Thu Feb 09 2012
By David Carducci
Record-Courier staff writer
CLEVELAND - Families reuniting are always a big part of the holiday season.
Three generations of Kent State head men's basketball coaches came together in Cleveland State's Wolstein Center on Tuesday night with former KSU coach Jim Christian sitting in the stands to watch his former assistant assistant, first-year Golden Flashes coach Geno Ford, match wits with CSU's Gary Waters, the coach who first brought the Flashes' program to national prominence.
The trio represents 235 of the Kent State's 265 wins dating back to 1996.
Christian, who was 138-58 in five seasons at Kent State before moving on to Texas Christian University after last season, is back in Northeast Ohio to spend Christmas with his in-laws.
"There's no question it's going to be strange to be there watching Kent State play and not be on the sideline," Christian said Tuesday afternoon as he sat in Dallas to board his flight to Cleveland. A flight delay forced Christian and his wife, Patti, to miss the first half of KSU's ugly 67-41 loss the Vikings.
"I care a lot about these guys, and I'll be there rooting like crazy for them," Christian said. "I want to see them get a big road win."
Christian talks to Ford almost every day. He knows all about the Flashes' struggles during their 5-6 start, and he cautions fans from worrying too much about the 2008-09 season.
"At some point in every successful season we had at Kent State, there were times where we didn't look very good," said Christian, whose TCU team is currently 7-6. "Then we would have a breakout streak. This team hasn't made its run yet. They will. That's the way its always been. It's the way it was when I was there, when Gary was there, and it'll be like that this year. This is a championship team. I fully believe it."
Christian offered the same message to his former players during a post-game visit to the KSU locker room Tuesday night.
"We had the same problems my sophomore year," said KSU senior Jordan Mincy. "That's what coach Christian reminded us. He told us he knows there are winners in this room. It's time for us to show it."
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