JVG's confrence call w/ media 6-12-03

Jeff Van Gundy Conference Call


June 12, 2003 - The whirlwind media tour for Jeff Van Gundy continued today as the new Rockets coach held a conference call with the national press. The following is a transcript of the conference call.


On being able to take time to take a head coaching job this time as compared to not really having much time when he took the Knicks job:
JVG: Well, the advantage I had last time - it’s not always an advantage, but in my case it was - was that I was taking over a team that I already knew. Sometimes that is difficult as an assistant, but for me, it was an advantage in that situation because I knew the players and they knew me. It wasn’t a transition type of period. Here, the decision really wasn’t as much about the job but about whether I wanted to uproot and move. That is always a difficult decision. This is a different thing, because obviously I’ll be starting with only one player that I’ve ever coached, and that is Glen Rice for a year. So, it will be very new, and I am looking forward to the challenge of trying to build on what Rudy (Tomjanovich) did so well here for so long.
On if he would like to bring in some guys or coaches he is familiar with to ease the transition in Houston:
JVG: Certainly, I think everybody when they take over a job - if you’ve been a head coach before, some people have done a great job for you and had some success. I had some guys with the Knicks that played a huge part in any sort of success that we may have had, so I’m going to try to bring some guys here that have been so good and so much a part of any success we had in New York. I’d like to bring them here.

On his two Philadelphia players - Cuttino Mobley and Eddie Griffin:
JVG: Well, I met Eddie Griffin for the first time today. He was out on the track doing some running, and that was a good experience to meet him. He’s obviously got one thing that you can’t teach, and that’s length. He’s a very, very good shot blocker. He’s a very young player, and I’m looking forward to finding more out about his game and what I can do to help him progress to the point where he wants to be. Cuttino I used to coach against and always gave us trouble. He beat us in the Garden on a drive with five seconds to go - it’s still sort of haunting me. He has a great first step. He is one of the Rockets great, great draft choices - getting him in the second round. He’s played very well. I talked to him on the phone last night, and I like that he has an upbeat personality. So, I am very much looking forward to working with both of those guys.

On if either one of them reminds him of any of his former Knick players:
JVG: I try to really stay away from comparing players. I think that they just have to be as good as they can and help us win as much as they can. If they do that, then they should be very proud of themselves, and I’ll be very proud of them.

On if he’s mapped out a plan of when he’ll start full-swing:
JVG: Well, I’m going to be here off and on. I have to try to tie some things up, but I’ll be here - it just won’t be every day. I’m trying to buy (a house), sell (a house), (look for) schools and those things are in real consideration.

On the timetable being a little late with the upcoming draft and free agency:
JVG: Well, the draft - we have the 44th pick. I couldn’t probably tell you 44 college players. I’ve always tried to stay out of that. That’s for Carroll Dawson and his staff. They’ve hit it real well with some draft picks, so I won’t be really involved in that. Free agency I’ll probably be a lot more involved in because there are more known quantities of who I like.

On if he feels like he’s playing catch-up:
JVG: I don’t think there is any doubt. Any time you take over a new situation , there is a lot of catch-up, and I’m looking forward to catching up. I really am. I’m looking forward to the work and to the challenge and to the ups and downs. It’ll be rocky, but hopefully I can land that plane.

On looking forward to coaching Yao Ming:
JVG: I think certainly what I like most about him, forget his size - I love his demeanor, his team first attitude and that he seemed to really enjoy the success of his other teammate, and they enjoyed his success. I think that speaks volumes about how he handled himself. Obviously, he is a player of high character.

On if he has reached out to any former coaches or Patrick (Ewing):
JVG: I’ve talked to some of the guys that I worked with in New York - they’re free and clear of any contractual obligation. I don’t have any definitive ones right now. As far as Patrick, I’d have to go through the channels of talking to Washington, because he is under contract. But I have a great interest in him joining us here if that’s something that he thinks would be beneficial.

On the feelings that he had when he left the Knicks - if there was a point when that changed, or if he is sure that it has changed - that the coaching life has overwhelmed the feelings of needing to get away from it a little:
JVG: That’s a great question. Truly, I couldn’t answer it. I don’t know. I know I missed certain parts of it, but in other ways I really enjoyed that new life because I think I had one, which a broadcasting schedule afforded me. One thing I learned when people question me about that decision, I learned that I wasn’t going to apologize for it and I wasn’t going to try to defend it. Everybody could try to make up their own minds on if they thought it was right, wrong or they were indifferent. Other than that, I do know one thing though, strongly - that I didn’t quit on the players.

On if he has talked to his dad about any of this:
JVG: You know, it’s unbelievable, but my dad is in Italy right now. Him and my mom go every summer and take a group of college athletes overseas to play. He is actually overseas coaching at this time, so that kind of diminished my opportunity to speak to him about it. He’s my international scout right now (he said with a laugh).

On if he will make any transitions on his style of play or on players like Cuttino or Steve Francis:
JVG: As coaches, you always get labeled that you’re a certain way. I would love to be labeled that I maximize the ability of my team and the players. Really, I think that is the job of the coach - you want to play to their strengths, stay away from their non-strengths and try to maximize their potential. I don’t really look at myself as a certain style. I look at myself as trying to win big and using the players accordingly.