He brought respectability back to the program. |
I think he deserves it. Dick will be the first one to tell you: Tony is building the program. He's giving Dick the tools as the head coach to be successful. |
I think I did what I expected to do. If you ask me, 'Is that what you wanted?' No, I wanted more. |
I think it's a good thing for us. We've done it in football, and during the winter break it makes sense to do that in basketball. |
If we hadn't gotten it, then part of it would be delayed and some of it maybe we couldn't get to in the end. Construction costs are going up like crazy 13 to 15 percent a year. So the longer you wait, the more it costs. |
It became logical and probably the smartest thing I could do to continue with what's started. I told Dick this summer, I said, 'I hope you realize I'm telling people Tony could be even better than you.' And he loved it. |
Last year, I let Tony and Dick know what my intentions were and this summer I put it into writing so there would be no question about the direction of the program. |
Obviously coach Bennett's resignation at the end of this year is not a surprise. As is typical of Dick, he has been open and honest about his intentions all year long. In fact, Tony and I know the tougher the game, the more he told us of his intentions. In fact, he would often tell perfect strangers who asked the question. So, it is no secret what we're doing here today. |
The integrity of our programs and the ethical conduct of our personnel are of the utmost importance to us. |
There was probably some false hope. If I had a choice, I would have liked to have a (non-league opponent) that won in there. |
We are very pleased with the outcome of the election and I would like to thank all of the students who voted, regardless if it was for or against the referendum. It was very important to WSU athletics that all students had the opportunity to give their voice on this matter. |
We've had him out with people speaking and he just represents us well on all fronts. |
Without the notoriety of the band, I wouldn't bring a Division I-AA team to Seattle. I felt the band gave the game the fan appeal that would make it a true event. |