SAN DIEGO — Marshall coach Dan D’Antoni doesn’t want this to be a vindication tour, though the narrative trends that way.
Ridiculed for his style of play, for his style of clothing, even for landing the job at his alma mater, D’Antoni has guided the Herd to its first NCAA tournament in 31 years. It’s a big moment for a guy who doesn’t wield a big ego.
“My philosophy as a coach is that players win games, and coaches lose games,” he said. “I try not to lose ’em and I try to let them win ’em.”
Even as analytics support his quick-shooting, no-post-player offensive attack, D’Antoni calls his system “kind of retro” — a throwback to the flowing game he grew up playing in Mullens. W.Va., and carried over as the Herd’s point guard in the late 1960s.
“Then it became more of a coached game,” D’Antoni said. “Almost like if you were a painter. You’re painting A to B to C to D and stay within the lines, you know? I prefer the freelance — he gets up, he has an empty canvas, he doesn’t have directions you just start putting it on the canvas.”
After winning the Conference USA tournament, Marshall (24-10) enters the NCAA as a 13-seed — and a 13-point underdog — against Wichita State (24-7). Friday’s tipoff at 10:30 a.m. local time isn’t optimal but the Herd is anxious for their up-and-down style to jumpstart the morning.
“Just playing freely,” said guard C.J. Burks. “We don’t play under a system to which get guys locked into a shell of not being the players they can be.”
When Marshall hired D’Antoni four years ago, making him a college head coach for the first time at age 66, other C-USA coaches considered it a desperate move. Three winning seasons later, it appears to have been the right move. The folksy coach implemented the run-and-gun system he and his brother Mike utilized with the Suns, Knicks and Lakers in the NBA.
D’Antoni said he learned a lot from NBA league MVP Steve Nash, lessons passed down to Marshall point guard Jon Elmore, who averages 22 points, 6.9 assists and six rebounds.
“I’ve seen a lot of college teams play and, I might be biased, but I think we have the most fun,” Elmore said. “We shoot a ton of 3s, throw alley-oops, and the crowd gets fired up.”
After games, Elmore said his teammates frequently watch NBA highlights of the Rockets, Warriors and Cavs, noticing the similar plays.
D’Antoni now resonates as a fan of analytics that support what he has sensed for years.
“You’re looking for somebody to support you because nobody else was,” he said. “Most everybody wanted to go down to the post and we were trying to tell you that is the worst shot in basketball.”
He references metrics that show teams average .7 points for a contested shot in the paint versus 1.3 for a corner jumper. He prefers bigs that can step out for jumpers — and keep the basket free of lane-clogging defenders — to facilitate guards driving for layups.
As loose as his team looks on the floor, D’Antoni looks on the sideline. He has taken to wearing a Marshall T-shirt beneath his sport coat.
“We think it looks good, man,” Elmore said. “You see a lot of people cracking on him, chanting ‘Where’s your tie?’ and stuff like that. But he’s comfortable and thinks it’s a good look. More power to him.”
Elmore is one of eight in-state players that give the roster a homegrown feel. The chemistry has mixed well with Bosnian 6-10 center Ajdin Penava (the nation’s top shot-blocker) and two other forwards from Croatia and Serbia.
All of it assembled by their 70-year-old coach D’Antoni, who waited a long time to lead the program.
“I always wanted this job,” he said. “Sometimes destiny just happens.”