McCarty an admirer
Stevens was big help
Walter McCarty was in his office at the University of Evansville the other day. He’s spending almost all his time there a week or so after becoming the school’s head basketball coach, and while the job is fitting well, there are still some things Walt needs to work out.
“I got to get the temperature right,” he said. “I’m freezing in here.”
But McCarty warmed significantly when the conversation turned to Brad Stevens, the Celtics’ coach with whom he’s worked for the last five years. There was a break in Waltah’s voice.
“Man, I get emotional talking about Brad,” he said. “I mean, Brad is my guy. I leaned on Brad so heavy. He checked in with me every second of this whole process. He helped me out, even just texting to say, ‘How are you doing? . . . Here’s some thoughts. Here’s some ideas.’ Whenever I had questions, I went to Brad. I can’t say enough positive things about Brad.”
McCarty couldn’t stop. He was on a stream of conscious roll.
“People asked me all the time about working with him, and it’s like, you can’t say how important he is and how much he means to you. He is unbelievable, man. I leaned on him heavy, and he was really good. He still checks in on me. He’s just awesome.
“I think one of the things that I really learned that I can take with me going forward is just the way he treated people, the kind of culture that he built around the team and what that stuff meant. And also how efficient he was with our practice schedule and the guys’ time and balancing practice and recovery time, rehab time, family time. You know, he’s really good at those small details that people don’t think about that really add up to be big things. Being a family guy, I mean, he was just always thinking about other people.
“Obviously he’s a great coach, X’s and O’s, but I take a lot of things away from him that have nothing to do with the court. It’s the way he carries himself and all that, and that’s why I think he’s so successful. That’s why guys are able to have the success that they do, just because of what he means to that organization, what he brings.”
McCarty is hoping to bring similar qualities to the college in his hometown. After starring at Harrison High School, he went on to Kentucky, then played 10 years in the NBA with the Knicks, Celtics, Suns and Clippers.
He spent three years with Rick Pitino, his coach at Kentucky and with the Celts, on the staff at Louis- ville.
“I absolutely loved it,” McCarty said. “I loved interacting with the kids. I enjoyed the impact I had on these young men’s lives. That’s what made me want to be a part of college hoops.”
After one year as an assistant under Jim O’Brien with the Pacers and a detour into community relations with the Celts, McCarty returned to coaching with Stevens’ hiring in 2013.
Now he gets to run his own show, a job made more interesting to say the least by fellow Missouri Valley Conference member Loyola-Chicago making the Final Four.
He is more than familiar with the surroundings.
“A few people involved there reached out and asked me whether I’d have any interest in the job,” McCarty said. “Just growing up in Evansville and going to Aces game as a kid, I’m very familiar with the program. In high school, I’d come over and play with those guys, and they recruited me.
“I think everyone knows I’ve always had a love for the college game and wanted to be a head coach, so when I heard from people there, I told them I’d speak to them. I didn’t know it would get this far this fast, but they said all the right things, and I guess I said all the right things. I just wanted to know if they were going to support the program and give us the resources for us to be successful. If they were, then I was allin. I think we kind of sold ourselves to each other, and it was kind of a cool experience.”
There were a couple of phone conversations with
the athletic director, including a basic job interview.
“We hit it off, and then the interview in front of the advisory committee and everybody I think went
well,” McCarty said. “So I guess it was kind of meant to be.
“Even when we were in Orlando and New Orleans on that road trip, I was on the phone talking with people who had a say in this job, and all the conversations were just great. Then when I flew in to do my interview (on March 21), they didn’t let me leave. That’s how well it went.”
While McCarty is certainly excited for the opportunity, he’s aware of what he’s leaving behind.
“Listen, being with the Celtics, man, and Brad’s staff and Danny Ainge and (owners) Wyc Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca and Jim Pallotta, like, those guys are awesome,” he said. “I could have worked there for the rest of my life.
“But we all have certain goals. We want to get out and see and run our own programs, and I felt like, if things were right, then I would take it. But coming home to coach, I feel like this was supposed to happen. I could have been with the Celtics for the rest of my life, but this was an opportunity to come back to my hometown and be around the people I grew up with and supported me in this community and also be the first African-American coach at this university. I mean, there were a lot of things that tied in and made it, like, you’ve got to take this job.”
Now he’s just got to figure out the damn office thermostat.
‘I take a lot of things away from him that have nothing to do with the court.’ — WALTER McCARTY (above), on Brad Stevens