ASU's Serbian Connection: Volume II

[asu66]

Serbian Connection: Volume II

Before I begin, let it be known that this is being written as a light-hearted flashback to another time and different circumstances. But for old-timers, it will bring back memories.

It was 1972. Appalachian, with no full time AD, arranged a deal with newly retired Roy Clogston, the former AD at NC State who'd worked with legendary coach Everette Case to build a powerhouse men's basketball program. Clogston had a new executive home at Hound Ears and a lot of time on his hands. So, what the heck; 15 to 20 hours a week would pay for his weekly poker nights at Hound Ears.

Legendary Mountaineer head coach Bob Light had just retired as Appalachian's men's basketball coach after working through the transition from NAIA to NCAA Independent to NCAA D-I and the Southern Conference. Coach Light was going to decrease his teaching load--and coach tennis in semi-retirement. Former Guilford College coach (and Carolina Cougars assistant coach and Wake Forest hatchet man) and current High Point head coach had been recruited to coach at Appalachian. He (sort of) moved to Boone and was "given" temporary quarters in on-campus faculty housing within sight of Varsity Gym. It was old, shabby and spartan--but it was free. He was told he could stay there until he and his wife could sell their Guilford home and buy a home in Boone. So here we are in early March in Boone, NC during a particularly harsh winter--and the Steele's are living 110 miles apart--each lonely and miserable. Steele was freezing in Boone, because his a wardrobe wasn't made for Boone's wind, rain and snow. Mrs. Steele was unhappy that she was going to have to give up her new home and career to move.

After two weeks of misery, Coach Steele asks his wife to drive up for a couple of campus functions to meet the campus VIPs, meet the basketball team and look around a bit. A huge ice storm hit a day before her trip up the mountain. After a cold, harrowing trip, she's shown the grim faculty apartment. After a short look around, she told her husband that she was going home to Guilford and that she would not be moving to Boone under any circumstances. She indicated that if he wanted to remain married to her, that he'd be going home with her. At that moment, Jerry Steele quit as Appalachian's head basketball coach. He informed Athletics Business Manager Jim Jones and Clogston by phone call from Guilford. Luckily, the High Point job was still vacant and waiting for him.

So, we've lost two weeks in critical recruiting (as Steele never made a call or trip for ASU). Clogston gets on the phone and calls his old friend Press Maravich who had just been fired at LSU after a 10-16 season. Press is somewhat familiar with Appalachian from summer vacations in Linville; and unaffected by the harsh winters after his upbringing in the mining region around Pittsburg.

Within a week, Appalachian has a new basketball staff with Maravich as head coach and Rusty Bergman as his top assistant coach. But it was doomed from day 1. Press' wife was not well; alcoholic and suicidal, in fact. So much so, that Press was afraid to leave his early-teens daughter home alone with her mother. For a D-I school, there was no recruiting budget. No private or commercial planes for shuttling recruits in and out of town. Only ASU motorpool Dodge Darts to drive--rust, road grime and all. This was a coaching situation Press hadn't seen since leaving tiny Davis & Elkins College years before his gigs at Clemson, NC State and LSU. So Press took money out of his pocket and sent his assistants north in those fine Dodge Darts to recruit basketball players for Appalachian. The result as some of us clearly remember were kids from Serbian families that Maravich knew (himself a Serb) or that were recommended to him by his Serb friends--6-8 John Vukosovich, 6-7 David Milosovich, 6-5 Steve Nenadovich and 6-7 Larry Dudas. Then a few local kids--small, thin PG Charlie Barnes from King's Mountain; small PG Bobby Tate from Banner Elk, and holdover phenom pure-shooter Stan Davis from Pittsburg. Oh, and one more guy--Alvin Gentry from Shelby (who was David Thompson's first cousin).

About everyone knows the tragedy of the Maravich family after that season. Two more losing seasons. Multiple suicide attempts by Press' wife--before one final and successful attempt; and both heart and prostate problems for Press. He decided that he must step down to care for his daughter and himself. Rusty B. took over the team on an interim basis, but lost the permanent job to Bobby Cremins. Bergman later surfaced as head coach at Coastal Carolina. Within 12 years, both Press and his son, Pistol Pete would be dead. Press from prostate cancer; Pete from a heart attack at age 40. Only daughter, Dianna Marie Maravich-May survives today--as a pharmaceutical chemist at GlaxoSmithKline.

Well, back to 2014. Some 42 years and a few days here or there later and ASU has new players of Serbian extraction--namely, Milos Kostic and Jake Babic. I feel very comfortable that positive changes since '72 are as significant as night and day. It's just coincidental that we're partially re-stocking the roster with Serbs. I actually think it's neat to have a roster with such international flavor.

Can't wait 'til November.

Note: After further review, I was in error about one of our players. While Milos Kostic is a Serb (not certain if he intends to seek US citizenship or just study and play on a student visa; Jake Babic is a Canadian citizen of Ukrainian origin.

[HeffnerIV]

Never knew most of that. Interesting story(ies). Thanks

[hapapp]

Serbian Connection: Volume II

Before I begin, let it be known that this is being written as a light-hearted flashback to another time and different circumstances. But for old-timers, it will bring back memories.

It was 1972. Appalachian, with no full time AD, arranged a deal with newly retired Roy Clogston, the former AD at NC State who'd worked with legendary coach Everette Case to build a powerhouse men's basketball program. Clogston had a new executive home at Hound Ears and a lot of time on his hands. So, what the heck; 15 to 20 hours a week would pay for his weekly poker nights at Hound Ears.

Legendary Mountaineer head coach Bob Light had just retired as Appalachian's men's basketball coach after working through the transition from NAIA to NCAA Independent to NCAA D-I and the Southern Conference. Coach Light was going to decrease his teaching load--and coach tennis in semi-retirement. Former Guilford College coach (and Carolina Cougars assistant coach and Wake Forest hatchet man) and current High Point head coach had been recruited to coach at Appalachian. He (sort of) moved to Boone and was "given" temporary quarters in on-campus faculty housing within sight of Varsity Gym. It was old, shabby and spartan--but it was free. He was told he could stay there until he and his wife could sell their Guilford home and buy a home in Boone. So here we are in early March in Boone, NC during a particularly harsh winter--and the Steele's are living 110 miles apart--each lonely and miserable. Steele was freezing in Boone, because his a wardrobe wasn't made for Boone's wind, rain and snow. Mrs. Steele was unhappy that she was going to have to give up her new home and career to move.

After two weeks of misery, Coach Steele asks his wife to drive up for a couple of campus functions to meet the campus VIPs, meet the basketball team and look around a bit. A huge ice storm hit a day before her trip up the mountain. After a cold, harrowing trip, she's shown the grim faculty apartment. After a short look around, she told her husband that she was going home to Guilford and that she would not be moving to Boone under any circumstances. She indicated that if he wanted to remain married to her, that he'd be going home with her. At that moment, Jerry Steele quit as Appalachian's head basketball coach. He informed Athletics Business Manager Jim Jones and Clogston by phone call from Guilford. Luckily, the High Point job was still vacant and waiting for him.

So, we've lost two weeks in critical recruiting (as Steele never made a call or trip for ASU). Clogston gets on the phone and calls his old friend Press Maravich who had just been fired at LSU after a 10-16 season. Press is somewhat familiar with Appalachian from summer vacations in Linville; and unaffected by the harsh winters after his upbringing in the mining region around Pittsburg.

Within a week, Appalachian has a new basketball staff with Maravich as head coach and Rusty Bergman as his top assistant coach. But it was doomed from day 1. Press' wife was not well; alcoholic and suicidal, in fact. So much so, that Press was afraid to leave his early-teens daughter home alone with her mother. For a D-I school, there was no recruiting budget. No private or commercial planes for shuttling recruits in and out of town. Only ASU motorpool Dodge Darts to drive--rust, road grime and all. This was a coaching situation Press hadn't seen since leaving tiny Davis & Elkins College years before his gigs at Clemson, NC State and LSU. So Press took money out of his pocket and sent his assistants north in those fine Dodge Darts to recruit basketball players for Appalachian. The result as some of us clearly remember were kids from Serbian families that Maravich knew (himself a Serb) or that were recommended to him by his Serb friends--6-8 John Vukosovich, 6-7 David Milosovich, 6-5 Steve Nenadovich and 6-7 Larry Dudas. Then a few local kids--small, thin PG Charlie Barnes from King's Mountain; small PG Bobby Tate from Banner Elk, and holdover phenom pure-shooter Stan Davis from Pittsburg. Oh, and one more guy--Alvin Gentry from Shelby (who was David Thompson's first cousin).

About everyone knows the tragedy of the Maravich family after that season. Two more losing seasons. Multiple suicide attempts by Press' wife--before one final and successful attempt; and both heart and prostate problems for Press. He decided that he must step down to care for his daughter and himself. Rusty B. took over the team on an interim basis, but lost the permanent job to Bobby Cremins. Bergman later surfaced as head coach at Coastal Carolina. Within 12 years, both Press and his son, Pistol Pete would be dead. Press from prostate cancer; Pete from a heart attack at age 40. Only daughter, Dianna Marie Maravich-May survives today--as a pharmaceutical chemist at GlaxoSmithKline.

Well, back to 2014. Some 42 years and a few days here or there later and ASU has new players of Serbian extraction--namely, Milos Kostic and Jake Babic. I feel very comfortable that positive changes since '72 are as significant as night and day. It's just coincidental that we're partially re-stocking the roster with Serbs. I actually think it's neat to have a roster with such international flavor.

Can't wait 'til November.

Note: After further review, I was in error about one of our players. While Milos Kostic is a Serb (not certain if he intends to seek US citizenship or just study and play on a student visa; Jake Babic is a Canadian citizen of Ukrainian origin.

I remember driving down Rivers Street when it was announced on WATA that we had hired Press. I thought that we had reached the big time. Then reality set in. That was the last time that we had a roster heavy with midwestern "talent." It was an interesting time though as we paved the way for Bobby Cremins.

[SpeedkingATL]

ASU66, thanks for posting. I was at App during the "Press" years and didn't know the entire story. I always thought that Press should have had a few more sons to coach at App.

[NewApp]

66, your post was very nostalgic and quite informative. One thing to note is that Clogston was full time only a relatively short period of time during his stay with us.