Don’t take my word for it…

Exodus AAU Coach Apache Paschall

Many of you were bashing on me for calling for a change at the top of the Syracuse Men’s basketball program. Well, apparently I’m not the only one who thinks that way.

 I was working on a story covering the SU Women’s basketball team and in the course of my reporting I came in touch with an AAU coach named Apache Paschall. Coach Paschall is the head coach of Exodus AAU, arguably the most powerful women’s club basketball team in New York City. Not only does the team travel to tournaments around the country, but also around the world.

Not only that, but he has a great relationship with many college and high school coaches, including Orange head coach Quentin Hillsman. That relationship has played a part in several players to Syracuse including Nicole Michael, Erica Morrow, Tasha Harris, Vionca Murray and Shakeya Leary. Outside of the Orange, he has also coached players like Rutgers’ Epiphany Prince (famous for doing this), Kia Vaughn and Ohio State’s Sarah Prahalis.

There are many more names to add to that list, but needless to say he is very experienced around the game of basketball and especially in the coaching circles. The question that I asked him was about why Coach Hillsman is so successful in recruiting top talent, and he said this: (FYI-Coach Q is Coach Hillsman and Vivian Stringer is the head coach of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights Women’s basketball team.)

So there you have it. Paschall sums up my argument by saying that coaches relate to players, and have success with those players, because they are similar. Close in age, close in background, close in the lives they live. Coach Boeheim at this point is none of those. He is definitely not close in age to his players. Doesn’t live a similar life, and is not from the same background as these players.

If you’re a young man who comes from an inner city area (like Paschall says many of his players do) and just wants to make it by playing basketball, what does Coach Boeheim have in common with you? He isn’t a friend, he’s a way out.  Two very different things.

Paschall says there will be two types of coaches. Those who get it, and those who don’t. At this point, I think Boeheim doesn’t get it. But don’t take my word for it…

But weigh in with the poll right here and I’ll let you decide.

If you want to reach Mike Couzens, you can email him at mikecouzens@gmail.com