After a season in which the Northeastern basketball team saw drastic improvement from the previous year, the NU administration acknowledged the architect of the ballers, by signing coach Ron Everhart to a two-year extension.
“We’re thrilled with what he’s accomplished by turning the program around entirely this year,” said NU Director of Athletics Dave O’Brien. “The future looks bright.”
O’Brien, in his first year as AD, took the reigns with Everhart already on staff.
“I knew of Ron, but I had never met him,” O’Brien said. “When I met him, I knew he was one of the most delightful and courteous people I know. He treats everyone well, he treats everyone the same, regardless of their status in society. He has a tremendous intensity, and a real fire in his belly. That’s what you want as an AD of your coaches.”
On the court, Everhart’s Huskies turned a 7-21 record the previous year into a 16-15 mark in Everhart’s second season. It was the first winning season on Huntington Ave. since 1994-95.
O’Brien is happy with the team’s forward outlook.
“Ron has the team positioned well,” he said. “He’s got a lot of good, young talent, and on any given night they’re as good as anyone in the league, and anyone in our area. We had some big wins against Vermont (NCAA tournament qualifier), Boston University (regular season America East champion), and Boston College (NIT tourney invitee). Those are very nice accomplishments, and I see continued success in the next few years.
Everhart echoes the AD’s optimism.
“I’m proud and honored by Northeastern’s commitment to me and to the basketball program,” he said. “We made significant progress this season and I think we are in a position to make even greater strides in the coming years.”
The deal, which makes Everhart a Husky through the 2007-08 season, wasn’t without competition. Everhart’s alma mater, Virginia Tech, expressed inter-est in the former McNeese State coach. He earned four varsity letters before graduation in 1985. Everhart captained the team his senior season while rooming with NBA player Del Curry.
“Virginia Tech has an opening right now, and they contacted us about talking to Ron,” O’Brien said. “Obviously, as an athletic department, that makes us concerned. But we talked to Ron, and were able to convince him it wasn’t even worth taking a trip down there for.”
O’Brien sees Everhart’s work ethic as his main reason for staying at NU.
“Ron’s own pride in a job unfinished is what kept him here,” he said. “He knows its heading in the right direction, and wants to see this thing through.
Everhart noted the current program’s optimistic state as his reason for not listening to VT.
“I felt I owed it to the Athletic Department, myself, the coaching staff, the players, and the instituion as a whole to stay on board and keep improving the status of Northeastern basketball.”
