North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack's Sendek Named ACC Coach of the Year
3/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 16, 2004
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - When he reflects on his coaching career, NC State's Herb Sendek never loses sight of the people and places that have made the biggest impact on his life. "The journey," as he likes to call it, has been filled with experiences and moments that have shaped both the man and the coach. Unwavering in his convictions, Sendek has always believed in himself, his philosophy and his players. Those beliefs have paid off handsomely this year with the Wolfpack posting its best season since the late 1980s. And for his efforts, Sendek has been named the ACC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press.
The son of a coach and a former assistant to Rick Pitino, Sendek certainly knew what he was getting into when he chose his profession many years ago. Despite the financial rewards that come with the job, coaching, especially on the ACC level, is no walk in the park. For Sendek, the principles and core values that were learned at a very early age create a refuge to lean on when the going gets tough.
"I was really blessed to have a wonderful upbringing," he said. "As I look back on it, I realize how fortunate I was. My dad was a teacher and a coach and the one thing I realize now is that he was never too busy to have me tagging along. Now that I have three children of my own, I realize that is not always convenient or easy. But he always went out of his way to include me. I also had other coaches and teachers that you might not recognize on Sportscenter, but they were the epitome of what coaching and teaching is all about and they made a great difference for me. I was just surrounded by people who really cared."
Picked to finish fourth in the ACC preseason poll, NC State grabbed sole possession of second place in the regular season by going 11-5 against conference foes. Of those 11 league wins, five came on the road in a year when victories away from home were often difficult to come by for just about everyone else in the league. The Wolfpack, ranked 15th in this week's A.P. Poll, will carry a 20-9 record into Friday afternoon's first round NCAA Tournament game against Louisiana-Lafayette in Orlando. But with more work left to do, Sendek isn't quite ready to reflect on a season that has truly gotten his program back on the national college basketball radar.
"It's been a good season to date," Sendek said. "I don't think you take complete inventory and think about those kinds of things until after the season. It's such a grind and you're so busy and consumed with what you have to do, there's not a lot of time for that kind of reflection. Right now, it's like 'what are we going to do to defend this action?' and 'what does our team need to do better?' Those kinds of things fill up all your time, I think."
Following a slow rebuilding process in Sendek's first five years at the helm, NC State will be appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year after finishing in the upper half of the ACC for the third straight season as well. The 11 conference wins are the most the Wolfpack has recorded since the national title team of 1973-74 posted a perfect 12-0 mark. And the No. 3 seeding in the NCAA tourney is its highest since 1987-88.
The honor bestowed upon Sendek marks the ninth time an NC State coach has been named ACC Coach of the Year. Everett Case won the award three times (1954, 55, 58), Press Maravich once (1965), Norm Sloan three times (1970, 73, 74) and Jim Valvano once (1989). Sendek received 67 of a possible 93 votes from members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt was second with 18 votes.
Like all coaches, Sendek readily acknowledges the contributions of his players. And as the Wolfpack's talent level has improved over the years, so has the record in the won-loss column. But winning games and vying for championships is just one part of a coach's job description. Along with the media obligations and other demands off the court, there comes the responsibility of developing young men for life after basketball. On that count, Sendek has overseen an academic restoration that has produced amazing results. With just one exception, every player that has played under Sendek for four complete years has graduated.
"As a coach you care about your guys a great deal, probably more than they often realize," Sendek said. "Sometimes those recognitions don't set in until years later. You basically come to treat your team like your own family. Sometimes your demands on them, your challenges to them, and your discipline for them can be misconstrued as not caring. But in point of fact, it's caring to the highest degree."
Congratulations to Herb Sendek, the ACC Coach of the Year for 2003-04.
