Cremins takes over at College of Charleston

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- When the College of Charleston's first choice for basketball coach "pulled a Bobby Cremins," the Cougars went after the real deal.

The school on Monday officially welcomed Cremins to guide the troubled program. Cremins was thrilled to be back coaching the game he loves.

"This is what I do best," said Cremins, who turns 59 Tuesday. "This is my life."

Cremins hadn't coached since retiring after 19 seasons at Georgia Tech in 2000. He figured he had missed out on this job, too, when the school announced its deal last week with Winthrop's Gregg Marshall.

But a day after Marshall's introduction on Charleston's campus, he took a page from Cremins' past and went back to the Eagles. Cremins 13 years ago reneged on the head coaching job at his alma mater, South Carolina, to return to Georgia Tech.

"Obviously, I can empathize with Gregg," Cremins said to laughter. On Sunday, Cremins had remarked that Marshall had "pulled a Bobby Cremins"

Cremins' hiring caps a strange month at the College of Charleston. It began June 14 with Tom Herrion's dismissal and subsequent $787,000 buyout for the last four years of his contract, followed by Marshall's hello and quick goodbye.

Cremins agreed to a six-year contract with a base salary of $225,000. He is so ready to get started that he'll miss his 59th birthday celebration on Hilton Head Island to organize his new office, ex-College of Charleston coach John Kresse said.

Kresse, who like Cremins is from New York, was part of the school's search committee that interviewed Cremins on Friday and offered him the job soon after.

"Now more than ever," Cremins said, "my drive and enthusiasm are back."

Fans, alumni and supporters turned out at Randolph Hall to welcome Cremins. He got a loud standing ovation when he took the podium, several times trying to quiet the crowd before they settled down.

"It's great to be undefeated," he said.

Charleston made its mark in the 1990s under Kresse, going to four NCAA tournaments and knocking off big time opponents like Maryland, Alabama and Cremins' Yellow Jackets.