Doc Stadler, coming from Texas El-Paso of the WAC conference, will be the Nebraska Basketball head coach. At first hearing of the announcement, this writer was less than enthusiastic. After doing some research he now has changed his mind and is anxious as to what kind of team he can put on the floor especially after Alex Maric announced he is leaving.
What is the deal with the name Doc. Sadler, whose given name is Kenneth, was nicknamed Doc because as a kid he wore a cap autographed by "Doc" on the TV western Gunsmoke. Being a fan of Gunsmoke things are looking even better.
What excited this writer about "Doc"? Continue to read on
Marc Boehm described the new coach. "One of the things that we have talked about is recruiting and how important it is here," Boehm said. "We have found a man who obviously is one of the best recruiters in the country, as he has coached 19 future NBA players. He has a tremendous track record, but his greatest quality may be his ability to build relationships with players, parents, coaches and fans. The people of Lincoln and Nebraska will love him."
Sadler led UTEP to 21 victories in 2005-06 and an NIT berth while overcoming several injuries that depleted the team of its top scorers for a majority of the season. Sadler's squad relied on defense and finished the campaign ranked 15th nationally by allowing only 59.5 points per game. His disciplined approach showed on the court as the Miners placed ninth nationally with only 14.9 fouls per game and ranked 28th in rebounding margin (+4.7) after outrebounding 24-of-31 opponents. With only two players left on the roster can "Doc" bring in some talent to help us rebound in the Big 12. That is a huge chore with little time.
The Miners went undefeated at home in league play and earned an 11-3 mark to rank third in the final standings. UTEP set a C-USA record by allowing just 56 points per game in conference play last year, and also allowed teams to hit just 40.6 percent from the floor on the year, the program's best mark since 1974.
While solid defense is a staple of his teams, Sadler understands the need to put creative scorers in a position to flourish. That was especially noticeable in his first UTEP team, as the 2005 Miners set the school record for points scored (2,616, 74.7 ppg), assists (579) and free throw percentage (.792). That should excite those that like to run and score. However it is obvious that defense is just as important.
"You ever watch tennis? We're going to play baseline to baseline," Sadler said. "I don't know how much the sideline seats sell for, but you better get baseline seats. Because if not, you're going to go home and the chiropractor is going to make a living." Thank goodness the students will be in these seats. This should get the crowd going when the plaers are giving 100% up and down the floor.
Sadler helped two players, Omar Thomas and Filberto Rivera, earn first-team All-WAC honors in 2005, the first time UTEP had a pair of players on the first squad in 20 years. Thomas also earned MVP honors after an outstanding performance at the league tournament. Last season, John Tofi, one of two 1,000-point scorers on the squad, was the third Miner to earn a first-team all-league certificate under Sadler.
The Miners have gained three straight postseason appearances with Sadler on the bench. Before taking over as head coach, Sadler was an assistant under current Texas A&M head coach Billy Gillespie in 2003-04 when the Miners made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in more than a decade. UTEP tied the biggest turnaround in NCAA history that season as it went from six to 24 wins in Sadler's first season assisting the Miners.
While considered by many to be a tremendous tactician and strategist, Sadler is equally as impressive on the recruiting paths. Sadler has signed eight players who have gone on to play in the NBA, including Michael Batiste, Tony Battie, Cory Carr, Mark Davis, Darvin Ham, Eddie House, Maurice Jeffers and Jason Sasser. Sadler has also coached 11 other players who reached the NBA -- Greg Anderson, Mario Bennett, Randy Brown, Isaac Burton, Byron Irvin, Joe Klein, Andrew Lang, Ron Riley, Alvin Robertson, Darrell Walker and Rickie Winslow – giving him an impressive total of 19 former pupils who reached the highest level of professional basketball.
Sadler has a passion for winning, but it is his ability to build relationships and then develop players both on and off the court that served him well during his 12 years as an assistant coach. Along with his NBA and all-conference picks, Sadler has seen his players succeed in the classroom, including 10 Miners on the 2005-06 team who earned at least a 3.0 grade-point average in the first semester.
As an assistant coach, Sadler served stints at seven current Division I schools, including Arkansas (1982-85, under Coach Eddie Sutton), Lamar (1985-86, under Coach Pat Foster), Houston (1986), Chicago State (1987-88, under Coach Tommy Suitts), Texas Tech (1991-94, under Coach James Dickey), Arizona State (1994-97, under Coach Bill Freider) and UTEP (2003-04, under Coach Billy Gillespie).
Over 12 full seasons as a Division I assistant coach, nine of his teams reached the postseason, including ASU's 1996 team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. At Texas Tech, Sadler helped the Red Raiders to the 1993 Southwest Conference title and an NCAA appearance. He recruited talent that helped the Red Raiders to a 28-1 record and a Sweet 16 appearance in 1996.
We will need to give "Doc" some time to heal the basketball team due to the player losses the last several months. Once the surgery is completed we will be happy with the results. Do you think our new mascot will be Festus or Matt Dillon. I'll be looking for Kitty.
Picture Source: Eric Love
