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Associated Press
Well, four years later, Michigan gets their man. Former Duke player and assistant under Mike Krzyzewski, and most recently, Seton Hall coach Tommy Amaker is the new Head Basketball coach at the University of Michigan. Amaker, 35, will receive a guaranteed contract of between $500,000 to $600,000 per year. (With incentives, he could earn as much as $900,000 per season) Amaker went to 12 NCAA tournaments, six Final Fours and three national championship games as a player and an assistant coach at Duke. He was 68-55 at Seton Hall, going 16-15 this season. He lead Seton Hall to the Sweet-16 last season, and three NIT invites prior to that.
Amaker, who replaces Brian Ellerbe after a disappointing 10-18 season, was officially announced at a press conference in Ann Arbor Thursday. He said he will stress 5 points to his kids. Not just in Basketball, but in life, the 5 points were) passion; play with passion. Do everything with passion. 2) Be prepared. 3) Honesty, being honest with each other, in basketball and relationships. 3) Having fun. He said he will stress to always have fun, no matter what 4) That they were gonna Be Michigan. "That's what we're gonna stand for........ that's what we're gonna be." he said at the Press Conference. "I'm very happy to be here........ I'm honored to call myself the University of Michigan Head Basketball Coach." he said
ESPN College Basketball analyst Dick Vitale was on WDFN's Stoney and Wojo show and spoke very highly of Amaker. "They're getting class.... they're getting absolute class..... with a capitol 'C'." he said. "He's a player's coach......... the players absolutely LOVE him." Vitale rambled on about guys in the media...... that guy is just WAAAAAAAAY too friggin hyper!! Anyway, he then went on, "Tommy's a winner! Talk to Coach K, ask him. Coach K will flat out go on and on about Tommy Amaker and his winning ways, and what a leader he was as a point guard in the mid eighties. He's a teacher, a motivator. He does things in a first class way." When asked about his recruiting he said, "He can walk into any kid's home in America and make a great impression, and is selling a first class University."
From what I know of him and from what I've heard, he's a good coach, and a good fit for Michigan. I think he will do a fine job. Michigan already has a decent recruiting class, and it's thought that a top prospect, 7-footer Chris Charles of Connecticut's Milford Academy, who committed to the Pirates in November, may join him here. He almost signed with Michigan before switching to Seton Hall. Michigan has one scholarship left for next year. The spring signing deadline for incoming freshman is April 11. As a Duke assistant and at Seton Hall, Amaker was responsible for recruiting both this season's national player of the year,Duke's Shane Battier, and freshman of the year,Seton Hall's Eddie Griffin. Grant Hill was all but set to go to North Carolina in 1990 before he paid a courtesy visit to Duke and spent nearly the whole day with Amaker. Soon after that visit, the future NBA star committed to the Blue Devils. He's recruited the best before, and I think he'll continue to do so. Good job Michigan. I think Coach Izzo may actually have a fight for some of those great Michigan recruits for a change!
Reuters