting them back a little bit. I talked to lot of coaches in the league and around the area, had they had nothing but very positive things to say about this University. The one thing that I can tell you is that I like to surround myself with good people and put myself in a positive environment. I was actually, at times, looking for something bad to maybe help make my decision one way or the other. I just couldn't come up with anything. In talking with Wally, he told me what his expectations were and where he wanted to see it go. The expectations sort of fell in line with what I want to make happen. With the facilities, and this University and what it represents, there is no reason that it can't be done here basketball-wise. I believe that I am the man to make it happen. I am one of those coaches that likes to have a lot of fun but, but I believe in hard work. I believe in rolling up the sleeves and getting after it. What is important to me is that I have a chance to touch these young men's lives. Not only do we want to produce good basketball players, but more importantly, we are going to produce good people. We want to produce young men that will represent this University and this community. We hope that as they expand from this community they will always be those that we can say are proud. That is very important to us. We will talk about those things as we go on this journey. Quite honestly, this journey is to be one of the best basketball teams in this conference. Then we will take it a step further and be one of the best in the country. We want to make that happen. I think we have the resources in place to do that. I have had the opportunity to meet many good people today. I am not familiar with all the names yet, but that will come. I flew into Houston. And as I was driving into campus today, it was raining all around, but when I got on campus the sun was shining. And I was trying to figure out how you make that happen here. I am not going to try to figure it out, it just works. So hopefully as we bring young men on campus I will know the secret as to how to pull that off. Then I can do that on those weekends that we need to show big time recruits that we want them to be a part of our family here at Texas A&M. Just recently I had to say good-bye to my family, and that is my team and my friends that I have come to know over the years in Charlotte. It was very difficult for me to walk into that locker room. Probably the most difficult thing that I had to do in the last day or so was to walk into that locker room and tell those young men and tell them that I was leaving. That was a very special moment, but a difficult one. I think that what got me through that was the fact that now I bring on a new family. The new family is the family of Texas A&M. I am very proud to be a part of that family. I just recently got a chance to meet the team. I see a group of young men that are very hungry. I asked those young men to dream a little bit and think big. I told them to let's make it happen. I know it can happen. We think we have a group of kids that will feel that passion and feel that dream and go out and put a product on the floor that will bring you back. I see you here now but his is not the last time I want to see you. As we go into the new arena we want to feel and create that atmosphere that is happening on this campus with all the other sports, football in particular. We know it can happen in basketball and I guess that is why I am here."
Questions:
There have been several other guys to come here and try to get this program going. It has been described as a sleeping giant. What did you see that made you want to come here? And what makes you think that you are the guy to get it going?
"First off all, was the sun shining the day they walked on campus? You have to have a belief in yourself and a belief in what you do, and I have always surrounded myself with successful people. I am one of those individuals that believe in success and not to fear failure. You must understand that there is a lot of hard work that goes into success. There are some components that go into success. It does not matter where you are or what you are doing, these components are necessary. If you find out what those components are, and try not to reinvent the wheel, but use those components over and over then you have a chance at being successful. There is no reason that we can not create that here. We have had some success back in Charlotte. The last couple of years we have been to the NCAA's and I believe that I can bring that here.
Do you have a time table for success?
"Yes. I met with the President and he said next week. I am not one of those that can look into a crystal ball and say when. But I will tell you that it is going to happen. We want it to happen sooner that later. We are going to work really hard to see if we can capture a littler bit of that next season. I do not know the personnel. I do not know what parts of the puzzle are there. If we have some of those parts we are going to make it happen next year. If they are not, we are going to go out and recruit those parts. We are going to try to put it together."
How do you convince a highly sought after recruit to come here instead of a North Carolina or Kentucky?
"They have got that long tradition, basketball-wise, but we have got that tradition too. Unlike the University that I came from, this University has a long tradition and we have got to sell that. Quite honestly, I have got to educate myself and learn more about that tradition. But that is something that we will take into the homes and sell. And to even answer the question a little further, those Universities did not have that until they got some of those quality athletes. And so it has to start somewhere. I am saying that it needs to start now. We will go in and be very aggressive."
In North Carolina you were battling some of the ACC schools. Do you see any kind of a brand name factor that helped you get recognition in recruiting?
"Without a doubt. We did battle that within our state. I have often said that when we were recruiting in state we would be fourth or fifth on the totem pole. I think A&M is on the top of the totem pole. We will work this state very hard. We will not only limit ourself to the State of Texas, but it does have to start at home. I think that if we can recruit and keep this top talent at home, that will be definitely the foundation. We used to come in here, form North Carolina, and try to recruit. We will definitely try to stay here close to home."
Will you specifically visit with Brian Barone to try and help him with his decision?
"If need be. I am not sure what that decision is, but I have an open door policy. And I want all the players to feel like they can come in and feel like we can sit down and talk. If there is a decision that he has to make then surely I am going to visit with him. I am not sure what decision he has to make. You may know."
The decision wether Coach Barone's son will stay.
"Well, I am sure we will get a chance to visit with him about that. I just need to get a little background information on that."
Do know enough about Brian to know if he is someone you really want to keep here?
"I do not at this point. I think I saw A&M play on Big Monday against Texas. I have had a chance to view a little tape, but not enough. I will be quite honest with you, I have got to look at tapes and talk to people, and see where we are. I also will tell you that I am not a coach that will come in and clean house. There are coaches in the profession that will do that. That is not what I am about. I am going to come here and find a way to motivate the young men that we have. This is what we have. It is not like the NBA where you can go out and trade and draft. What we have got now is what we have to try to play and win with, until we can get other players."
Did you ask other people why the program has not been more successful? Did you ask them why the sleeping giant has been sleeping?
"I really did not. What I wanted to know if there was a belief. When I talked to other coaches they all told me that you have got the resources, you have got the facilities. Then I think that was all that I needed to hear. Then it is a matter of rolling your sleeves up and getting to work. I didn't look in the past to see what happened and I don't know why the team only won seven games last year. That is not a concern of mine. What I am concerned about, is that we win more than seven games next year."
There are some Assistant Coaches here that still have that title. What are your thoughts on retaining them?
"I have not made any decisions on that. We will visit, sit down and talk. Quite honestly, I do not know which direction we will go. I h ave got some assistants back at Charlotte. I have got a ton of phone calls about some coaches that want to come here. So that must mean that something is good here if they are all calling and want to come. That is some thing that we have to evaluate and talk about. I am not quite sure what we are going to do about that."
How much are they paying you, and how tough was it to get your wife to come here?
"First about the pay. I think I can afford a hamburger. I know that I joked about going to McDonald's. I don't know what the final figures are. You are going to have to talk to that man over there (Wally Groff, Texas A&M Athletic Director). I have not gotten a check yet so I do not know. I know one thing, they will tell you what you got, but when you look at your check you say, `Hey wait a minute. This does not add up'. I bought my own airplane ticket down here. In terms of my wife. She came in last week with me. I was talking to some coaches and one of them said, `Melvin you won't like it there. It is a small town and you are from the big city. I am from Reidsville, North Carolina. Have any of you ever heard of Reidsville? It is a small one traffic light type of town. This is a city. I do not understand what he is talking about. She did come down with me and we got a chance to look around just a little bit. We are the type of people that will get out and meet other people. I am somewhat quiet but my wife is a talker. She is going to have no problem, I may be the one that will be struggling meeting people. I do not see that being a problem. We have three kids. Obviously, it will be difficult for them because they have got friends and the unknown of what we are getting into. I told my daughter I would buy her a car and she was pretty happy."
What is the secret of building up a fan base here and getting more support?
"What I had originally planned on was walking onto the football field with a sign on the back of my shirt that says, `follow me'. I just think that putting a product on the floor that is exciting, and one that has a chance to win some basketball games. Then I think they will come. We have got many students here. I am one of those coaches that is visible on campus. Hopefully, I will get to meet some of the students. Every campus has student leaders, and we need to see why we have had problems getting some of the students to come to the games. With this new faculty, and with this new attitude and excitement about this program, I don't see any reason that they will not come. Believe me we will not have anyone at the door stopping them from coming in."
Describe your coaching philosophy and style, and what you expect to do with the team.
"My style and philosophy will be a very aggressive and up-tempo offense. But in saying that , I am also a coach that will coach to the personnel. I f I don't have that type of personnel, I am not going to be one of those guys complaining about the kids while we are getting our rumps beat because we are playing the wrong kind of game. So I will adjust my coaching to the type personnel that we have. But I will like to play an up-tempo style because the fans and students will enjoy that. We will be very aggressive defensively. If we do not have the personnel right now, we will not do that."
Are you going to use your Carolina roots and go back into that state and bring some of those players here?
"We will tap into that. To what degree I am not sure. Obviously I have got a lot of ties there. Just to tell you I was at my daughters track meet. And this is not illegal because I was at the track meet with my daughter. One of the state's top players dad came up to me and said, `My son is very interested in you.' And I said, `Well, I am not at UNC-Charlotte.' He said let me repeat it, `My son is very interested in you.' I am at A&M now. Does that give me an in. We will see."
Did the new arena factor into your decision? Did you get to see it when you were visiting with Wally (Groff)?
"We drove by it. Is that seeing it? Wally mumbled something, I don't know what he said. But believe me, they walked me in the new facility. They did not walk me in the old facility. I think it is important when you bring some of the top recruits in. When you bring them on campus you can say. `This is where your home is going to be, besides the library. You are going to get a chance to compete in this kind of arena and this type of environment. That has got to be impressive'. It was impressive to me."
You mentioned Wally's (Groff) expectations. What are those?
"I am going to let Wally answer that. I am not sure. He just told me to win some games. He just said, `Melvin, we have got to win some games here'. I surely want to do that."
What about coming in late on recruiting?
"That is why I need an eight year contract, because it is late. As we see it now we have one scholarship to give, and we will use that. I t is a little late, but sometimes there are some players out the on the rocks. You just have to dig and scratch and move some rocks around. You may end up with a good player. We will look and see what is available. I know that we will not just take a player for the sake of taking one. It will have to be a player that will fit in with what we are trying to do here."
Have you set a time table for yourself? Do you have personal goal that you have set as a time table?
"Wally, put your hands over your ears. Next year. I really don't know where we are yet. I know that we won seven games. But I don't know where we are. I have got to look at the personnel, the tapes, and I have got to look at the conference. Some of those things I have got to do. We surely want to make it happen as quickly as we can."
Is it possible to provide an explanation as to why you would leave a place that you have been for so long?
"Like I said, that was very difficult for me to make that decision. I also understand that this is a business, and you have to sometimes factor that in. I had been in Charlotte for so long that in some ways I was looking for something different. This is different. This is different. But I hope that it is a good difference."
How many years is your contract?
"I think it is five but I have yet to see it. We have discussed some things. As a matter of fact where is my contract. I am glad that you brought that up. I have not seen the contract. I know what we talked about. I feel confident, from talking to Wally, that it is something that we will work out in the next few days."
Have you sawed varsity's horns off yet?
"Excuse me?"
Don't worry, we will work on that.
"Thank you."
