Here's some of what Charlie said after the game. It all came from about three questions and the tangents he went off on. The first part was about a dispute he had with his assistant at the end of the game. “47 years of coaching and I usually do it solo. … I coached Jermaine and that wasn’t our first argument. I hope it was our last. I love him dearly. He has come with a great service to our program. I can’t tell you what he’s meant and I mean that. I think you know that. I think he’s probably turning on the inside now, but I’m winding down and I don’t know what’s going to happen here. It’s not going the way I want it to go. Good old Charlie is almost going crazy. Trying to win a game, playing good, trying to get a call and can’t get a call. It was probably me. … It ain’t going like I thought it would. I don’t think I’m going to run my car over a cliff. I don’t think I’m going to shoot somebody, but am I going to raise my voice? Yeah. We almost had a revolt on the bus the other night. I’ve had two of those. I didn’t want them to eat their sandwiches for 20 miles. I wanted to exercise some disciple. When I got on the bus, three-quarters of them already ate their sandwiches. It was after we lost to Bowling Green. I was hoping we could show disciple. I clashed with some players. That’s never happened on the bus, but like I said before, I’m trying to say goodbye, but I don’t know how. Let’s just hope I don’t drop a bowling ball on somebody’s head Monday. My rules are get out of my way. My son and my daughter, who are my best friend, they’re talking to me consistently, dad, just relax. I want to win another game. I’m desperate. That’s the truth. My thing with Henderson, I’m hoping it was with love. I know it was with love on my part, but he wanted to kind of be a guy. There’s ain’t no place to be a guy today. There’s no room for a guy out there. You can be a guy next year. Go work down at Winton Woods or something, park director. Right now this man right here is trying to find himself and it’s a little bit harder than I thought.”
Back on subject about the game (for a little bit at least), he had his grandkids with him. He said he was happy to be in the game without his best player for much of the 2nd half. “I thought that was a strange but good game. I look up at the scoreboard and Julian Mavunga has said he can’t play no more. It’s 50-44 and we got the ball. What? That’s what’s been tickling me all year. I’ve never had a team this bad that’s played this good. We’ve just been hitting places where it was going to be hard to go, but my kids keep fighting. Adam Thomas, he’s going to make mistakes, but he played a great game this year. Little Sully, my little freshman, one time I had Vince Legarza out there and he needs help guarding everybody. If he’s guarding CJ here, help him. If he’s guarding CJ in the post, CJs got a hook shot and nothing else, help him. We had (names of the players on the court) out there and the kids played pretty good.”
On the offensive foul Cooper drew near the end away from the ball “I don’t know what happened. I didn’t see it. I was strolling down the other end. … You hate to see that because it just takes so much out of you. I guess it’s necessary. It looked like a little payback call to me. Cooper earlier got a technical. Love him. He’ll tell you I love him. He loves me. Cooper threw that ball at our guy. So there was no reason to give him retribution, but I didn’t see it.”
On officiating: “You guys are reasonable guys and I think all of us are in a profession that you catch a little hell, but we’re not in a profession where we really just are obnoxious with our rules. When you went to three officials, I gave somebody something not to do. Why in the hell would education like it is now and jobs as hard to find as they are now, why haven’t we suggested a little layoff. Huh? Economy down, we’ve got guys flying all over the country. It’s expensive. I knew when we went to three. I get two great officials every night. I get two guys every night that I think are pretty good. Then I get the third. Oh God, is he bad. I’m not talking about the game today, but I don’t know why we did that. Is there something else that was added? That’s a good load for two good guys. Back in the day (names of two officials) could work seven games in seven nights.”
On one official many years ago Charlie really respected and what that ref told him: “You’re playing a player that’s not very good. What is that, your nephew? That guy isn’t worth a quarter. If he wasn’t in, you wouldn’t’ be down by 10. … If you’ve got Ted Valentine out there, you’re telling me you need three. Uh oh, I’m going to get in trouble. Why don’t they suspend me for a year? Suspend me for a year starting next year.”
What he said to DJ after the game: “I just tell him, hey, you know I was just fooling with you don’t’ you know? I love you. His mother met my wife here and they had a good conversation. I told him before, your temper is going to get you in trouble. I don’t mind telling other players that because I would hope someone would tell my guys that. I told him he’s too good for that. He’s a gifted kid. I like competing against him, I really do.”
On his grandkids: “When we went to Disney World this year, we had more fun outside Disney world than we did at Disney world. We developed what we call the Bongo Band, right? Remember that CJ? Can we at least say the first lines to the Bongo Band? … These guys would be outside the hotel playing and people would misunderstand and drop money for them.”
About the Miami fans: “In Oxford, we get blasted for our fans. We ain’t been good at all this year. Since I’ve been in Oxford coaching and I know they want to run me out of here and that’s good. I know we haven’t produced a very good team. I’ve never been so proud of fans. Our fans showed up today and they cheered to the end and I want to say thank you so much. I love those people. I feel so bad that we couldn’t deliver but I love them so much.”
Little Sully, my little freshman, one time I had Vince Legarza out there and he needs help guarding everybody. If he’s guarding CJ here, help him. If he’s guarding CJ in the post, CJs got a hook shot and nothing else, help him. We had (names of the players on the court) out there and the kids played pretty good.”
Who knows WTF was going on with Mavaugna? And that was his Senior Day send-off mind you. Sad to see such a PATHETIC turn-out and send-off for Charlie. I know he's probably stayed a little to long, and I know he hasn't helped his case by not announcing his "official" retirement, but that whole environment in Millet yesterday was just pitiful (other than the outcome!). Charlie did come over at the end of the game and give a wave of thanks and acknowledgement to the OHIO faithful, which with all things considered, was a pretty impressive turnout.. The more one sees of Millet the more one can understand Charlie's respect for OHIO, the Convo, the OZone and how a program at least makes the attempt to make it "special".
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