2008 Woodie Awards
Back in the saddle
Scott Gleeson
Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: Sports
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Jankovich, who brings 24 years of solid Division-I experience under some of the best coaches in basketball, will look to bring Redbird basketball to the top of the MVC and punch a ticket to the big dance.
But before he can do that, he'll have to readjust to being the man in charge after spending eight straight seasons as an assistant.
"There is a huge difference," Jankovich said. "I've been a head coach and an assistant coach and I remember the first time that I had gone from being an assistant. I was an absolute genius until I got to be the head coach."
"When you're an assistant, you can analyze any part you want. When you're a head coach, I've got 75 things on my mind. That's when you need really good assistants."
Jankovich explained that tonight's game is a great tune-up for his team and for himself, while still readjusting to being head coach.
"This is a good warm-up," Jankovich said. "It's dress rehearsal and it allows you to play people and not worry about winning and losing. It's great for me, it's great for staff and for everybody."
Transitioning from assistant coach to head coach has not always been easy, but coming from a top-notch program should help. Jankovich's former boss, Kansas Head Coach Bill Self, had nothing but good things to say about his former assistant.
"Tim is one of the brightest coaches, at any level, that I've had the pleasure to be around," Self said after Jankovich was hired last March.
According to Jankovich, he still talks to Self and goes to him for advice. But getting it isn't so easy.
"I talk to him all the time," Jankovich said. "He's not good for advice though. Even when I ask specific questions, he gets real vague and then starts talking about the KU football team."
Tip-off tonight is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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