Longtime former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins has found new life at College of Charleston
By Jeff Anderson
Do you believe in reincarnation? Bobby Cremins sure does. The second-year College of Charleston coach—who rose to national prominence manning the sidelines at Georgia Tech for 19 seasons—has come a long way since his early days coaching at Appalachian State. But Cremins, 60, hasn’t always had it easy. The year before his arrival at Georgia Tech in 1981, the ACC school had amassed 4 wins and 23 losses. But by 1985, Cremins—with his trademark exuberance and solid recruiting—would propel the Yellow Jackets to the ACC championship. Cremins won two more ACC championships, three Coach of the Year honors, one National Coach of the Year Award while molding the likes of Mark Price, Dennis Scott and Stephon Marbury into future NBA stars.
The highest point was reaching the Final Four in 1990, but the rest of the ’90s proved tough; three of Cremins’ last four years were losing ones. Then, almost without warning, Cremins retired—and it would be six years before he’d call another timeout.
But a Cremins rebirth happened when he accepted the head coaching job at the College of Charleston in 2006. His hair color is just as you remember it, and his enthusiasm and passion to coach has not changed one iota.
So, do you believe in reincarnation now? (Bobby Cremins is living proof.)
Q: What’s the biggest difference, in your opinion, coaching in the ACC versus the Southern conference?
A: The ACC has more exposure and bigger crowds than the Southern Conference. The coaching and the desire to win are no different. If you forgot about the size of the crowds, and you somehow forgot about coaching on National TV, coaching in either conference would be exactly the same.
Q: Your team was just named one of the top 15 basketball schools in the nation by Basketball Times. Some coaches don’t like to be ranked high. How about you?
A: College of Charleston has [longtime coach] John Kresse to thank for that distinction. In order to be on that poll, you had to win two-thirds of your games during a 10-year period. Tommy Herrion [who coached College of Charleston from 2002-2006] won a lot games as well, so he should get some credit too. But John Kresse put College of Charleston on the map. This type of ranking represents a tribute to his accomplishments.
Q: Even before coaching here, your coaching legacy was firmly intact. Were you motivated by something specific to coach here?
A: Look, I had a tough ending at Georgia Tech. We lost a couple players to the NBA, and we started to struggle. I lost my foresight; I lost my enthusiasm. Georgia Tech lost its edge, and I had something to do with that. It was time for me to go. While I was away from coaching, I really did not think I would miss it. But guess what: I missed it. I wanted this opportunity. I felt I had some gas left in my tank. The irony of me getting this job was that, originally, College of Charleston had hired Gregg Marshall, the outstanding coach from Winthrop. But of course, Gregg pulled a ‘Bobby Cremins,’ and elected to remain coach at Winthrop. There is tremendous parity that I get back into coaching because someone pulled the stunt I pulled back in 1993. Nowadays, they call such a stunt a ‘Billy Donovan.’
Q: You left the high pressure coaching grind at Georgia Tech in 2000. Do the demands to succeed at College of Charleston make this job just as intense?
A: Absolutely. The pressure is there. Every D-1 men’s basketball program has the pressure to win. Maybe the Southern Conference might be more patient and realistic about winning a national championship as opposed to the ACC, but the pressure to win remains. Trust me, these Cougar fans have tasted success and they expect nothing less. So there’s always pressure to win. The players, and the coaching staff are working hard to meet the demands of this fan base.
Q: Did the six years of not coaching help, or hurt you?
A: I thought I would never coach again. Then I moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina, got involved with charities and was enjoying life. But there was a void in my life; that void was coaching. It made me feel like I was losing purpose. The College of Charleston opening was exactly what I needed. It had to be Godsend because it came out of nowhere. I felt I got the purpose back in my life. So the time off helped me, to say the least. This job has added 10 years to my life.
Q: You have always been regarded as one of the nation's best recruiters. Has that job gotten easier or harder as you get older?
A: Recruiting has gotten much harder, especially at the Mid-Major level. Let’s face it: it’s tough trying to compete against the Big Boys. We gotta find sleepers. We gotta find kids who slip through the cracks, like Stephon Curry did at Davidson College. We gotta recruit players who are not ACC material right now, but as they develop, two years from now they [will be]. But I enjoy the challenge of finding that diamond in the rough.
Q: You have quite the track record recruiting guards -- Dennis Scott, Kenny Anderson, Stephon Marbury, just to name a few. Do you have a special eye for guards?
A: I love guards. I love point guards. But I also know a great point guard can only take you so far. In order for them to be effective, they need shooters, rebounders, and good post players around them.
Q: When you took the jobs at Appalachian State and Georgia Tech, no one knew Bobby Cremins. Now, your rep precedes you. Do you like the fan fare?
A: I love it. The College of Charleston fans treat me like royalty. They think I’m Johnny Wooden. And I am no where near Johnny Wooden’s class. The notoriety has benefited me from charitable fundraising, to recruiting, to promoting school spirit toward this basketball program. People forget I struggled late in my coaching career; people forget I had been out of coaching for over six years. Sometimes, I get a little emotional when people would rather overlook my coaching shortcomings, and instead celebrate me for my coaching accomplishments. It is truly a special feeling.
Q: You posted a 22-11 record in your inaugural season at College of Charleston, but failed to procure a postseason berth. What’s your mindset going into this season?
A: Last year was a great step for us. Twenty-two wins was a great accomplishment for our team. Beating Appalachian State in the conference tournament was great, and we competed against Davidson in the Conference finals. But that’s last year. We lost four seniors from last year, so we are completely rebuilding. We brought in six new players—five freshman and one JUCO player. We play as difficult of a schedule as anybody in the country. But this team seems ready for the challenge. We are excited about the season to say the least.
Q: Getting an at-large bid from your conference is virtually non-existent. Does that make it more difficult to motivate your players?
A: Basically, that’s true. Take a look at Appalachian State from last year. They put up a really good resume of victories last year to warrant an at-large bid—Virginia, Vanderbilt, VCU, Wichita State. But, playing in the Southern Conference obviously did not give the voters enough incentive to put them in. That type of situation tells you that in the Southern Conference you either win the Conference tournament, or bust. And sometimes that makes it tough to recruit players. But the Southern Conference is very underrated, and it houses a number of excellent teams. Davidson College is currently ranked in the Top 25, so hopefully that’s a sign the Southern Conference will get more recognition. And maybe an at-large bid will come as a reward, which will give the players even more incentive to stay motivated.
Q: Don’t give away your playbook… but what are some things folks take for granted about your school—and conference?
A: College of Charleston developed a reputation of being giant killers. John Kress gets credit for that. We want to get the program back to having such a notable distinction. As for the conference, the Southern Conference doesn’t get the P.R. that larger schools get. But let me tell you this: the coaches and players go at it, night in and night out. Several big-name teams have been knocked off by Southern conference teams, and that trend will continue.
Q: You’re one of eight teams participating in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off in mid-November. What do you like about these pre-season tournaments?
A: They’re tough, but you learn a lot about your team. Sometimes you get knocked around but it is a great experience for the players. You also want to compete against the top D-1 programs, and these types of tournaments allow for that. We open with Arkansas in Puerto Rico and I think that challenge is exactly what our young team needs.
Q: Would you like the chance to play against Georgia Tech at some point?
A: It would be an honor. Remember, I left that program in disarray. Nevertheless, Georgia Tech put my name on the court. You do not know how honored I am for such a gesture. Add to that, Paul Hewitt, my successor, brought the enthusiasm back to the program. He brought back the magic, the moxie, the passion we once had when I was coaching at G-Tech. I have such an incredible amount of respect for him, and his program. Right now, I would have mixed feeling about playing against them. I imagine we’ll schedule them at some point, but we’ll hold it off for now.
Q: How much longer do you plan on manning the sideline?
A: Many people ask me that question, and honestly: I don’t know. I could coach one more year; I could coach 15 more years. As long as I have the enthusiasm, the focus, and the will to win, I want to continue coaching. Right now, all I know is I am going to make the most of this great opportunity at the College of Charleston.
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Writer Jeff Anderson played college basketball at Davidson College from 1992-’96.
