Catching up with...former Notre Dame men's basketball coach Matt Doherty

We got some time to play catch up with former Notre Dame men's basketball coach Matt Doherty, who spent one year in South Bend before leaving for North Carolina, then CSTV for a year before heading to Florida Atlantic and now Southern Methodist. In the efforts of full disclosure, Doherty and Insights grew up in the same town, years apart -- East Meadow, N.Y. although attended different high schools. Needless to say, we're glad there is someone bigger than us -- which isn't very large at all -- from the Meadow.

Insights: So how has the past year been at SMU?
Matt Doherty: "It's been great. It's going great. It reminds me a lot of my experience at Notre Dame, similar schools in terms of academics, beautiful campuses, similar size campus. I really enjoy it here in Dallas. It's been going well. It's a nice place to live and raise a family and I'm excited about the future of SMU basketball."

Insights: Looking at yourself as a coach, do you see how much you've grown as a head coach from (Notre Dame) to now?
MD: "Oh, sure. Everybody should grow and that first year at Notre Dame, it was going 100 miles an hour and didn't delegate as well as I do now and I'd like to think I pick my battles a little better now."

Insights: Do you feel like you're more relaxed? At ease?
MD: I definitely feel like I'm more relaxed, more at ease. I don't feel guilty for taking time with my children. Like today, I've been gone for about a week because we've played three road games in a row. This morning I woke up, had breakfast, walked my kids to school, walked with my wife and got to the office around 10:30. But I'm going to be away from home until 8:30 tonight because I've got practice and a radio show so when I was at Notre Dame, I would have probably been at work by 7:30 (a.m.). I think I understand that you need some time to exercise and decompress and that you need to really, you and the program are better off for it. I didn't understand that when I was 38 years old."

Insights: As far as in-game, do you feel like you've grown and matured?
MD: "I understand some dynamics about my body language, my size. I've had referees tell me that I'm big. When I jump up and down and put my palms in the air, it's a little different than when someone 5-8 does it. I tend to lean down more when I talk to officials, kneel down more when I talk to my team. When I take a player out who might be emotional because he doesn't like to come out at that time, I walk away. I don't want to see his reaction. I turn my back on him so I don't see him look disgusted. I don't try to instruct a player before he gets to his seat because I see coaches do that and, especially if you're getting upset at them, it really puts them on the defensive. Let them sit down, get a drink, calm down and I try to let my assistants have that discussion with them."

Insights: You mentioned size. When did you recognize that?
MD: "I realized that when I got to North Carolina, how my size can be intimidating to officials and players and people like that. I need to make myself smaller at times by kneeling down and looking up at officials or kneeling down and looking up at players.:"

Insights: Do you feel it has been effective?
MD: "I think so. I know I'm a pretty emotional guy and emotions are good as long as they are within reason."

Insights: Matt, thanks for the time.

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

Comments

[greg lacasse]

mike, i enjoy your insights. as an avid N.D fan , i didn't realize that you too enjoyed Long Island roots. besides yourself and Matt , i'm sorry to say that top dog status in East Meadow probably still belongs to a very close friend and former teammate : Frank "sweet music' Viola... keep up the good work.. P.s- i grew up in West Hempstead and now reside in Rockville Centre

[Michael Rothstein]

Yeah, I'm a Long Islander born and bred for the first 21 years of my life (although college took me upstate).
I know Frank Viola is probably the town's biggest name in sports still, in basketball it is probably Doherty and Davidson coach Bob McKillop, who lived in the Meadow as well. I had friends in West Hempstead growing up and in the Rock.
What's Viola up to these days?

Thanks for the compliment. Is Mother Kelly's in Lynbrook still open? By far one of my favorite spots to eat as a child (at least I think it was Lynbrook, maybe not).
Keep reading and if you have any suggestions, let me know.
-Mike

[William Vita]

Mike, Do I understand you are from EMHS. I coached lacrosse at EMHS, taught in East Meadow for 38 years, was AP at Clarke H.S. and Principal at Woodland M.S.. Nice job on catching up with Matt Doughtery.

[Michael Rothstein]

Mr. Vita --
Yeah, I went to EMHS and to Woodland, actually coinciding with the end of your tenure there. It really is a small world.
Anyone else from the Meadow out there? Anyone else who actually knows me from somewhere out there? This is getting fun.

I definitely remember you, though. Pretty crazy stuff. Didn't know you were a Notre Dame fan? As for me, I cover Notre Dame football and men's basketball for the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Journal Gazette, so I can be read at www.journalgazette.net.

-Mike

[John Hargrove]

Mike: I've enjoyed your work...Must be the result of your Long Island education... I grew up in Babylon..received a set of orders from the Corps for San Diego and never went back...( except for visits) Nice interview with Matt Doherty.