Gary Waters continues to thrive in Northeast Ohio

Good to see that one of the good guys in sports…and a pretty good basketball coach…continues to resurrect his career in the Buckeye State.  Former Rutgers head coach Gary Waters has been given a new five-year contract by Cleveland State after leading the Vikings to the NIT last season, their first post-season appearance in 20-years.  Gary, as you all remember, was basically run out of town three years ago by R-U Athletics Director Bob Mulcahy, in effect, to clear the way for Fred Hill to become the new Scarlet Knight head coach.  Mulcahy used the so-called “smoking gun” of Waters missing a Rutgers game when he was snowed in in Northeast Ohio after being inducted in Kent State’s Hall of Fame for his achievements as Golden Flashes’ head coach.  Mulcahy, who had given permission to Waters to attend the event, became upset when the coach didn’t make it back for a home game the following day with Marquette.  Waters left the Banks of the Old Raritan after a five-year under-appreciated stint with the Scarlet Knights including a trip to the N-I-T Championship Game…three appearances in the Big East Tournament, which has never been a given at Rutgers (until this coming season when all 16 of the league’s teams get to automatically go to the Garden) AND the recruitment of Quincy Douby who went on to lead the conference in scoring his junior year before becoming a first-round NBA Draft pick.  Fred Hill, with his impressive recruiting credentials, may very well excede Waters’ achievements but Gary’s place in Rutgers basketball can not be discounted, particularly after he resurrected the image and stability of the program following the controversial final days of the Kevin Bannon Era.