The word on the street is that Alan Major will be the next head coach of the UNC Charlotte men’s basketball team. Can’t say I’m giddy about the pick, but I am very curious.

A Charlotte Observer article describes Major , an assistant coach with Ohio State who held a similar position at Xavier, as being a “basketball junkie.”

He may not have a lot of name recognition, but the combination of being addicted to the game of round ball and having recruited and worked with NBA-caliber players - Greg Oden, Kosta Koufos, Byron Mullens and David West, to name a few current ones – has to be music to the ears of 49er fans and alumni.

It’s clear he’s a winner. These two aforementioned nuggets alone suggest he’ll hit the ground running in an effort to stabilize the basketball program and infuse some consistency to go along with the talent the team already has. Next year, their top three scorers and two best rebounders will be back, so, on paper, things look promising.

Of course, Major will have to remind his new players that the college basketball season is a marathon, not a sprint. At one point, the 49ers held the top spot in the A-10 conference with an 18-5 record overall.

But they would only win one more game the rest of the way and end up with 12 losses and no postseason invitation. Bobby Lutz, their long-time coach and alumnus, received a pink slip.

OK, Major - now it’s your turn at the wheel. Let’s see if you can strike gold in 49er land.

Damon Ford is a former journalist who is now a public relations professional working in the public and private sectors in Charlotte.
 

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