Amid the excitement of the NCAA Tournament's last game, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics had a whole different kind of buzz going on.
The department was planning today's announcement: Ronny Thompson will fill the top coaching spot for the men's basketball team, a position left vacant when Tim Buckley was reassigned March 15.
Thompson comes to Ball State University from the University of Arkansas, where he has been the assistant coach for the last three years.
On one hand, Thompson's r+â-¬sum+â-¬ leaves a bit to be desired - specifically, head coaching experience. However, he has a history in basketball that's rather impressive.
As a student, Thompson played for Georgetown under legendary coach John Thompson - yes, his dad. Also, his brother replaced his father as head coach at Georgetown. This relationship suggests that basketball is in his blood, and that's good news for Ball State.
After finishing its worst season in 19 years, the men's basketball team didn't necessarily need to find the coach with the most recognizable name. What the team needs is someone who will lead the players to personal and team victories by pushing them to reach their full potentials. He will need to connect with the team members and work with them toward the common goal of improving upon this season's 10-18 overall record.
Perhaps, with more wins and better team morale, game attendance will even increase.
The fact is, Thompson isn't coming into a basketball program that is riding the high waves of a successful season or has the support of the entire university. His job won't be easy.
The players on the team are going to have to give Thompson a chance - stick with him for at least a season - to see what they can achieve with him at the helm. Cardinal fans and the Athletics Department staff will also need to welcome the new coach, offering him a chance to prove himself.
With a new athletics director and new coach for one of the most popular team sports of the school year, Ball State has the potential to make bigger accomplishments and succeed beyond anyone's expectations in its upcoming seasons. But the team - including the coach - will need support to make that happen.
Potentially, at this time next year, the Cardinals could be watching the NCAA Tournament from the court, rather than on television - but that kind of accomplishment would take hard work and a great deal of team effort.
And that's where Thompson comes in.
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