Joe Mazzulla takes the Celtics home, down country roads

There’s a story of questionable validity that’s embedded into the tradition of Morgantown, West Virginia. It goes like this:

When Virginia was first given statehood, lengthy earlier than West Virginia existed independently, the settlers residing in Morgantown had been tasked with naming their county. To acknowledge the significance and cultural significance of the Monongahela River which runs proper by means of downtown Morgantown and is among the “three rivers” of Pittsburgh fame, these settlers wished to call their county after it.

Sadly, these future West Virginians didn’t fairly transcribe the identify of the river accurately on the paperwork declaring the official identify of the county. That they had misspelled Monongahela. The result’s that Morgantown, which lies alongside the Monongahela River and is in Monongalia County.

It’s a microcosm of a lot of West Virginia: an earnest effort, a mistake, and an try to reside with the outcomes. It’s typically a footnote in historical past. Take Jerry West, basketball royalty. He’s finest identified for his Lakers profession and longtime success in administration for a number of groups. He’s additionally far and away one of the best basketball participant from West Virginia and West Virginia College. It’s a incontrovertible fact that’s of little consequence to basketball followers, however considered one of nice import to West Virginians.

Picture by Mitchell Layton/Getty Photos

There’s an plain unfavorable notion of West Virginia and the individuals who reside right here. Having moved right here from Massachusetts in 2012, I’ve skilled it firsthand — that dismissive facial twitch while you inform somebody the place you reside, the ever present stereotypes (moonshine is definitely scrumptious), the ignorance of even its existence.

“Oh, I’ve been to Richmond.” Nice, that’s a wholly completely different state. It’s not simply regarded down upon. It’s forgotten, which is perhaps worse.

It’s with this backdrop that Joe Mazzulla lower his enamel as a basketball participant and coach. Joe was effectively liked on the courtroom throughout his time at WVU, evidencing the pragmatic and hard-working angle West Virginians satisfaction themselves on, borne from a inhabitants descended from coal miners.

He performed for 2 of the best coaches in program historical past, John Beilein and Bob Huggins. If West was the king of West Virginia basketball, Huggins was the prince, not less than till just lately. To say Huggs had a fall from grace can be placing it frivolously, and he deserves all of the criticism he’s obtained, however Bob’s fingerprints are throughout Joe Mazzulla, the Boston Celtics head coach.

The choice methods Joe motivates his staff, will get them to understand the journey, and what it means to be an expert basketball participant is consummate Huggins. One of the more famous Huggins stories involves him bringing the team into a coal mine:

“I needed them to know once they run on the market and we’ve received 14,000 individuals in there cheering for them, I needed them to know what these individuals do to have the ability to pay cash to come back watch them play,” Huggins mentioned.

“I believed it was essential for them to understand what the individuals up there cheering for them undergo each day.”

It’s an unorthodox means to supply his gamers with a unique perspective, to suppose critically about themselves and the sport of basketball, a mantra Mazzulla embodies almost each time he opens his mouth.

Greater than Huggs, although, it’s his teaching tenure the place West Virginia left its largest mark on Joe. He mirrored on this in his interview with JJ Reddick previous to the season, the place the low stakes and little consideration of DII hoops let him experiment, get artistic. Or, as Joe poetically put it, “on the DII degree, you are able to do something you need.”

Joe spent three completely different stints teaching in West Virginia, first at mighty Glenville State College, then at Fairmont State College as an assistant, earlier than lastly getting his first head teaching alternative additionally at Fairmont (after a short interruption with the Maine Purple Claws).

In that very same interview, Joe truly credit West Liberty College’s coach, Jim Crutchfield, with giving him a unique perspective on basketball. WLU received video games on the margins, urgent, capturing 3s and layups, and crashing the offensive glass. It was groundbreaking basketball idea being performed out in a state not identified for innovation.

West Virginia typically has little or no to rejoice. It’s a state wrought with hardships in opposition to the backdrop of lovely mountain views. However these hardships, present and historic, give the state a tradition in contrast to every other. There’s a fierce loyalty right here. They’ll shield their very own and rejoice the success of different Mountaineers prefer it’s their very own, making one of the best out of the errors of the previous.

WVU’s, and by proxy the state’s, unofficial slogan is “As soon as a Mountaineer, at all times a Mountaineer.” It’s an embodiment of this mindset and the skin world’s preconceived notions hardening an unmatched togetherness and sense of group. Joe may be very a lot part of that group. It’s becoming that simply days after the demise of 1 West Virginia basketball legend, one other was born. Joe Mazzulla has earned basketball immortality, and I believe I can communicate for the whole state once I say thanks for bringing somewhat little bit of us together with you.