The Truth at Providence College
Friday, June 17, 2011
Do you know the meaning of the word “veritas?”
Friar fans should know. In Roman mythology, veritas means truth. At Providence College, veritas is also the school motto – and the truth is, athletically speaking, the marquee programs at PC have not had much success in recent years. Men’s basketball and men’s hockey get the focus, and rightfully so – as sports that are considered revenue generators, and as sports that receive the majority of the attention from students, fans and graduates alike.
What’s the truth here? For a small, private college, PC has an extraordinary athletic tradition, a solid reputation in academic excellence, and students and graduates alike always speak of the enriching experience they go through while on campus. Men’s basketball and hockey are a huge part of the rich history, and past successes at PC. It can certainly be argued that basketball put the College “on the map,” locally, regionally and nationally, beginning in the 1950’s. Yet recently, both basketball and hockey have not only been down, they’ve been practically out of it, altogether. Losing records, non-competitive teams in ultra-competitive leagues, small crowds, less interest overall…this is the current truth on Smith Hill.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTTo know where you're going, you must know where you've come from. It's an age-old adage, a cliche to be sure, but also time tested. PC has always been "the little train that could," and the athletic teams throughout the years have long embodied a "David vs. Goliath" mentality. But when Goliath starts beating up on you regularly, it's time to decide if you need to stay in the same arena. The problem is a simple one - step back and compete against similar sized teams and schools, or "ramp up," and continue to face the big boys that have long been a part of the tradition at Providence.
The athletic department at Providence is at a crossroad. Bob Driscoll, the athletic director, knows that. So does the school president, the Reverend Brian Shanley. A strong, vibrant athletic department is also a magnificent public relations mechanism in the 21st century, and of vital importance if PC is to keep battling the big state-schools like West Virginia, South Florida, UConn and others...not just on the playing fields, but also for students in the classroom. And if your teams are good, TV loves you. Television means you are seen, locally as well as nationally, attracts followers to your teams, and students to your school. TV is how the Big East Conference became "big." To play big, you need to be big. To be big, you must act big…recruit big, spend big, talk big. The alternative is to be small, and relatively insignifcant - almost irrelevant - at a time where there is tremendous competition for your attention, as well as your money.
These current truths have led to a change in leadership in the men’s basketball and hockey programs over the past couple of months, as both teams look to a new direction, hoping to change current truth into past history. With so much to do, where do the priorities lie? Where do the new coaches begin?
“Right now, I need to learn more about Providence College,” said Ed Cooley, the new men’s basketball coach, at a gathering of season-ticket holders at Alumni Hall on campus this week. “I already know about the city of Providence, I know the state of Rhode Island, I’m really learning about what Providence College is all about so it gives my staff the opportunity to sell us better. We want to know the history and tradition, to put the foundation back in place.” Hockey coach Nate Leaman, fresh off unprecedented success as head coach at Union College, agrees with Cooley. “I’m so impressed with the traditions at Providence, and we will be working hard to return our program to a standard that can match the tradition.
“Recruiting is obviously a big key to our success,” Leaman continued, “and we want to create opportunity locally. But we’ll need to have national reach as well, and part of our job is to tell the story of Providence College. Not just to recruits, but to everyone.”
Cooley’s approach is slightly different, if only because his position is a homecoming – having graduated from Providence’s Central High School. There is a familiarity factor with the job at hand at PC, from his school days as well as his time as an assistant coach at URI and Boston College. It’s an opportunity he doesn’t want to miss on. “I’ve seen (coming home) stories work before, but there’s a lot of variables to that,” Cooley said. “This is a destination job for me, not a stepping stone. It’s what I know, it’s what I was born to do, it’s a dream for me to be here. This is why it will work here. It’s an incredible challenge, but it’s one we’re going to overcome.”
Leaman added, “We want our fans with us, to support us and follow us from the beginning. But we also know that we need to earn their support with our effort. I came to Providence because we can win a national championship here. That’s what we’re working toward, to make this program something all Friars can be proud of again.”
The truth? Winning a national title might be a pipe dream at PC. But the effort in getting there is what has made PC athletics strong in the past, and what Cooley and Leaman are realizing can make them strong again.
