From one era to another
One era over, another just beginning.
Twenty-five years is a long time for anything. When you coach at one university for that long it can be considered an era. It’s been a week since former head basketball coach Dave Boots announced his resignation and eventual retirement from the University of South Dakota. With that decision his extensive career ended with the blink of an eye.
Boots was the Coyotes’ lead man since 1988 and said as expected, the past week has been very tough on him.
“It’s all been so emotional because the decision was so difficult to make,” Boots said. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my coaching career.”
The timing drew everyone off guard, especially Athletic Director David Herbster.
“I’ll never be able to understand the timing of it, but I can’t think too much about that right now, I have to move on,” Herbster said.
Herbster did move on quickly, announcing top assistant Joey James as the interim head coach for the upcoming season on Friday, Oct. 6.
James, 38, yesterday, is a graduate of USD and has spent the past 13 years playing for or coaching with Boots. He said he had no idea Boots was considering stepping down.
“I was surprised that he came into the office and said he was going to retire. I didn’t know if I wanted to put the guy in a headlock or give him a hug. I was pretty confused, no different to how everyone else was,” James said. “He never hinted it to me, but you know what, he resurrected this program, and I’m happy he was able to do it for this long.”
Boots said he waited to this point in the year to make his decision because he wanted to be absolutely positive in what he was doing.
“The first few months after every season, it takes time to adjust, recover, recuperate and just take your mind off basketball,” Boots said. “I did that again this year but the fire in the belly just wasn’t coming back like it did for the past 34 years of my life. I really had to think if I still wanted to do this.”
He said he spent a couple more weeks waiting for that drive and passion for basketball season to reappear but it never did. Boots went on to say the thought of retiring from the game he loved so much started becoming a realization.
“If I wasn’t going to be all in, I wasn’t going to coach this year. I didn’t want to cheat the players, the other coaches or the program,” Boots said. “If you aren’t attacking something 100 percent then why do it all? I simply just didn’t have the passion to coach the game anymore.”
Boots said after informing the coaching staff, the toughest task was breaking the news to his players.
“I told them I’m not going to be able to continue the journey with them and that was extremely tough on me.”
Boots went on to say he isn’t worried about any backlash on the timing of it because at the end of the day it’s what he had to do.
“If people think negatively about the timing of it all, then that’s their opinion,” Boots said. “What happened was tough and I handled it the best way I thought I could.
Just three days later Herbster made the move to James, and said it was tough to go elsewhere with the season so close.
“David Boots’ resignation this close to the beginning of the season makes an extensive national search an impossibility,” Herbster said. “After carefully considering our options, I have decided to appoint assistant coach Joey James interim head coach. At the conclusion of the season, a national search for the position will be conducted.”
James said the past week has been a total whirlwind.
“It’s been crazy. For the past 13 years, (Boots) has been such a big part of my life, to this university and this program. Now I have to figure out what’s next. I haven’t slept a whole lot,” James said. “It’s been pretty hectic, yet it’s exciting at the same time.”
James said not many people can say they played and coached at one school, so he really cherishes the opportunity. He said the funny thing is he had one day hoped he would be in this exact spot.
“I thought at one point I wanted to get into coaching, but at what level, I had no idea,” James said. “But I’ll say when I was a graduate assistant here my first year, I told coach (Boots) that some how, some way, I’d be sitting in his chair some day.”
James denied speculation that Boots resigned so late in the process, forcing the school to make James his replacement.
“I’m fortunate to have spent all the time I did with him, but I wouldn’t say that was his intention. I’m just fortunate it turned out the way it did.” James said.
The players will now have to adapt to a new head coach and a new brain drawing up plays.
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James said his style of play won’t change too much.
“I’m not too worried about the players adapting to me. I’ve been a big part of coaching and recruiting them so that shouldn’t be an issue,” James said. “It will help that my style won’t change a ton, just more running on offense and more man-to-man on defense.”
Boots said the school is inheriting a coach that they can root for.
“He’s a very loyal guy. He’ll run the program and team the way he wants to run it and he should do a good job,” Boots said.
