ESPN’s Van Gundy gets rare home game
Ex-Rockets coach also sounds off on former team’s dust-up with Clippers
With Jon Gruden’s departure for the Raiders, former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy may be at the top of the list for future coaching candidates among ESPN’s talent roster or coaches-in-waiting.
Van Gundy isn’t likely to be retiring his headset any time soon, certainly not before getting a rare home game telecast alongside Mike Breen and Mark Jackson as ABC relaunches its Saturday night primetime game with Warriors-Rockets.
But he hopes Gruden has set the pay scale for those to follow.
“If anybody wants to offer me $100 million to coach, you can publish my phone number and have them call me,” Van Gundy said.
For the time being, though, Van Gundy’s focus off the air is on his work with USA Basketball, which recently selected him as its national coach of the year for his work with the national team that is attempting to qualify the United States for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“Only three teams from our group will get in, so it will be a challenge,” he said. “I have no doubt that we will win the gold medal if we qualify, so my job is to make sure that Gregg Popovich (who will coach the 2020 team) gets in.”
As for his broadcasting duties, he’s glad to see the return of the over-the-air prime-time games, which the quality of and audience for exceeded network expectations last year.
“It has a big-game feel to it,” Van Gundy said. “The games pique your interest. They get the best teams. No duds.”
While the Rockets have struggled of late because of injuries to James Harden, Nene and Luc Mbah a Moute, Van Gundy still expects to see them in the Western Conference finals.
“When they’re whole, they’re the second-best team in the league, and they have a puncher’s chance against Golden State,” he said. “The Rockets are a great team. The problem is that they’re going up against an all-time team.”
Price to pay
For all the giggling and heehawing that the Rockets-Clippers squabble prompted on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” this week, Jeff Van Gundy takes the matter more seriously.
Before the NBA banned Trevor Ariza and Gerald Green two games each, Van Gundy said he expected suspensions to be levied in the wake of the Rockets’ incursion into the Clippers’ locker room after their contentious game Monday night in Los Angeles.
“Every player, every coach, knows there re certain lines you can’t cross,” Van Gundy said. “Not to be ultra criticial of the people who did, because mistakes happen, but there have to be ramifications. You can’t have that.
“I know the back hallway (separating locker rooms at the Staples Center) that they’re talking about. It’s easy access, but going there is a line you can’t cross.”
Unlikely matchup
From among the lengthy list of former Texas high school quarterbacks playing in the NFL, surely there would be few less likely matchups for a Super Bowl berth than Case Keenum of Abilene Wylie vs. Nick Foles of Austin Westlake in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game between the Vikings and Eagles.
CBS Sports and former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, however, said Keenum has benefited from the degree to which Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has adjusted Minnesota’s offense to fit Keenum’s skills.
“Case has played outstanding football,” Romo said. “He’s not a caretaker per se. He has played and won games. As you saw last week (in Minnesota’s last-second win over the Saints), somebody had to put the ball high and outside and in a spot where the receiver (Stefon Diggs) could catch it. He has shown how well he can play when he’s put in a game situation.”
Keenum or Foles, barring injury, will join Drew Brees of the Saints and Austin Westlake as the second former Texas high school quarterback to start in a Super Bowl. First, however, they must make it through a cold-weather game, which Romo said will limit the flight of the ball and place even more emphasis on avoiding turnovers.
RIP, Keith Jackson
I had several occasions to speak in person or on the phone with Keith Jackson, the nonpareil voice of college football who died last week at age 89, and he never failed to offer a memorable verbal gem.
My favorite memory of Jackson? It comes from Jan. 4, 2006, before Texas-USC. I arrived early that day at the Rose Bowl and ran into Dave Campbell, the founding editor of Texas Football magazine. Dave asked if I knew where to find Darrell Royal, and together, we found the former Texas coach in a press-level suite.
I left them and went back to the press box to see Ron Franklin, who called the game for ESPN Radio, and Keith. Keith said, “Say, do you know where Darrell Royal is today?” I replied, “Keith, follow me,” and walked with him to Royal’s suite.
As I departed, I took one look behind to see Darrell Royal, Keith Jackson and Dave Campbell — three old friends, three of the best to do their respective jobs, talking about old times a few hours before they would witness arguably the greatest college game ever.
Rest in peace, Keith Jackson.