Inspired by the catching up with Jeff Mullins article ( http://www.ninernation.net/forum/showthread.php?t=23932 ) I decided to start this thread. I came to Charlotte the year after Mullins retired so I would love to learn more about him from the folks on this board.
Coaching career
Mullins went into other non-basketball related ventures after his retirement from the NBA. In 1985 he became the 6th head men's basketball coach and athletic director at UNC Charlotte - a program that had reached the NCAA Final Four in 1977 but had since fallen on hard times, including a 5-23 record under coach Hal Wissel the year before Mullins arrived. Mullins, remembered by many North Carolinians from his playing days at Duke, revitalized interest in the 49ers program and immediately brought in recruits who returned the team to its former winning ways. Mullins led Charlotte to the NCAA Tournament in 1988 (their first trip since their Final Four run), and again in 1992 and 1995, in addition to two NIT berths, in 1989 and 1994. Although forced to relinquish his role as athletic director in 1990, Mullins was instrumental in the development of UNC Charlotte's on-campus Dale F. Halton Arena in the mid-1990's and helped spearhead the athletic program's move into Conference USA in 1995.
When Mullins retired from UNC Charlotte in 1996, he had amassed a school-record 182 victories. Today he is regarded by many 49er fans as the savior of the Charlotte basketball program. The team’s locker room in Halton Arena is named for him, and a banner hangs in his honor among the retired jerseys in Halton Arena.
[QUOTE=Mr. Bojangles;410328]Season by Season Records 85-86 8-20 86-87 18-14 87-88 22-9 Sun Belt Champs, NCAA bid[/QUOTE]
That turnaround is amazing, especially considering what the team’s record was in 84-85 (5-23, 1-13). Thanks a heap, Wissel.
Brief mention in a story about Cinderella teams in the NCAA tourney. It’s in the #13 team’s story. (Also, another example why Bleacher Report is lame. They don’t include the 1977 49ers anywhere in the top 50.)
87-88 was a great year. We sold out the old arena or what is now Bo’s arena several games that year. It held 11,666 which was full for several games. I bet we averaged over 8k per game that year. I was in my last year at Charlotte so it made it a good going away after watching the Wiessel years. The Sun Belt tournament was in Richmond, and Dickie V called the final. ESPN was just getting up and running so we were 7PM on a Monday night. It was a long trip back to Charlotte after being in Richmond all weekend.
Thanks for the video, Mr. Bojangles. It is amazing how prophetic Mullins’ comments are in that video. He really did “set a foundation” for the years following his departure. Great coach and even better man.
Seeing those VCU players cry - reminds me of how special winning those games was. You weren’t getting into the tournament as a sunbelt team unless you won that game.
My lasting impression of Mullins teams is that they usually played good defense but sometimes had trouble scoring. They played hard though.
And I love that picture of Coach and Jarvis. Awesome.
Mullins being pushed out of AD role because of ruling that did not allow dual positions really hurt us IMO. Mullins was the perfect AD for us. Class act, well connected with a great sports resume.
[b][i]Although forced to relinquish his role
as athletic director in 1990, Mullins was
instrumental in the development of UNC Charlotte’s
on-campus Dale F. Halton Arena in the mid-1990’s
and helped spearhed the athletic program’s move
into Conference USA in 1995.
If anyone still questions who the big guy is who sits down beside the team at the end of press row and joins in the team huddles it is Big Mike Washington and you can see him at the 1:50 mark of Mr Boj video making the steal. #52.
