Staff Editorial
At last Wednesday’s filled-to-capacity double convo, men’s basketball coach Paul Westphal approached the podium because he wanted to let us know that he appreciated our support in the victory over Gonzaga. In an apparent display of deference and respect for Westphal, students were quiet as he began to speak and when he finished, gave him a louder round of applause than they did Dr. William Schultz, head of Amnesty International, who had the unenviable task of succeeding the BMOC.
It takes a special mojo to quiet the masses on Wednesday mornings, and speakers who don’t possess it tend to crash and burn. But Westphal walks with a little something special in large quantities these days, and we the student body are hanging on his words. We’ve always followed our basketball program, but when Westphal arrived he added more than just a winning record. What does Westphal have that commands so much attention?
To begin with, it may be that we have forgotten where Westphal has been. The coach, new to Pepperdine, spent most of his career in the NBA playing with the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns. He later was a coach for the Suns and the Seattle Supersonics.
It’s not that we’re forgetting because he hasn’t been able to make the transition from NBA coach to NCAA coach. He has. In fact, years ago he made the jump from college to the NBA successfully as well. There is little doubt that this year’s team believes in its coach, and has got the record to prove it. That’s 13-6 for those of you keeping score at home. We’re forgetting because Westphal is a big time guy who feels right at home in a small time school.
It seems that the new head coach is also humble guy, a claim that can no doubt be substantiated in the pay cut he took to coach here. Although, we’re sure coach wouldn’t mind if we made an obvious appeal for an office whose dimensions are a bit larger, and whose door is not of the type that one usually finds leading out to a back deck.
Another Westphal trademark is that he thoughtfully deflects credit for success onto his players, and as a result the team is more relaxed, backed by the confidence instilled by their coach. Westphal possesses the key that unlocks a door behind which lies the ultimately important variable recognized as motivation.
Generally speaking, teams that ride extended winning streaks inevitably begin to develop a mentality wherein they play every game as if they were “afraid to lose.” At Saturday’s double overtime victory in San Diego, no player was afraid to miss. This year’s squad, riding a seven-game winning streak, is cool and relaxed.
With all the things he’s done to prove himself, it is readily apparent that Westphal’s players trust their coach and want to play well for him.
Like a rock dropped into a still pool of water, these good feelings reverberate and are felt campus-wide. They make us want to high-five after victories and bite our nails during the final seconds of wins eked out in double-overtime. They make us want to head down to the Fieldhouse in numbers so great that we are sending out last-minute mass e-mails trying to purchase tickets for a big game that was sold out four days prior to tip-off.
Away games are broadcast live in the Waves Cafeteria on a regular basis, instead of just when the team is playing a national powerhouse like Kansas in a pre-conference game that means less to making the NCAA tournament than do the away games at Santa Clara and San Diego.
Granted, we are not the Cameron Crazies, camping out in front of the box office three weeks before a Duke-North Carolina home game for tickets, waiting for Coach K to drop by pizzas for us on his way into practice. Nor are we hitting the road to cheer for the team if it travels outside of a two-hour radius.
But we are a school that is standing behind its team thanks to Westphal’s appeal. This is exceptional in a place where athletic apathy is the norm. The basketball program is taking great steps, buoyed by the leadership of a charismatic coach and a team that understands hustle.
Outsiders may not be as fond of the coach, nor of the program, as we are. The team boasts a No. 4 in the nation strength of schedule rating, which should count for something. But Dick Vitale of ESPN, Alexander Wolff of Sports Illustrated and all the voters for AP top 25 poll have yet to mention Pepperdine.
It may be time to ask the question: Is Westphal the man that can help Pepperdine make the leap onto the national radar?
Westphal and his team have been awarded the enthusiasm of a receptive student body, which we think is invaluable. To Westphal, now, the offer is put on the table: The student body is ready.
You’ve done a lot for us, what can we do for you?
January 31, 2002