Joe Scott Returns To Manage Air Force Basketball
The College Basketball season came to an abrupt end thanks to the invisible enemy that has ravaged our country. Still, there are some things that are happening in the sports world and we here at Winners and Whiners will do our best to keep you abreast of all the important info.
The Air Force Falcons had a rough 12-20 season overall, including a 5-13 mark within the Mountain West Conference. It was the 7th year in a row that they finished under .500 overall and in league play. Dave Pilipovich had been at the helm for the last eight-plus years and after going 18-14 overall, including 8-8 within the MWC in his first full year, the Falcons were 90-131 overall and 40-62 in league play over the last seven years. The Falcons have had enough and so out is Pilipovich and in steps Joe Scott.
Scott is well known to the Falcons as he last coached for them 16 years ago. His first three years were not good at all as Air Force went just 29-56 overall, including 9-33 in league play, but in his final season with the team, they went 22-7 overall and garnered their first NCAA Tournament berth in 42 years in the process. Scott then went on to coach three years at Princeton of the Ivy League, going just 38-45 in those seasons, before moving on to Denver of the Summit League where he was 146-132 overall in nine seasons.
Air Force needed to do something to stop all the losing, as they have had 11 losing seasons in MWC play over the last 13 years and having been to the NCAA Tournament since 2005/06 when Jeff Reynolds was at the helm. Will Scott be able to bring winning back to Air Force basketball? We shall see but AD Nathan Pine has confidence in Scott.
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"Joe is a person of strong character and a leader who will continue to represent our core values at Air Force," athletic director Nathan Pine said. "He is also a championship-caliber coach who understands the Academy, what we stand for, and he knows as well as anyone how to be successful here. Coach Scott is a gifted teacher with a passion for the sport of basketball and developing young men into leaders. He is the perfect person to re-energize our men's basketball program."
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