As I said initially hiring Brandin Knight as the Video Coordinator is just the latest in positive news for Pitt basketball after a miserable start to the offseason. Here are the stories.
Following his Pitt career, Knight played two seasons with Asheville (N.C.) of the NBDL, the NBA’s developmental league, helping the team to consecutive titles in 2003-04 and 2004-05. In 2005, he signed a contract with the Houston Rockets, but suffered extensive knee and leg injuries two weeks later.
He has spent the past 16 months in Pittsburgh rehabbing the injury, while coaching several Amateur Athletic Union teams, including one that captured the Under-16 Pittsburgh Jamfest title.
“This is my only focus right now,” Knight said of his new job. “I can’t say I’ll never play again, but for right now, this is what I want to do.”
Knight’s appointment completes a revamping of Dixon’s staff, which also consists of holdover assistants Pat Sandle and Orlando Antigua, who was promoted from director of basketball operations; Mike Rice, who joined the Panthers from St. Joseph’s, where he was serving as an assistant; and David Cox, a former Washington AAU coach who took over Antigua’s previous position.
In addition to Rohrssen and Alesi, another former Pitt assistant, Joe Lombardi, left the program after last season to take over as coach of Indiana (Pa.).
I’m not saying this to be cruel, but I’m not sure the demand is that high for Brandin Knight’s services as a player in the NBA that he needs to leave that door open.
What is interesting is that Knight essentially wanted to start at the bottom of the coaching ladder.
During his rehabilitation, Knight has been around the program in an unofficial capacity for the past year. He helped with player workouts this past spring when Dixon was short-handed because assistant coaching positions were unfilled. Knight also has dabbled in AAU coaching.
Knight said he spoke with Dixon about the director of operations position that was filled last month by David Cox, but was not interested in that post.
He also turned down an offer from Manhattan coach Barry Rohrssen, Dixon’s former top lieutenant, to be a full-time assistant with the Jaspers.
“Nothing against Manhattan, but I wouldn’t have been able to recruit the type of players I would want to recruit there,” Knight said.
“And I spoke with coach Dixon about [the director of operations job].
“That wasn’t a position I felt like I really wanted to do. It’s really a hands-off position. It’s administrative. We briefly talked about it. It never got to the point where it was serious, and it was never offered to me.
“This job gives me an opportunity to learn the system. I can really get to learn about coaching from the ground up. I’ll be an assistant with the new coaches. The new guys have been great.”
It’s like the guy wants to get the fundamentals down in everything he does with basketball (except for free throw shooting?) first.
For now, his mission is to make Pitt a national title contender. Pitt might be ranked in the top five in preseason polls.
“It’s always a great opportunity to come back and do it at your own school,” Knight said.
“It’s always good to come back and support the guys. My expectations are a lot higher than what we accomplished. These guys are great guys, and I’ll help them in any way I can.”
Isn’t good to know that classic cliches about “helping the team” can be adapted even for coaches.
