Bzdelik Thrilled by Air Force Opportunity

Posted 8:10PM on Monday 23rd May 2005 ( 19 years ago )

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) - Not long after being fired by the Denver Nuggets, Jeff Bzdelik started visiting coaches, attending practices and watching games all around the country. But for all the stops Bzdelik made, it was somewhere just down the road from his home in Denver that caught his attention: The Air Force Academy. Enamored with the discipline, the enthusiasm and the unique setting, Bzdelik wondered what it would be like to coach in such a place. He didn't have to think about it long. Within minutes of learning Air Force coach Chris Mooney was leaving for Richmond, Bzdelik picked up the phone to inquire about the job. Less than two weeks later, he was named the sixth head coach in Air Force history. "When I left the Nuggets, I said I just wanted to be in a great situation with great people wherever I go - a great situation for me and my family," Bzdelik said Monday at his introductory news conference. "I'm very fortunate to have this opportunity here. I'm very thankful to have this opportunity." He wasn't the only one. After Mooney resigned on May 5, Air Force officials found themselves searching for a new coach for the second time in 13 months. Joe Scott, who got the Falcons to the NCAA tournament for the first time in nearly half a century in 2003-04, left before last season to coach at Princeton and Mooney lasted just one season. Though no official job posting went up, Air Force athletics director Dr. Hans Mueh was surprised by the amount of interest he received for the opening. The phone call he received from Bzdelik caught him even more offguard. "I was overwhelmed at the level of interest in our program. I knew that we had risen to a new level, but I never dreamed that we had risen to the level we had nationwide," Dr. Mueh said. "One of the things that we never, ever expected was an interest from Jeff Bzdelik. That came out of the blue and excited us immediately." Bzdelik was long considered one of the NBA's best assistant coaches and scouts in 18 seasons with New York, Miami and Washington. He was hired as Denver's coach before 2002-03 season and though the Nuggets went just 17-65 that year, they followed it with one of the biggest turnarounds in league history and reached the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Bzdelik didn't make it through last season after a 13-15 start led to his firing on Dec. 28, but it didn't quash his interest in the game. Shortly after being fired, Bzdelik started making the rounds to keep his mind fresh. He spent a week in San Antonio visiting with coach Gregg Popovich and attending Spurs practices and games. He went to Memphis to talk with Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello and spent some time with Suns coach Mike D'Antoni. "You always want to learn and once you stop trying to learn, you might as well go six feet under, to be honest with you," Bzdelik said. "I just took that opportunity to learn as much as I could from a variety of coaches and coming down here right down the road from my house was a great opportunity to watch these young men play." © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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