Basketball coaches spend off time with troops

Every college basketball coach's calendar says the same thing for August: quiet period.

Recruiting is on hold, students don't return to campus for a month and another season is still on the horizon.

Several coaches, however, have given up some of their down time to visit U.S. soldiers in Iraq. They are doing it through the USO's "Operation Hardwood," and it's become a big morale boost for one side - the guys with the whistles.

The most recent group - seven coaches and ESPN's Fran Fraschilla - went to Kuwait and Iraq for a week in early August. The coaches run teams of soldiers during a tournament, and learn a little bit of what life is about for those in uniform.

"You can't imagine what the trip is like," Hofstra coach Tom Pecora said. "And I'm not talking about things like having to wear body armor or being on an active military base or that it was 110 degrees all the time. I mean getting to spend time with the soldiers is incredible.

"These are 18-, 22-, 24-year-olds, the same age as who we deal with in our jobs. These soldiers are so unselfish. They have such great organizational skills. And they all volunteered to be there and that tells you all you need to know."

There was a personal moment right away for Pecora, who is starting his eighth season with Hofstra after serving as Jay Wright's assistant there for seven years.

"A Marine came up to me the first day and said, 'I went to your summer camp at Hofstra.' It was great. We talked Long Island. Sgt. John Parry. He played for Lindenhurst High School. That was great."

DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright said the trip will help his current players.

"No matter how bad you think your job or situation is, trips like that kind of keeps everything in perspective, too," Wainwright said. "We can share those things with our teams. They need to keep perspective in their lives as well and see how fortunate they are to be playing college basketball.

"It is very humbling to see the discipline and dedication of these young people, their sense of commitment and togetherness. They are the ultimate team. They kept thanking us, but we should have been thanking them."

Rick Kell, a Maryland businessman with college basketball connections, helped found Operation Hardwood in 2005. There has been at least one trip to the region every year and future ones are in the works.

"Bobby Cremins helped recruit the first group of coaches and it included Mark Gottfried, Kelvin Sampson, Tom Izzo, Dave Odom and Jay Bilas of ESPN was there," Kell said. "The recruiting now isn't convincing as much as just getting on guy's calendars. For the coaches the trip has become more about the handshake tour than the tournament."