Thank you Coach Glas

[legend334]

First of all, I would like to wish Coach Glas the best of luck with his new job. Having worked with him over the past 12 years, I can honestly say I am not sure I have met a man with more integrity, passion for his players and staff and all around good natured person than coach Glas!!!! He made every player that played or him a better person, and aside from wins and losses, that is what this is all about....making these young men into adults so they can function in the real world, that is our job as a parent as well, which is why I have so much respect for Coach Glas!!! I have told him this, that I believe the true test of a coach is if you would feel comfortable with your own kids playing for a coach, and ten times out of ten....I would love for my kids to play for Coach Glas!!!

Most of you do not see the things coach does day in and day out to make every person on his team, staff etc better people everyday!!!

He is as Ben Jacboson said, a mentor, role model and one of the best people UND has ever had or will have in the future!! Along with Rob Bollinger!! UND in a week has lost two of the great people within our athletic dept...... I hope this send some signals to someone!!!!!

[jimdahl]

No doubt Glas left a significant legacy at UND. Though he didn't quite get to go out on top team-performance wise, I think almost everyone respects his legacy at UND and wishes him well in the "big leagues". Some career highlights from the UND release:

Glas leaves UND as the winningest men's basketball head coach in school history with a career record of 335-194 (.633) and guided the Fighting Sioux to three North Central Conference championships (1990, 1991, 1995). He led UND to eight NCAA postseason appearances, including back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Elite Eight in 1990 and 1991.

...

A two-time Kodak/NABC North Central Region Coach of the Year (1990, 1991), Glas entered the 2005-06 season ranked ninth among the winningest active Division II men's basketball coaches. At UND he has coached five NCC Most Valuable Players, nine All-Americans, 25 All-NCC selections, two NCC Newcomers of the Year, one NCC Freshman of the Year and eight Academic All-NCC selections.

UND posted eight 20-win seasons under Glas, including five straight from 1989-90 to 1993-94. Sixteen of Glas' former UND assistant coaches or players are currently coaching at levels from high school to Division I to professional leagues in Europe.

[Shawn-O]

Best of luck to Coach Glas. Thank you for the many years of hard work and dedication to our university and this basketball program. I had a chance to meet the man, albeit briefly, but I came away with the impression that this guy is a class act through and through.

That '90-'91 team was something special...I wonder how (or if) things may have turned out differently had the big lead held up against Virginia Union. Anyway, thanks for the memories, and best of luck in Cedar Falls.

UND in a week has lost two of the great people within our athletic dept...... I hope this send some signals to someone!!!!!

I'm not sure where you're headed with this, but if it's a shot at Buning, it's unwarranted. Change is the only certainty in life. Bollinger was a finalist for the AD job, was probably qualified, it didn't go his way, thus he took a leadership position elsewhere after reporting to the guy he was competing against. Seems like the natural order of things to me.

As for Coach Glas, 18 years at the same job in this day and age is unheard of. Sometimes a situation just gets stale for everyone concerned, whether it takes 2 years or 20 years. Change for changes sake isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[The Sicatoka]

Rich is a great guy and his energy in a room will be missed.

Here's hoping this change re-energizes all involved:

- Coach Glas as mentor supreme to Ben

- the UND mens basketball program in a new era

(Neither is a shot at either. New is exciting; let's hope that excited energy is used as a positive by all along the new paths they follow.)

[tnt]

You can argue about the direction the program should go as many have, but you can't argue with the way Rich represented the University -- a class act all the way around. When you see the egos at the coaching level permeating college athletics, it is nice to have the representatives we have at UND. Remember Rocky Hager? I would like to thank Rich and his wife for their service to the University and community. Hopefully the person that takes Rich's place will represent the University the same way, and fit in with the rest of the classy individuals UND has in leadership roles. Hope to see Rich on TV when March Madness rolls around in the future.