1985 villanova football roster

Martin said this was not the first time they had spoken. He had joined the Villanova staff straight from coaching at Harry S Truman High in the Bronx. It was a sales pitch, wrapped in genuine emotion. Im about to go into a meeting, but Ill be free after 5 p.m. today. 2009 Villanova Wildcats football team | American Football Database | Fandom Massimino was also angry, as if Plansky had violated the groups collective omerta. What Kentucky is today, Georgetown was in 1985, only with older players. The Jake Nevin Field House - Villanova University We just listened and laughed. Massimino, here speaking to his players before the Georgetown game, would deliver a memorable halftime speech in the same locker room, one that fired up the Wildcats for their epic second half. Football Making a Comeback at Villanova After 4-Year Absence The championship elevated spidery 6'9 1/2" center Ed Pinckney to the 10th pick in the NBA draft, launched a workmanlike 12-year professional career and eventually steered him back to Villanova, where he is now a first-year assistant coach under Jay Wright. The head coach was Dick Bedesem, coaching his sixth season with the Wildcats. Part of what is so fascinating about the game is that Villanova, when it did not turn the ball over, almost always scored. Martin, the 85 power forward who played for four years alongside Ewing, says, We had a black coach and [most years] an all-black team. A very, very intense guy, says Plansky. 1980 Villanova Wildcats football team - Wikipedia (This section of the original story caused problems 11 years ago. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Villanova University/Collegiate Images/Getty Images. In 1981, when Villanova dropped, there were three additions, he said, naming Buffalo State, West Georgia, and Western New England. (#10 seed in Southeast)Won Southeast First Round (71-62) versus #7 Virginia Tech (Several Division I conferences, including the Big East, had used a 45-second shot clock experimentally during the regular season, but the clock was shut down in the tournament. The demand was overwhelming., He added, after checking the record book: I think weve set a record. Where: Franklin Field in . Like Sunday dinner at the Massiminos, says Everson. His reputation had suffered so badly that at the Villanova press conference announcing Massiminos resignationhe was not presentstudents cheered his departure. We even have pregame pasta meals. Massimino had a pacemaker installed a few years ago, but remains the last member of the 85 team still actively involved in college basketball. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Join our linker program. They had a great team: Chris Mullin, Mark Jackson, guys who had long NBA careers. The Wildcats unexpected presence in the championship game took their fans (and cheerleaders) to new heights in Rupp Arena. Or write about sports? I should never have gone. His teams went 49-94 in five seasons, and he was fired after the 91-92 season. ), Sherman Oaks Notre Dame receives No. Large or small, such institutions usually are pinched financially. One of their big guys swatted at it, but he missed and it went in. Dayton couldnt answer and Villanova advanced. The Villanova Programs mantra of We play for those who came before us is passed down from class to class. Many of them are still without punts and passes on the intercollegiate level, but many have brought football back--and they have typically come back with Division II or III teams. It was the first year of the full, 64-team bracket and the last year in which the tournament was played without a shot clock. In reality we were nine for nine.), And McLain? The leaders of Villanovas 51,000 living alumni played the key role in changing the administrations stand on football. He still yells, says Everson. As Villanova traveled to Birmingham, AL for the Regional Semifinals, the Cats defeated 5th seed Maryland by three and then the Southeasts #2 seed North Carolina by six to reach the Final Four. I took two dribbles and laid it up. Time heals all wounds. Several of McLains teammates used that expression in describing their relationship with their point guard. I have been humbled in this life, says McLain. In three seasons from 2007-10, Siena went 77-26, won three Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference titles and twice earned first-round victories in the NCAA Tournament. And Georgetown? Roster Layout: Choose A Season: Sort By: The last sweep in this series came back in . Last November Villanovas basketball team hosted Northwood University, where 85 head coach Rollie Massimino is the 80-year-old head coach, and turned the weekend into a celebration of the 85 teams 30-year anniversary. But not in a way that I could take action. Pressley and Everson in 1986, and Jensen in 1987. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Of course, you never know. Not because of [how good] we were, says UMass coach Steve Lappas, a first-year college assistant on the 85 Villanova staff, but because we were Rollie Massiminos assistant coaches. The profession would not be kind to any of them. That whole era, we had a ton of fun as a team, says Michael Jackson, a junior point guard on the 85 team. Call (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelpline.ma.org (MA), Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). So Chuck Daly was right. Ferrante led the Wildcats to a 7-1 record against a challenging CAA Football schedule to mark the fifth season since 1988 in which the team had no more than one loss in conference play. UNLV bought out the remaining three years of his contract for $1.9 million. The Wildcats play at Villanova Stadium with capacity of 12,500. It was like we were in 1985 all over again.), (This still holds; no champion since 85 has come close to Nova's average. One minute! Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. I wear the ring and the watch from 85, he says. We had a terrible time with [St. Johns forward] Walter Berry. All rights reserved. When we won the title, the players handled themselves with class in interviews, and Rollie went on television and talked about the family atmosphere, and everybody wanted a piece of that, says Lappas. (Asked recently if that silence still remains, Martin said, I talked to Horace a few days ago. and Mrs. Plansky, its not your sons fault. I texted him in early March and after getting no response, called his cell phone three days later. Then Manhattan hired him, and Lappas righted a struggling program, winning 25 games in his fourthand finalyear. Planksy called me, seeking relief. We lost a lot of good players and we were coming off an incredible run. Buonaguro was a basketball coach for 38 years and says now he misses it, and would consider a less stressful coaching job somewhere in the business. I can see that now. That old wound is slowly healing. The McLain story would scar him terribly. He said, Its a bad job, and I dont want you to take it. I believe he was so angry at Villanova at that time that he didnt want anybody he knew to take the job. Lexington, KY was the host of the National Semifinals as the country saw matchups between the Wildcats and Memphis State in one game and Georgetown against St. Johns in the second. Ill bet [Tigers point guard] Andre Turner is still confused, says McClain. After Lenny gets about his fifth basket over me, Al McGuire says, on TV, Mr. You cant be friends with everybody., Stack says, People say Rollie changed when he won the title. Drafted: 88 players. Old students miss all that when you dont have football. Talk about a standout: The lanky Ed Pinckney would finish the championship game with 16 points, six rebounds, and a new status heading into the NBA draft. He occasionally goes on phoning binges with old teammates and then seems to disappear. We had a Mass before every game, he says, and nobody ever complained about going. Im sure his story was largely accurate.. Massiminos teams had gone this far three times previously but had never made it to the Final Four. As he walked toward his seat, he heard his name shouted. All the guys are tired of it. NCAA Tournament: Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? We present them here for purely educational purposes. Daly, who as the head coach at Penn once hired Massimino as an assistant, needles his old protg, saying hell sign on any day with Palm Beach Community College. In Divisions I-A and I-AA, scholarships eat up much of the football budget. The official Football news stories archives for the Villanova University Wildcats Massiminos three top assistants would quickly become head coaches. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. In 97 the family moved back to the Philadelphia area, where Marbach is a junior high school athletic director and coaches his youngest daughter, Elizabeth. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Odds and lines subject to change. Twice. But if you ask me right now, in 2004, if I regret writing that articlehell, no, I dont regret it. Well eat pasta dinners together and talk about life and then well win because youll love each other like brothers. If you dont know what that means, look it up, and then well talk about it. Well, it means to purify, which I took to mean make whiter. ), (It remains a tight group. There was talk that Siena could become a mid-major power like Butler or Gonzaga. Im afraid well lose. (Massimino says he still hasnt watched the finish. The Wildcats and Pirates are long-time rivals, with the series dating back to the 1985 season. And their alumni want it.. 1986-87 Villanova Wildcats Men's Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 15-16 (6-10, 6th in Big East MBB ) Coach: Rollie Massimino PS/G: 72.3 (150th of 289) PA/G: 72.2 (148th of 288) SRS: 7.36 (59th of 290) SOS: 7.33 (31st of 290) Villanova (Men's) School History Roster & Stats Polls, Schedule & Results On this page: Roster I remember in the latter part of the regular season, I was really wondering about myself. My strength is coming back now, but Ill tell you. He shakes his head, describing the intensity of the scare. (Chuck Daly died five years later at age 79). It was a family that came together like never before in that final run of 1985. So sometimes hed shake their hand while hes looking away, and that guy tells people, Rollie Massiminos an ass.. Every coach has a gimmick. He lives in a suburb between Albany and Saratoga Springs and has done some television work. McLain has been clean since 2005 and has since become a Certified Addiction Professional spending his time traveling and talking to youngsters about addiction through his story. Youre good enough. The game is worth watching again just for the way Gary played. Also: Jensen shot 5 for 5, and Pinckney, playing with the flu, had 16 points and six rebounds to Ewings 14 and five. Eighty-three was the best team we ever had, says Massimino. Jimmy Valvano warned me that would happen, says Massimino. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Day 3 | Saturday, Apr. Future NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long was a senior nose guard on the team. 1985 VILLANOVA WILDCATS National Cnampionship Replica Ring, US SHIP! Join our linker program. Villanova played a "light"[2] schedule against four NCAA Division III opponents and the United States Naval Academy JV team. He, Pinckney and McClain would form the nucleus of the Wildcats title team. Coach Mass helped me through it. Although a recent poll suggested that some 98% of Villanovas students were in favor of restoring football, another poll showed that two-thirds of the faculty were against it. The 85 team came together in one huge chunk and then in small pieces that followed. In the wake of Villanovas 1985 championship, Massiminos assistant coaches were hot properties. The text began on the cover with the chilling line, I was standing in the Rose Garden, wired on cocaine. McLain went on to describe his drug habit in vivid detail, including his account of being high while playing against Memphis State in the national semifinals and while visiting the White House. By the time the 7-foot 240-pound Ewing arrived for the 81-82 season, Georgetown had reached the NCAA tournament five times in seven years, but it was with Ewing that the bar was raised. Golden Girls meets Dr. Naismith. We laughed together, we cried together. (As always, McLain was the complex exception. A rhythm shot, says Jensen. Do you have a blog? We dont talk every day or anything like that, but were fine.). The seniors reported to preseason conditioning in the fall of 1984 with 67 wins on their rsum, yet no trophies in the case. Tim, I got your text, McLain said, exuberantly, as if he remembered me and was anxious to talk. Hes still a part of the family. I still dont know why, says Pinckney. Villanova vs. Georgetown: 1985 National Championship | FULL GAME Watch on Following their Villanova playing days, six players from the team were selected in subsequent NBA Drafts. Massimino describes Lappass move as a disruption in the line of succession. But in many ways it is April 1, 1985, forever. McLains story remains one of the longest single pieces published in SIand one of the most incendiary. ; and Pinckney, a solid big man from Adlai Stevenson High in the Bronx who was under-recruited. A larger number of institutions put intercollegiate teams on the field last year than in any year since 1950 (when the total was 674).. Classic.. Villanova college basketball championships: Complete history You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Dont hesitate to shoot the ball. I was a difficult kid, and he was incredible., On the decisive play in the Dayton game, Jensen had the ball in the middle of the floor, far from the basket. 21 Richmond and No. In the spring, both the institution of college basketball and the NCAA Tournament were on the cusp of significant change. Villanova Univeristy Athletics #GONOVA Main Navigation Menu Main Content Section All-Time Roster More History 100 Moments Fan Memories Uniforms Shop Ad Blocker Detected Thanks for visiting villanova.com! Would I have bet my golf clubs that Gary McLain was using cocaine? I really enjoy it, says Massimino. For financial reasons, an average of about one college a year drops football, Boda said. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 6:49AM. It came to mean something quite different, says Asher. Georgetown didnt have players like that, except Patrick. That doesnt sound so hard, but it was a lot better than they did the year before, or two years before, or three. Do you have a blog? The top-5 players of all time for Villanova football *Villanova joined the FCS in 1985. That was no joke. During the 85 Final Four newspapers were stuffed with stories detailing the Hoyas being sequestered in Louisville, while the other teams partied in Lexington. tulane university, rocked by an alleged point-shaving scheme and cash payments to players, cancels its basketball program. Trailing 28-27 with 1:58 left in the first half, Villanova took possession off a Georgetown miss and went into a four-corners delay. Following their Villanova playing days, six players from the team were selected in subsequent NBA Drafts. It is home to the office of the Athletic Director, coach's offices, Ticketing, Marketing and Promotions, Media Relations, The Block V Club, Athletic Training and Equipment. It was Reggie Williams. Go To Coaching Staff. It was an ignominious finish to his career, and 85 seemed ever more distant. (including this year's edition of the Wildcats, who were awarded a No. Its the rallying point. The players started softly chuckling, until the tension was sucked out of the room. What happened next is a mystery of camaraderie that none of the Villanova 85 family can fully explain, even through the prism of time. Coach Mass cared about us a lot, wrote McLain. It is not uncommon to see members of that 85 squad or current NBAers join the current Cats on campus. When Fran left and I got the job, it was a difficult thing, says Buonaguro. Massimino cant get out three sentences without dropping the names of half a dozen former players or assistant coaches, each of whom is referred tosincerely, it seemsas a dear friend. Some go back as far as days coaching high school in Hillside, N.J. During a two-hour interview he gets three calls on his cellphone, all from former players. Villanova NFL/AFL Players. Contradicting a notion that multitudes of financially pressed colleges are abolishing football, there has been a steady rise for 20 years in the number of football-playing institutions. The two have not seen each other since Martin graduated in the spring of 1985. College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Rollies still rolling: At 80, Massimino continues to coach. Worse yet, he was accused of pulling Villanova out of the annual Big Five round robin with LaSalle, Penn, Saint Josephs and Temple. Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. Time heals all wounds. Several of McLains teammates used that expression in describing their relationship with their point guard. Villanova saw their largest win of the Tournament in the national semifinal with a 52-45 victory over the Tigers who were the 2-seed from the Midwest Region. "Villanova gave up football for four years (1981-84) before bringing it back by popular demand (in 1985)," Coach Andy Talley said the other day. This list looks at players since that season, taking into consideration things including, but not. Even on the road Rollie never wanted to be alone in hotel suite, says Mitch Buonaguro, his top assistant in 85. We were very confident they would have trouble. The Villanova players then sat in the stands to watch what many observers viewed as the de facto national championship game; the Wildcats silently rooted like hell for Georgetown to defeat St. Johns, which had beaten Villanova in two competitive regular season games, but had bounced the Wildcats from the Big East Tournament in an 89-74 blowout. It also is Dick Ebersols final episode as executive producer. Won National Semifinal (52-45) versus #2 Memphis His teams have a 245-61 record in nine years. $17.09. Family reunion: Massimino and the 85s were the picture of togetherness last November, when the old coach came back to Villanova for an exhibition game. Among the other prospective recruits at the camp were McLain, a Long Island native living with his high school coach in southeastern Massachusetts; McClain, a willowy 6' 6" forward from Worcester, Mass. Lost Southeast Second Round (66-61) versus #2 Georgia Tech, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 12:49AM. On 41 of those 55 possessions, Villanova shot, was fouled or committed a turnover in less than 30 seconds. 36 years ago today pic.twitter.com/3TcFhAN8CE. Nothing the rest of the year takes the place of a long football weekend.. Reporters seeking postgame comment from Hoya players were subjected to a narrow window, with a publicists countdown from 10 minutes: Seven minutes! Mismatch! These were heavy days in the Big East, and among Villanovas nine regular-season defeats were two each to Georgetown (both close, a fact that would be widely overlooked at the Final Four in Lexington) and St. Johns, teams that volleyed the No. Players/Alumni. 1972 Villanova Wildcats football team - Wikipedia He says he wants to write a book about his life and perhaps to deliver his cautionary tale to kids. 1980 Villanova Wildcats Roster Previous Year Record: 6-5 (59th of 138) ( Schedule & Results ) Conference: Ind Coach: Dick Bedesem (6-5) Points For: 206 Points/G: 18.7 (87th of 138) Points Against: 137 Opp Pts/G: 12.5 (15th of 138) SRS: -3.00 (84th of 138) SOS: -7.64 (111th of 138) Villanova School History 1980 Villanova Statistics He was hurt and angry at Plansky. Looking back on them. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Im clean today. (He told AP in 2014 that he was using drugs up until 2005.) In the summer of 2005, Everson brought them together, unbeknownst to both men, at the summer basketball camp that Everson runs on his native Long Island. But still. Others have tried unsuccessfully to bring him together with Massimino. 2023 Penn Relays: Live updates, results, schedule, how to watch Villanova gave up football for four years (1981-84) before bringing it back by popular demand (in 1985), Coach Andy Talley said the other day. It worked. # Name Class QB: 14: Tom Karczewski: OT: 75: Joe Miller: WR: 83: Bob Schaeffer: QB: 6: Mike Sunday: Defense. Unbelievable! he says, recounting the swift climb. The ups and downs. There is a pause, and Massiminos eyes dance like old. State of the Nova Nation: Bamba, Dunleavy and Moore. 1984-85 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team - Wikipedia With 70 seconds to go, Jensen dribbled from near midcourt to the top of the key, encountered no resistance and continued all the way to the basket for a layup that gave Villanova the lead and, eventually, the win. Eleven years ago I wrote a . 28. The discipline. We were physical, and we were aggressive. Al Freni/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images. We can talk then. McLain did not call after 5 p.m. and did not answer subsequent calls or texts. They played a great game. Best [expletive] halftime speech Ive ever heard, Stack said. On a midwinter morning Gary McLain escaped a heavy, humid rain and walked through the front doors of a West Palm Beach, Fla., hotel, dressed in long khaki shorts and a billowing white T-shirt. 1980 NCAA Division I-A independents football records, "Defense holds fort in Villanova's 176 win over VMI", "Villanova Rolls Past Penn, 34-3, to Prove a Point", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1980_Villanova_Wildcats_football_team&oldid=1123512788, 1980 NCAA Division I-A independents football season, Pages using CFB schedule with named parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 November 2022, at 04:30. And then I took it. He says he has lapsed into drug or alcohol use a couple of times but is currently sticking with a 12-step program and attending meetings. If youre going to win championships, youve got to catch those. (The publicist usually charged with policing the locker room was Bill Shapland, a loyal lieutenant to Thompson who suppressed his own good nature beneath an enforcers exterior in service of the program. Nothing takes the place of football, said a Wildcat alumnus, Charlie Johnson, an industrial sales company vice president in York, Pa. Its in the fall that your thoughts go back to your old college. Villanova's 10-3 record included four victories over Top 25 opponents, including No. The Father of Villanova Football - VU Hoops Saturday, when Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante and his 3-0 Wildcats trek up to State College to take on the undefeated and No. The 1980 Villanova Wildcats football team represented the Villanova University during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season.The head coach was Dick Bedesem, coaching his sixth season with the Wildcats.The team played their home games at Villanova Stadium in Villanova, Pennsylvania. 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