May 31, 2011
The Nova Notebook, by director of media relations Mike Sheridan, offers a May feature on the return of former Wildcat staffer Billy Lange in his new role as men's associate head basketball coach.
How long is seven years?
To Billy Lange, it is both a short pause and an eternity.
"The part that I love about being back is what hasn't changed," says Lange, who officially re-joined the Wildcats staff in May. "You walk into the lobby of the Jake Nevin Field House and you see Albert (Pantalone) at the front desk. When you walk into the offices there you see so many familiar faces and people who you enjoyed working with - Rosemary Mazzotta in the Business office, Vince Nicastro and Susan Guarino in the A.D's office, Mick Keelan in Facilities. I can stop in at the Connelly Center grab an ice cream and say hi to Tony Alfano.
"Those kinds of things are awesome and make you feel really good. In that sense, Villanova Basketball is what Villanova Basketball has always been. That's a credit to Jay for keeping the tradition alive and also to the University itself. For all of the growth here, it still feels like a family."
And yet all is not identical to 2004.
Then, the Wildcats were still in the formative stages of their surge under Wright. In Lange's final season, 2003-04, Villanova had to rally to win a pair of BIG EAST Tournament games to receive a bid to the National Invitation Tournament. In those days, his workspace was a desk tucked into the corner of a conference room.
Now, seven NCAA Tournament appearances later, there is a noticeable vibe underscoring that Wildcat basketball is in different place than it was when Lange, Joe Jones, Brett Gunning and Fred Hill were helping Wright pour the foundation.
"In one day, you can sense how much this program has exploded over the course of seven years," notes Lange, 39. "You see it here in the Davis Center. You see it in the demands on Jay's time. You see it in the recruiting calls that come in now. There are just all sorts of indicators that tell you this is a lot different than it was when I was on this staff before."
Of course, those seven years were not spent in a vacuum. In his time as the head coach at the United States Naval Academy, Lange received a first-hand look at what it takes to assemble a respected program at a service academy.
"You can't really describe that simply because you learn so much," states Lange of his time in Annapolis. "I have learned how important it is administratively to deal with people with tact and diplomacy. You understand that you are a part of the institution and its mission and how you exist within that matters.
"Secondly, you begin to have a better understanding of leadership. The development of players as people, men who represent the program and the school, is so critical. Jay has always done an exceptional job with that and I came to appreciate that even more while I was a head coach.
"Finally, you just become a better coach. Navy is one of those places where you have to coach really hard. You have to get creative and find different ways to do things. I think it's helped me a ton in evaluating players. Villanova is now at a place where you can almost get anyone you want but you still need to evaluate which guys really fit best."
Departing Navy wasn't a decision made lightly. Lange, the 2008 Patriot League Coach of the Year, had invested much energy into his program and was content. But his respect for Wright, Villanova, the BIG EAST Conference and the opportunity for the Bishop Eustace (N.J.) High School product to return to the Philadelphia area tipped the scales in favor of making this move.
"Growing up," stated Lange, "this was always the program that I followed. Jay has been a mentor to me since I was in high school. This place has never been a hard sell to me. I remember when I was hired here in 2001 how excited I was to be here and once you're in the family, you're in the family for good. It's a place that is very deep in my heart.
"The conflict I faced is that when you spend seven years as a head coach, you invest a lot of emotion into that. But when I thought about the opportunity for my career as a whole and the opportunity to work alongside I guy I love, it was a simple choice."
Relocating to a part of the basketball world he came of age in has helped ease the transition. In just ten days, there have been many texts and telephone calls exchanged with local coaches.
"Just in the last week it's been a case of re-connecting with high school and AAU coaches," notes Lange. "In the last seven years, they didn't have anybody for me. But it's exciting to be back in that mix now. I love the action."
Although Lange was 128 miles away from the Villanova campus according to the calculations of Google Earth for the last seven years, he has not been entirely removed from the Wildcats. He often exchanged texts and conversations with Wright and stayed in touch with current and former staff members. What's more, he made it a point to keep close tabs on the `Cats via television and the internet.
"Outside of watching every opponent we had to prepare for these last seven years, I have rarely missed a Villanova game," Lange says. "From that standpoint, I feel very comfortable. I have seen every game available and the great part for me was that almost all of them were on TV. I would DVR the game and watch it later if we had a game.
"I think I have a pretty good feel for the newer guys, the recruits and all of it because I am a great fan of Villanova Basketball."
Lange is in the process of moving his family - which has grown to include four sons along with wife Alicia - to the area. Last week he located a residence and the plan is to get fully settled once the school year ends for his children in Maryland.
There is a bit of symmetry for Lange as he arrives in that the Wildcats will be journeying to Europe not long after he has settled into his new position. The `Cats last trip to the continent took place just a few short months after Wright brought Lange to Villanova in 2001. That trip helped a new staff bond with a group of holdovers in Italy and this time the sense is that a young team will benefit from a nine-day trek to France, Luxembourg and The Netherlands from Aug. 7-16.
For now, Lange is focused on bringing a perspective that is both fresh and fully cognizant of this program's history to his old/new boss.
"I think what Jay wants is for me to take the seven years of experience as head coach that I have and help him and help the players," says Lange. "One of the things I loved when I was here before was the relationships that I had with those (players). Jay wants me to have those kinds of relationships again and help the guys on the court in any way that I can, be it offense, defense, or player development. I can bring a fresh perspective while at the same time having a comfort level because Jay does what he does very well.
"We spoke about recruiting and after seven years in the D.C./Maryland area, I think I have some great contacts there. I've also been able to make some contacts nationally that can be helpful.
"This job has grown for Jay. We need a leader here when he's not able to be here. I'm excited about having a talented young staff I can help lead and mold. It's just a great opportunity for me and I'm thrilled to be part of it."
The calendar says seven years have passed between Lange's two stints as a member of the Wildcat staff.
But in the ways that matter most, it's as if no time has passed at all.
