After initially agreeing to accompany head coach Mick Cronin from Murray State to Cincinnati four years ago, the coaching career of new assistant coach Darren Savino has come around full circle as he is once again reunited with his former boss on the Bearcat staff. With the program on much more solid footing this time around, Savino is excited about the opportunity.

"I could see the potential of the program. As an outsider I could see how close these guys were to being a NCAA Tournament team. From working with coach before at Murray State, I know when he has a team like he had last year and a lot of the guys returning how good of a job he does with young people and getting them to believe what it takes to win."

Savino has seen the rebuilding job done by Cronin from afar as he was on the bench of fellow Big East member Rutgers, and he has confidence that the rebuilding job is ready to move to the next step which is obviously making the NCAA Tournament.

"As an assistant he won a lot, and he was around winning teams and NCAA Tournament teams. Then in his first 3 years as a head coach he had 2 NCAA Tournament teams. He knows what a NCAA Tournament team should look like. We're very close and I just want to be a part of it and be a positive influence here whether it's in recruiting circles or on and off the court with the guys we have here."

On Recruiting

As the conclusion of the July evaluation period gets underway on Thursday, Savino knows the task at hand is working to fill a recruiting class that is set to have 5 or 6 spots available in 2011.

"It's exciting. There's a little pressure, but he's got a great coaching staff already that's been recruiting and recruiting hard. Getting acclimated to what they've been doing already has been interesting and then add a big list of Northeast kids to the fold that can hopefully help the load a little bit. "

With Rashad Bishop, Lance Stephenson and Sean Kilpatrick making the choice to head to Cincinnati from the New York/New Jersey area, it has been shown the Bearcats can have success in the area. Stephenson alone is opening some doors as Savino has begun working the phones on potential recruits in his hot bed region.

"The great thing about being in a place like this that has great tradition and history, calling up kids in the Northeast it's not a foreign thing to them. They understand about Bearcat basketball. Lance Stephenson helps especially in that area because he was such a popular figure in high school basketball. That's the first thing that people say is Lance Stephenson and they recognize that right away. It makes the job a little bit easier."

At Rutgers the heat was always on to fill recruiting classes with as many kids from the area as possible, but Savino knows at Cincinnati his job will be to go in and land a few kids that can help continue to elevate the program.

"We don't have to go out and get 5 or 6 New York/New Jersey kids. Being at Rutgers the last 4 years, there is a lot of pressure to recruit that area. The majority of the team is from that area, but here I'd love to pluck a couple guys and bring them out here to help us get to the next level."

The biggest factor in landing impact talent from the Northeast is having deep connections and the trust of those in charge of high school and AAU programs in the area. As an alumni of the legendary St Anthony's program and Jersey City native, Savino is counting on those connections paying dividends.

"There's so many good players in that area, and so many great programs. Not only in the high school and prep circuit but the AAU circuit as well. A lot of my close friends are not only coach high school, but they are also involved in the grassroots circuit. I think here we can get a few of those guys. We have a lot to offer here. Beautiful athletic complex, great arena, brand new practice facility. All those thing I think we can sell along with the program being so close to being a NCAA Tournament team, and hopefully some great success this year."

On the Bench

One thing that coach Cronin feels that sets Savino apart from the pack is his ability to break down film and dissect opponents. While that's usually an in season benefit, he has had the advantage of looking at this Bearcat roster from the other side of the fence. The new assistant feels he has a leg up because of the work he has done preparing game plans at Rutgers.

“With this team I've watched so many games last year. Not only in a scouting capacity, which I did because we played them twice so I watched a lot of film. Because we are friends I watched every game I could on TV from the Maui Invitational on through the season. I have a good feel for the players except for the two freshman who I obviously haven't seen play yet. I've watched every player play, I've broken their games down and I kind of know what they can and can't do, what they need to work on so I feel very comfortable starting off.”

Why he left the first time around

There were a lot of questions about the quick change of plans after accepting the job at Cincinnati and then the change of circumstances that led him to Rutgers four years ago.

“My mom and dad do have some serious health issues that at the time I felt like it was best for me to be close to them. I'm glad I was able to spend a lot of time and be with them. They are very supportive of my coaching career.”

Despite the unfortunate situation, Savino remained close with Cronin and after Tony Stubblefield left for Oregon he was instantly a front runner to once again fill the position.

“This has been great because it shows what type of person that Coach Cronin is because we were able to remain close friends. Even through that difficult time he was in because he was starting to rebuild a program. That's not easy for him to now have to go find a new assistant coach, but it just tells you what kind of person he is.”

On Savino

When looking at his career in basketball one thing that instantly jumps out is the ties to the legendary Bob Hurley Sr and the St Anthony's program. The national powerhouse is always loaded with D1 talent, and Savino credits Hurley with cultivating his love for the game from a young age.

“Obviously Bob Hurley is one of the greatest coaches not only in high school basketball, but in all of basketball. I've known him since I was a little boy and grew up with his sons who are great friends of mine. A lot of my basketball background and just competitive background comes from him.”

After joing the staff last week and quickly hitting the road for the final days of the first evaluation period, Savino is ready to get back out on the recruiting trail. One thing is for sure, this time he's ready to make a lasting impact on the UC program.

“All of my experiences, good and bad, you learn from everyone. Hopefully I can just bring a different perspective to the program. Whether it's with the players or out on the road recruiting. This is my life, I don't have a family, no kids. Besides my parents and my brother this is what I have. I'm dedicated to it and excited about the future here.”

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