Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Jessica Simpson Dumped, Back on the Market; Vetrone Wants to Name FDU Court After Green
Jessica Simpson is back on the market after Cowboys QB Tony Romo dumped her on the eve of her 29th b-day. Harsh.
In hoops news, Knicks guard Nate Robinson could be headed to Greece. Newsday reports that Olympiakos, the Athens-based team that last summer lured Josh Childress away from the NBA, has offered Robinson a two-year deal worth $10 million...Tobias Harris had 27 points and 11 rebounds to lift the Albany City Rocks to a 75-73 victory over the Louisiana Select in Peach Jam action on Tuesday…Pittsburgh guard Jermaine Dixon broke the fifth metatarsil in his right foot and will be out eight weeks. He will return in mid-September. It’s the same injury former Pitt guard Levance Fields and former Marquette guard Dominic James had…The semifinals of the Joe Brown Memorial tournament (formerly the Playaz Ball) will take place today at the Hoop Zone in Englewood, N.J. The New York Panthers meet Team NJABC on one semi, and the Playaz take on Team Philly in the other. Semis at 2, championship at 3:45…Former Seton Hall big man Mike Davis is transferring to Coastal Carolina...Javon McCrea, a 6-6 wing from Newark, N.Y., has not committed to Georgetown, despite an Internet report to the contrary. A source close to the New England Playaz club said the Hoyas had not offered McCrea, who visited campus unofficially last week.
VETRONE WANTS TO NAME FDU COURT AFTER GREENNEPTUNE, N.J. — It isn’t often that a basketball coach wants to dedicate his school’s court to the guy he replaced.
But that’s exactly what’s going on at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.
Greg Vetrone, who replaced fired coach Tom Green (pictured), wants to name the court at the Rothman Center after his predecessor.
“My goal one day, my dream is to play on Tom Green Court one day,” Vetrone said last week at the Reebok Summer Classic. “I wish they would name the court after him. The guy’s the winningest coach in the history of the school and he’s the winningest coach in NEC history. They should name the court after him.”
Under Green, Fairleigh Dickinson failed to make the Northeast Conference tournament for the second consecutive season in 2008-09, finishing with a 7-23 record. Green’s career mark was 407-351.
He was fired in June after 26 seasons on the job — and he wasn’t happy about it.
“I’ve been a coaching ambassador for this university for 26 years. I don’t call this place work, I call it home,” Green told The Record of Hackensack (N.J.). “Firing me right now shows a total lack of respect for me as a person, as a coach and as a loyal employee over the last 26 years.”
Vetrone, who has known Green for 26 years but had been on his staff just one year as an assistant in his second go-round with the program, was hired on an interim basis.
Asked what Green was up to now, Vetrone said he didn’t know. Presumably he’s looking for work.
“This decision kills my career. To get fired in June of year 26 kills a career. I’d hoped to coach another five or six years before I even thought about retiring,” Green told The Record. “It not only affects me, but I’ve got three assistant coaches and two of them have families. There are no Division I college basketball head coaching jobs available in June.”
Vetrone said the transition to head coach hasn’t been easy because of his friendship with Green.
“It’s tough because coach Green and I are such great friends,” Vetrone said. “I worked for him 1988. I came back last year, so I love the University. It’s my second time there.
“I love Tom Green. It’s been difficult. Hopefully, in time he’ll get back with the administration.”
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Jessica Simpson is back on the market after Cowboys QB Tony Romo dumped her on the eve of her 29th b-day. Harsh.
In hoops news, Knicks guard Nate Robinson could be headed to Greece. Newsday reports that Olympiakos, the Athens-based team that last summer lured Josh Childress away from the NBA, has offered Robinson a two-year deal worth $10 million...Tobias Harris had 27 points and 11 rebounds to lift the Albany City Rocks to a 75-73 victory over the Louisiana Select in Peach Jam action on Tuesday…Pittsburgh guard Jermaine Dixon broke the fifth metatarsil in his right foot and will be out eight weeks. He will return in mid-September. It’s the same injury former Pitt guard Levance Fields and former Marquette guard Dominic James had…The semifinals of the Joe Brown Memorial tournament (formerly the Playaz Ball) will take place today at the Hoop Zone in Englewood, N.J. The New York Panthers meet Team NJABC on one semi, and the Playaz take on Team Philly in the other. Semis at 2, championship at 3:45…Former Seton Hall big man Mike Davis is transferring to Coastal Carolina...Javon McCrea, a 6-6 wing from Newark, N.Y., has not committed to Georgetown, despite an Internet report to the contrary. A source close to the New England Playaz club said the Hoyas had not offered McCrea, who visited campus unofficially last week.
VETRONE WANTS TO NAME FDU COURT AFTER GREEN
NEPTUNE, N.J. — It isn’t often that a basketball coach wants to dedicate his school’s court to the guy he replaced.
But that’s exactly what’s going on at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.
Greg Vetrone, who replaced fired coach Tom Green (pictured), wants to name the court at the Rothman Center after his predecessor.
“My goal one day, my dream is to play on Tom Green Court one day,” Vetrone said last week at the Reebok Summer Classic. “I wish they would name the court after him. The guy’s the winningest coach in the history of the school and he’s the winningest coach in NEC history. They should name the court after him.”
Under Green, Fairleigh Dickinson failed to make the Northeast Conference tournament for the second consecutive season in 2008-09, finishing with a 7-23 record. Green’s career mark was 407-351.
He was fired in June after 26 seasons on the job — and he wasn’t happy about it.
“I’ve been a coaching ambassador for this university for 26 years. I don’t call this place work, I call it home,” Green told The Record of Hackensack (N.J.). “Firing me right now shows a total lack of respect for me as a person, as a coach and as a loyal employee over the last 26 years.”
Vetrone, who has known Green for 26 years but had been on his staff just one year as an assistant in his second go-round with the program, was hired on an interim basis.
Asked what Green was up to now, Vetrone said he didn’t know. Presumably he’s looking for work.
“This decision kills my career. To get fired in June of year 26 kills a career. I’d hoped to coach another five or six years before I even thought about retiring,” Green told The Record. “It not only affects me, but I’ve got three assistant coaches and two of them have families. There are no Division I college basketball head coaching jobs available in June.”
Vetrone said the transition to head coach hasn’t been easy because of his friendship with Green.
“It’s tough because coach Green and I are such great friends,” Vetrone said. “I worked for him 1988. I came back last year, so I love the University. It’s my second time there.
“I love Tom Green. It’s been difficult. Hopefully, in time he’ll get back with the administration.”
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.
