Former men's basketball Head Coach Glen Miller shares the same name as a famous 1930s bandleader, so it's apt that some music analogies be made when breaking down his return to the Pizzitola Center tonight. Whenever a band adds a new front man, there's potential for a great new sound, as well as potential for a ghastly mistake. As dirty as I feel writing this, the new Glen Miller Band has a higher likelihood of being the former than the latter.
On paper, they have all the makings for a sweet sound. Miller has proven to be a capable bandleader, turning a once moribund Brown men's basketball program into a legitimate threat, even bringing it to the National Invitational Tournament back in 2003. In contrast, his new band at Penn already knew how to jam before his arrival. He has taken charge of the two-time Ivy League champs, a perennial league power that has a lot of history on its side and expects to win each year.
Even when his current players leave the band to pursue solo careers (just to stick with the music analogy), he won't have any trouble replacing them. For those who are new to the college basketball scene, Philly is pretty good at producing kids that can play.
Now, we can analyze whether Miller's move to Penn should be criticized (and I'll spare the musical lingo this time). I can completely relate to those who plan on spending tonight in the stands yelling everything about Miller and his mother at the top of their lungs. Hell, if I wasn't obligated to fulfill my Sports Staff Writer duties and cover the game, I'd be right alongside them in a less-than-sober state.
That's because more often than not, that's what one does when a coach/player returns to his former digs. Yet, that doesn't make his move to Philly unforgivable. From both his standpoint and ours, the move came at the right time.
For starters, it's safe to say that Miller had worn out his welcome here on College Hill. Of course, he will always be remembered and praised for the work he did in his first few years, especially when the team was near or at the top of the Ivy League. But since then, the team's performance had gone downhill, his choreographed jacket throws and tantrums had become passe and the program had struggled with retaining its players (and that's putting it extremely lightly). If Miller hadn't left of his own accord, it is foreseeable that he was one more sub-par season from being shown the door.
Viewing the situation from Miller's perspective, it was also a great job opportunity. This is by no means to say that the Brown men's basketball program can't hold its own, but Penn is at the pinnacle of the Ancient Eight and has been since dinosaurs roamed the earth. Almost no one can say they would turn down the chance to run a league power. If you're given a recording deal straight up, you're not going to turn it down and audition for American Idol instead.
So there it is, proof that Miller's departure was not only a wise decision on his part, but also what was best for the Brown program going forward. He got a crack at the best coaching job in the league, and we waved goodbye to a tiresome, difficult coach and his B-level theatrics. While his actions may be forgiven, that's no reason not to hope that the new Glen Miller Band will be booed off the stage at a few shows now and then.
Chris Mahr '07 encourages both fanaticism and a lack of sobriety at tonight's game.
