COACHING STAFF Head Coach Bob McKillop 60-63 McKillop’s Graduates 64-65 Davidson Coaching History 66 Assoc. Head Coach Matt Matheny 67 Asst. Coach Jim Fox 68 Asst. Coach Tim Sweeney 69 Dir. of BB Operations Jeremy Henney 70 59 BBOBOB MMCCKKILLOPILLOP w w w HEAD COACH HOFSTRA ’72 19TH SEASON 311-218 OVERALL Each morning when coach Bob coach. “Bob McKillop is equal or better HEAD HEAD THE MCKILLOP FILE McKillop enters his office in Davidson's than any other coach that I know, and Baker Sports Complex, he passes a I've coached against most of the best in NAME Robert McKillop December 1968 Sports Illustrated maga- the country in my 15 years in Division BIRTHDATE July 13, 1950 zine that is displayed prominently, one 1.” BIRTHPLACE Queens, N.Y. that has a cover picturing North Like many outstanding coaches, COACH COACH WIFE Cathy Carolina's Charlie Scott, Kentucky's McKillop cloaks himself in mystery, lest CHILDREN Kerrin, Matt, Brendan Mike Casey and Davidson's Mike Maloy, he dare become predictable, a trait COLLEGE Hofstra ’72 under a headline that reads, coaches aren't allowed. His resume tells DEGREE History “Challengers to UCLA.” an interesting story, one of dedication, McKillop studies the photograph, and discipline, preparation, competitiveness CHAMPIONSHIPS thinks, “We can do that.” and humility. BOB BOB 1996 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE We can do what? The 1969 Davidson He was a successful baseball and bas- North Division Regular Season team won 27 games, now the second ketball player at Chaminade High 1997 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE most in school history, finished the sea- School in the New York City High North Division Regular Season son ranked third in the nation, and School Catholic League, where one of his MCKILLOP MCKILLOP 1998 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE fought powerful North Carolina to the fellow students in homeroom for four North Division Regular Season final second before falling 87-85 in the years was Bill O'Reilly of the O'Reilly Southern Conference Tournament NCAA Elite Eight. One step from the Factor on FOX News. Jack Curran, the 2002 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE Final Four. Davidson basketball can coach at rival Archbishop Molloy High, North Division Regular Season duplicate that storybook season? helped him get a basketball scholarship Southern Conference Tournament Go ahead, laugh at the supposition, to East Carolina. His last game at East 2003 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE or even scoff at it, but if Carolina North Division Regular Season McKillop didn't believe in “Many times you only hear about the coaches in was in the the power conferences being great coaches. Bob 2004 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE his heart that it could be old McKillop is equal or better than any other coach South Division Regular Season repeated, he wouldn't be in Charlotte that I know, and I’ve coached against most of the his 19th year as Davidson Coliseum in 2005 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE best in the country in my years in Division I.” South Division Regular Season College's head basketball the 1969 2006 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE coach. He believes it even John Beilein, Michigan Head Coach Southern Southern Conference Tournament more now, in view of last Conference 2007 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE year's team setting a school record with tournament championship game, a 102- South Division Regular Season 29 victories, two more than the powerful 76 loss to Davidson, a game that stuck in Southern Conference Tournament 1969 Wildcats. McKillop is a confessed his mind and later would have major dreamer. His players, who have seen his consequences in his life. COACHING HONORS teams win eight of the last 12 Southern Homesick and ready to be closer to SOCON COACH OF THE YEAR Conference Division championships, and home, he transferred from East Carolina 1994, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2007 five of the last six, plus two consecutive to Hofstra University where he became HUGH DURHAM FINALIST SoCon championships, call him a dream- the team's MVP and later was inducted 2007 maker. So do many of the nation's lead- into the Hofstra Basketball Hall of Fame. All-time winningest coach in Davidson and ing coaches. After graduation in 1972, he signed as a Southern Conference history with 311 victories “Many times you only hear about the free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers and 171 league victories. coaches in the power conferences being but was cut. The 76ers went 9-72 that 62 of 62 seniors have graduated great coaches,” says John Beilein, the season. “I was cut from the worst team during the McKillop era. highly successful University of Michigan in NBA history,” McKillop jokes. 60 DAVIDSON Humility comes in strange packages. Davidson 'basketball family.' I stay in Reluctantly accepting the fact that his contact with many of our guys…I would playing career was over, he took a job love to be on an all-Davidson team again teaching history and coaching basketball the country's top liberal arts colleges and with Coach McKillop leading the way.” at Holy Trinity High in Long Island in competes in the demanding Southern McKillop's players talk about his lead- 1972. After a sparking 86-25 record as Conference along with a ridiculously ership, teaching, and confidence. coach, in 1978 McKillop was offered tough non-conference schedule.” “Coach McKillop is the best at prepar- assistant coaching positions at the McKillop accepted the challenge of ing his team,” says Logan Kosmalski, University of Pennsylvania and rebuilding Davidson basketball and who was an All-Southern Conference Davidson where became its head player in 2005 and now plays profession- Eddie Biedenbach “Bob McKillop is a very well respected coach, not only coach in 1989. He ally in Europe. “His knowledge and in the United States, but internationally. McKillop just had just been proceeded cautious- attention to detail made us feel like we gets it. He understands the game, and how it should be ly at first, as he could win against any opponent.” named head played, and he understands the players, and how they Now 57 years old, McKillop loves his- coach. In making should be led. The only thing that McKillop lacks as a learned to mesh his decision, coach is a media spotlight. People that know basketball what fit at tory, politics, Italian cuisine, nice clothes, McKillop recalled know Bob McKillop. He is truly one of the very best.” Davidson with his good books and movies that teach him his last game for personal philoso- life's lessons. A frequent lecturer, he has East Carolina, the Jay Bilas, ESPN Basketball Analyst phy. “Davidson is a as many basketball friends in Europe as loss to Davidson, special place, a he does in the United State. He once the way the fans celebrated the champi- unique place,” McKillop says. “In dreamed of being a U.S. Senator from onship. In making his decision between recruiting and staffing, we must have the New York, a notion that has since sub- Penn and Davidson, he visited the right fit, otherwise it could lead to frus- sided. His reading preferences lean Davidson campus in North tration and immediate failure.” toward history, politics, leadership, Mecklenburg, was stricken with its beau- Davidson has a special blend of aca- coaching stories, and not much fiction. ty and charm, as well as the mission of demics, social life and athletics. Not all Four movies rank as his favorites: Life is the college, and the uniqueness of the good players with excellent grades are a Beautiful, Michael Collins, The village. “Davidson, here I come!” The fit. McKillop's ability to put the proper Godfather, and Schindler's List. MCKILLOP MCKILLOP Wildcats went 8-19 that season. Penn people in place has been a leading rea- “Those movies teach great lessons went to the NCAA Final Four. Oh, well. son that he has succeeded at such a high about life, family, struggles and leader- After one year on the Davidson staff, level at Davidson. ship,” he says. In his view, movies a great high school opportunity beck- One of McKillop's former Davidson should do more than entertain; they BOB BOB oned at Long Island Lutheran High players, Martin Ides, now in his sixth should also teach life's lessons. School. McKillop went there as head bas- season of playing professional basketball McKillop cherishes each moment and ketball coach, director of summer pro- in Europe, says: “There are many things treats it as gold. Whether it's on the bus grams, and for two years served as inter- that set Coach McKillop apart from all with his team to a road game or waiting im headmaster. He compiled a record the coaches I've had…However, what I for a flight in an airport terminal, he there of 182-51. In his high school coach- appreciate most is what Coach calls our always has work at hand. When a friend COACH COACH ing career, he won was late to a breakfast five New York meeting last summer, State champi- McKillop waved it off, onships, coached saying as he surveyed five high school papers on the table in HEAD HEAD All-Americas, one front of him, “No of whom was Matt problem. I had plenty Doherty, former of work to do.” He head coach at carries his office with North Carolina him. and now in the He grew up in same position at Queens and Long SMU. Island and had a fas- “Bob McKillop cination with sports is easily one of the for as long as he can nation's best remember. He loved coaches,” Doherty Army football and the says. “What he legacy of the Black has done at Knights of the Davidson is truly Hudson.