DePaul University Athletics
Purnell's Singular Mission: Restore the Greatness
4/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - The daunting challenge of resurrecting the DePaul men's basketball program at perhaps the most crucial point in its illustrious 87-year history has been embraced by a man who has battled adversity for much of his life.
From the time he was 12 years old taking a stand for school integration in mid-1960s Maryland to becoming the first African-American head basketball coach at four different universities, Oliver Purnell has fought for social justice and enhanced both the athletic ability and social sensibility of his student-athletes.
Purnell, 56, was formally introduced as the Blue Demons' new basketball coach at a Tuesday afternoon press conference in Lincoln Park.
What the local media, the DePaul community and an entire city are going to discover is a unique individual who listened to his conscience at a defining moment in his coaching career.
Maryland star Len Bias was the top college basketball player in 1986 who died from a cocaine overdose after being the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics.
Purnell was the Maryland assistant coach who was told to clean up the scene of the party where Bias had overdosed.
Something within the moral fabric of the man told him to refuse to become part of a cover-up, knowing full-well the refusal could cost him his job.
That brand of leadership and a fondness for a turmoil-inducing, full-court press enabled Purnell to make dramatic turnarounds at every stop of his college coaching journey.
After heading up the Radford program for three seasons and leading the Highlanders to 22 wins in his final year, Purnell took Old Dominion to the NCAA Tournament during a three-year stint.
In nine years at Dayton, he led the Flyers to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and three in the NIT. Dayton was 24-6 in his final season there.
Purnell was 138-88 in seven seasons at Clemson and led the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament the last three years. The Tigers were 21-11 in the 2009-10 season, 9-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and fell to Missouri 86-78 in their tournament opener.
His winning percentage of .694 the last four seasons was third in the ACC to Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams.
Clemson was 50-69 in the four seasons before Purnell's arrival. At Dayton, he inherited a 6-21 team. Old Dominion was 29-33 in the two seasons before he took over and was 21-8 and 21-10 in its last two seasons under Purnell.
"It became apparent to me that this kind of challenge is something I have a passion for," said Purnell, the 13th coach in DePaul history. "This is an opportunity to restore a once-great program to where it belongs.
"DePaul belongs in the elite of the Big East Conference and in the elite of basketball teams in the country."
Purnell said he could sense the high level of commitment---beginning at the top with DePaul President Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider---to restore the greatness of the Blue Demons' program.
Father Holtschneider confirmed this commitment.
"At its March meeting, the Board of Trustees made the funds available to significantly invest in the men's basketball program so that it can compete fully and successfully in the BIG EAST Conference," Holtschneider said.
"They did so because they believe the storied history of DePaul basketball serves as a powerful vehicle to make the DePaul name known throughout the country.
"I believe Oliver Purnell is the man to restore that proud tradition."
No less of an authority than NCAA champion coach Krzyzewski can attest to Purnell's ability to build a winner.
"Oliver, to me, is one of the huge program builders in the history of our game," Krzyzewski recently told TheState.com columnist Ron Morris. "The program becomes real good while he is there, and then when he leaves, he has established the program for someone else.
"There are some people who wreck programs or never establish them. Oliver, he makes his bed really well for people to sleep in it."
At the heart of any turnaround will be the recruiting of student-athletes.
"You have in Oliver someone who understands the whole process," said DePaul Athletics Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto. "Everywhere he's been, he has developed relationships that have drawn people to him.
"This is a great opportunity to bring someone to DePaul who shares our mission and values. Coach Purnell uses education to help young people transform their lives.
"What a perfect fit he is for us."
Purnell's recruiting strategy will begin by assembling what he described as a "power staff that is second to none anywhere in the country."
The first target will be the Chicago-area's talent-laded recruiting base, and then extend out nationally as DePaul's basketball tradition resonates across the country.
"It will come from developing relationships with players in the region, coaches in the region and AAU programs in the region," Purnell said. "They need to understand this is going to be Chicago's team, and we're inviting them to be a part of Chicago's team.
"We're going to recruit high-character kids and develop that character because character people overachieve."
At the end of the press conference, Father Holtschneider presented Purnell with some DePaul athletic apparel.
"You might have signed a contract, but you truly become part of DePaul when you put on the blue," Holtschneider said with a smile.
As soon as Purnell put on the jacket and donned the cap, he looked right at home.
