Dear Coach Porter:

Welcome to the University of Portland community! Thank you for your years of steady stewardship to the City of Portland and the Blazer faithful. You have represented yourself with dignity and class within the Portland community. These qualities will serve you well as the new head coach of the Portland Pilots.

My wife and I began attending Pilot games over 20 years ago as students at UP. We now have raised our three children by purchasing season tickets and attending Pilot games more frequently than Sunday mass (Catholics love confession).  We've had our share of ups and downs (ok, mostly downs). We've savored a few wins against Gonzaga, BYU and Saint Mary's. But, the two greatest moments were UP's invitation to the Big Dance in 1996 and the 2009 76 Classic Tournament where we beat UCLA 74-47, then beat #21 U of Minnesota and ultimately lost a competitive game to #8 West Virginia in the tourney championship. This successful run resulted in a #25 ranking for the Pilots. That lasted one week when we were beat by Portland State at HOME!

The UP community is special. Everyone is nice (Minnesota nice). They'll love you and never disrespect you. Eric Reveno was an excellent ambassador to the University. He embraced his role as a leader within the UP community. He attended soccer gamers and other UP events. He was accessible. He had time for my three rugrats when they approached him at UP events. He was a respectable in-game tactician. He took ownership of his players and admirably turned many immature boys into dignified men. I was proud he was our Coach. But, that still wasn't enough.

UP men's basketball needs more fan support and more wins. Fans follow wins. But, these fans will support you through difficult times if they believe in you and your team. If you don't believe me, attend a women's soccer game. Somehow, this sleepy little academic University comes alive.  The University leads the nation in fan attendance for women's soccer whether we're ranked or not. Why? Because the fans matter. In men's basketball, the players expect to be loved by the fans. In women's soccer, the fans receive the love from players and coaches. It's a symbiotic relationship, not a club of exclusivity. Seems small, I know. But, don't be fooled.  Why hasn't the Villa Drum Squad ever supported men's basketball like women's soccer? If I had to guess, it's because they've never been genuinely and persistently asked. The fans need to matter.

I promise not to provide you with any advice on basketball strategy. There's no doubting your basketball acumen. On the recruiting trail, I'm hopeful you can have the same opportunity as OSU Coach Tinkle in his first year. His team succeeded this past year because he had one outstanding returning player (his Gary Payton II is our Alec Wintering). But, he had a unique opportunity because he and assistant coach Thompson  had two 4 star sons who happened to be freshmen on their dads' team. Success breeds success. Now, OSU is a destination. I'm hopeful we can have a similar opportunity.

Then, we can climb the mountain. Perpetual losing hurts. Please stop the bleeding, Coach.

Great post, Wingman!