he final leg of former University of Massachusetts coach Bruiser Flint's job-search tour apparently has led him home.

Flint, 35, who starred at Philadelphia's Episcopal High School and St. Joseph's University, is expected to be named the head coach at Drexel today.

Drexel was 15-12 last season, playing in the America East Conference. The Dragons are moving up to the Colonial League. The school fired Steve Seymour at the end of the season.

Duquesne University officials, who met with Flint Monday, now likely will hire former Nebraska coach Danny Nee, who coached last season at Robert Morris in Pittsburgh.

Flint was forced to resign at UMass March 12 following a 15-15 season. Former Villanova coach Steve Lappas was hired to replace him.

NEW ASSISTANT COACHES: UMass Athletic Director Bob Marcum said Tuesday that two of Lappas' Villanova assistants will join him in Amherst. He declined to name them.

Since Joe Jones announced he is staying at Villanova with new coach Jay Wright, that would leave Steve Pinone and Chris Walker to come to Amherst.

ELSEWHERE: If Nee is hired at Duquesne, that will leave two other Atlantic 10 schools still hunting for coaches.

Rob Lanier, a former St. Bonaventure assistant who is currently on Texas coach Rick Barnes' staff, likely is the front-runner for the Bonnies.

La Salle reportedly is interested in Penn's Fran Dunphy or St. John's assistant Kevin Clark. If Dunphy moves across town, it would make four Philadelphia schools with new coaches as Villanova, La Salle and Drexel all have made moves as well.

St. Joseph's could have joined them, but Phil Martelli resisted overtures from Rutgers. With all of the key pieces to this season's Atlantic 10 regular-season champs returning, Martelli figures to have a loaded squad in 2001-02. Richmond's John Bielein was also considered but is no longer a candidate.

Xavier coach Skip Prosser was a candidate at Seton Hall, but the New Jersey school reportedly will hire Siena's Louis Orr.

MISCELLANEOUS: UMass will have its annual basketball banquet Sunday at the Log Cabin in Holyoke and Flint will attend. Lappas, who likely will be out recruiting, will not be there ... The UMass radio broadcast team (WHMP/WLZX) of Bob Behler and former coach Jack Leaman were honored by the Associated Press as the best sports play-by-play in the Massachusetts-Rhode Island Region.

HILADELPHIA � Former University of Massachusetts head coach James �Bruiser� Flint will named head men�s basketball coach at Drexel University during a formal press conference on Thursday, April 5 at 1 p.m. in the John A. Daskalakis Athletic Center. Flint, a Philadelphia native and former St. Joseph�s University standout, replaces former head coach Steve Seymour who was released from his head coaching post on March 7 following two seasons at the helm. Flint will become Drexel Basketball�s 25th head coach in its 103-year history.

Flint spent 12 years at UMass, serving seven seasons (1989-96) as an assistant coach to John Calipari and succeeding Calipari for five seasons as the University�s 17th head basketball coach. He compiled an 86-72 career record, including a 52-28 record in Atlantic 10 Conference play, before resigning his post on March 12, 2001. Flint guided three of his five teams to postseason competition. He spent two seasons (1987-89) as an assistant coach at Coppin State University before joining the UMass staff.

rexel is welcoming James "Bruiser" Flint back to Philadelphia today.

Flint, a former player at St. Joseph's University and Episcopal Academy, will be introduced as the Dragons' men's basketball coach at an afternoon press conference.

Flint, 35, recently resigned as the head coach at the University of Massachusetts. In his five seasons, the Minutemen were 86-72. They qualified for the NCAA tournament in Flint's first two seasons, after he replaced John Calipari. But they failed to earn an NCAA bid the next three seasons.

At Drexel, Flint succeeds Steve Seymour, who was fired March 7 after two seasons (28-29).

Drexel athletic director Eric Zillmer said Flint was the Dragons' top choice for several reasons:

"He's a Philadelphia guy," Zillmer said yesterday. "He has something to prove after his UMass experience; he has energy and charisma; he has five years of head-coaching experience; and he's a good recruiter."

The Dragons lose five seniors, including their top three scorers: Stephen Starks (19.4), Joe Linderman (17.8) and Mike Kouser (17.6).

Ashley Howard, a 6-foot sophomore from Monsignor Bonner High, is Drexel's leading returning scorer (8.9).

Drexel and three other America East schools - Delaware, Hofstra and Towson - will begin competing in basketball next season in the Colonial Athletic Association. The CAA, with George Mason, North Carolina-Wilmington, Old Dominion, James Madison, Virginia Commonwealth and William & Mary, is a step up from the America East.

"I'm concerned about competing right away in the Colonial," Zillmer said. "It may take a year or two, even with Bruiser."

Zillmer said he thinks hiring Flint will douse some of the harsh reaction to Seymour's firing.

"I believe in putting round pegs into round holes," Zillmer said. "I trust my intuition. It doesn't take a genius to understand that somebody from the Philly area is going to excite and energize Drexel basketball a lot better than somebody who has never recruited in this area. I'm willing to put my money on [Flint] that he's going to be successful at Drexel."

Flint also was a candidate for the Duquesne coaching job that went yesterday to Danny Nee.

A former coach at Nebraska, Nee was 7-22 in one seasno at Robert Morris, near Pittsburgh where Duquesne is located.

Seymour has applied for an assistant's job on Jim Baron's new staff at Rhode Island.

The CAA's four new members will compete in soccer, field hockey and volleyball in the America East in the fall.

rexel University will introduce Bruiser Flint as its new men's basketball coach during a press conference today in Philadelphia, ending one of the most tumultuous years in the former UMass coach's life.

Flint, who was asked to resign from UMass three weeks ago after coaching the program for five seasons, was drawn to Drexel for a quality that he found lacking in recent years - a supportive administration.

``Drexel made me feel good,'' he said yesterday while driving down to his hometown of Philadelphia. ``My mom (Veronica) told me to go to the place that wanted me the most. They sought me out, they practically recruited me.

``They haven't said no yet to the things I've asked for. Even after I went back to Duquesne for another interview on Monday, they asked me to come back and talk to them again. They were very consistent in everything they did.''

Though Flint, 35, was favored by Duquesne athletic director Brian Colleary, university president John Murray chose to appoint former Nebraska and Robert Morris coach Danny Nee, who was introduced at a press conference yesterday. Flint was puzzled by the fact that though he was one of two finalists for the job, he still hadn't received a telephone call from Colleary as of yesterday.

Flint also was a candidate at Northeastern, which reportedly resumed negotiations with McNeese State coach Ron Everhart.

Flint agreed to a four-year deal with Drexel worth a base salary of $200,000 annually, in addition to additional incentives for winning the conference championship and reaching the NIT and NCAA tournament.

Flint was also angered and hurt yesterday after reading an article written by Bill Strickland, assistant to athletic director Bob Marcum, in the campus publication The Maroon and White. Strickland gave Flint's legacy a belated, out-the-door critique. Flint, however, chose the high road.

``I learned a lot from my 12 years there, that you really have to learn to appreciate everything,'' he said. ``I've only been two places in my life, Philly and Amherst. It's my second home and I'll always come back to see my friends. You live and you learn.''

MHERST - Bruiser Flint had a chance to relax a bit yesterday, but he also sounded excited about what was coming up.

"This is a situation in which my fingerprints will be on the program," said Flint, 35, who will be introduced as Drexel University's men's basketball coach this afternoon in Philadelphia. "This will be somewhat mine."

For five years, Flint coached at the University of Massachusetts, where his 86-72 record and three postseason appearances did not meet with complete satisfaction from the fans. Faced with shrinking attendance and a 46-47 record over the past three years, athletic director Bob Marcum gave an unfavorable recommendation of Flint, who then resigned.

His contract with Drexel is for four years at $200,000 per year. The contract also includes a rollover clause which could extend it by a year after the first season.

Following Steve Seymour, who was fired after a 15-12 season, seems much less daunting than following John Calipari, who brought UMass to the 1996 Final Four and then left for the NBA. Flint was left the reins a program that had rocketed to national prominence.

Flint said the Drexel job is challenging, partly because the Dragons are moving from America East to the Colonial Athletic Association. But he also thinks the university knows it will take time to upgrade the program.

"The situation is a little like what John faced when he first came to UMass, although Drexel is more established at its own level," Flint said. "Our goal is to be competitive, and the CAA is a big step up. But we also know it will take time."

Flint grew up not far from Drexel's campus, but had little contact with the school as a youth. When the job opened up, he saw Drexel as an option but not a natural fit, especially since other openings existed at La Salle, Northeastern and later Duquesne.

Flint was in the Duquesne job search until Tuesday night, when the school reportedly chose to go with Danny Nee, the Robert Morris coach who was formerly at Nebraska. Flint spent Tuesday night waiting for a call from Duquesne, one way or another, though he sensed Nee was the front-runner.

But the call never came, and yesterday afternoon, Flint said he still hadn't heard from Duquesne. He did hear from Northeastern, which continued its pursuit of McNeese State coach Ron Everhart, even after Everhart pulled out of the search Monday.

Flint said Northeastern officials told him yesterday that if the Drexel deal fell through, and the Everhart negotiations also didn't work out, Northeastern was still very interested in Flint. But by that time, Flint knew he was going to Drexel, which had actively pursued him, and firmed up the deal yesterday.

He will bring associate coach Geoff Arnold with him, and assistants Chuck Martin and Mike Connors are also likely to join the staff. As a player, Arnold was recruited by Drexel before choosing St. Joseph's, where he was Flint's teammate.

It's also possible UMass recruits Mauricio Branwell and Jeremiah King, who would prefer to play for Flint, will transfer to Drexel. The other recruit, highly touted Eddie Basden, would seem like a long shot at best for the CAA level.

All three recruits have expressed interest in being released from the UMass commitment, and Marcum has indicated he'll honor those wishes.

Drexel accepts players who are ineligible as freshmen, and although the university has high academic demands, Flint is undaunted because he said UMass players weren't allowed to "hide" in easy courses, either.

Flint has one final bit of UMass business left. He plans to attend the 2000-01 Minutemen's team banquet Sunday at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

He's relieved the uncertainty of his future is over.

"It's been an experience, that's for sure," Flint said. "But the people at Drexel have been great to me."

ew Drexel coach Bruiser Flint joked about the attention given to his brief unemployment.

"I'm finally off the bread line," he said. "No more welfare cheese."

Flint was named the new coach at the Philadelphia school Wednesday and will be formally introduced at a press conference Thursday at 1 p.m.

Flint, who was forced to resign at the University of Massachusetts on March 12, was a candidate at Duquesne, which now will hire Danny Nee, and at Northeastern.

Drexel offered Flint a four-year contract Tuesday night. Rather than wait for Duquesne to decide between him and Nee, Flint decided to accept.

"These people really wanted me," Flint said. They recruited me. You want to go somewhere where people want you because then they'll try to help you win."

"Today begins a new era of Drexel University men's basketball,'' Drexel Athletic Director Eric Zillmer told the Associated Press. "I'm confident that the best of Drexel basketball is yet to come."

Flint, who originally hails from Philadelphia, is glad to be returning.

"I'm happy to be going home," he said. "It will be a good situation."

Flint said he planned to offer positions at Drexel to all of his current staff at UMass, including assistant coaches Geoff Arnold, Chuck Martin and Mike Connors, as well as staff assistants Brian Gorman and Patrick Plunkett.

Connors, however is a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at St. Bonaventure, where his father was a star player.

Flint, who will be at the UMass men's basketball banquet Sunday, was preparing to put his house on the market.

Drexel, which had been in the America East Conference, is moving to the Colonial Athletic Association this year along with Hofstra, Towson and Delaware.

Flint said he and the Drexel administrators agreed that the Dragons don't currently have enough talent to be competitive in the tougher league right away.

"We talked about it and it's going to take a little time," Flint said. "But they talked about where they wanted to go with the program and they think I'm the guy to do it."

Meanwhile, one of Flint's former players, junior big man Eric Williams, said he will be back for his senior season with the Minutemen, ending speculation that he might transfer to a Division 2 school in New York to be closer to his family.

"I talked with coach (Lappas) and he wants me to stay," said Williams, who consulted with Flint and his AAU coach about the decision as well.

The Minutemen are playing pickup games regularly at Curry Hicks Cage. Williams said the games have been competitive.

"Everybody's playing good," Williams said. "Everybody is pretty loose."

HILADELPHIA � Former University of Massachusetts head coach James �Bruiser� Flint has been named head men�s basketball coach at Drexel University effecitve immediately, Drexel Director of Athletics Dr. Eric Zillmer announced via a press conference today. Flint, a Philadelphia native and former St. Joseph�s University standout, replaces former head coach Steve Seymour who was released from his head coaching post on March 7 following two seasons at the helm. Flint becomes Drexel Basketball�s 25th head coach in its 103-year history. Terms of the contract were not released.

Bruiser meets the Philadelphia media as head coach of Drexel.

Flint spent 12 years at UMass, serving seven seasons (1989-96) as an assistant coach to John Calipari and succeeding Calipari for five seasons as the University�s 17th head basketball coach. He compiled an 86-72 career record, including a 52-28 record in Atlantic 10 Conference play, before resigning his post on March 12, 2001. Flint guided three of his five teams to postseason competition. He spent two seasons (1987-89) as an assistant coach at Coppin State University before joining the UMass staff.

Dr. Zillmer also confirmed that Drexel�s 18-sport NCAA intercollegiate athletic program, which has been aligned with the America East Conference since the 1991-92 season, will sever its ties with the league following the 2001 fall season. Drexel�s fall sports � field hockey, men�s golf, men�s and women�s soccer, men�s and women�s tennis and women�s volleyball � will compete for a final season within the America East as associate members. Drexel�s winter and spring sports, including men�s and women�s basketball, will join the University of Delaware, Hofstra University and Towson University in competition in the new Colonial Athletic Association. Those four schools will align with the CAA�s current membership � The College of William & Mary, George Mason University, James Madison University, University of North Carolina-Wilmington, Old Dominion University and Virginia Commonwealth University � in the 10-team conference.

�Drexel Athletics is poised to advance to the next level through our affiliation with the Colonial Athletic Association,� said Drexel President Constantine Papadakis. �Giving momentum to this transition is the appointment of James �Bruiser� Flint as our new men�s basketball coach. Coach Flint has achieved success against the highest level of competition in Division I basketball and will continue that success at Drexel. Born and reared in West Philadelphia, it is our pleasure to welcome him back home.�

�Today begins a new era of Drexel University men�s basketball,� Zillmer said. �After a national search, we are pleased to announce that our new coach has a track record of successful coaching and a commitment to leadership and vision. I am confident that the best of Drexel Basketball is yet to come.

�With our impending move into the CAA, Drexel Athletics is prepared to meet new challenges by making a new commitment to our basketball programs,� Zillmer continued. �I have complete faith in Bruiser that he will show us the way and bring positive recognition to the University.�

A 1987 St. Joseph�s graduate, Flint, 35, was a four-year letterwinner with the Hawks. He earned All-Atlantic 10 honors as a senior after averaging 14.6 points and leading the conference in assists (6.1 apg). Flint led St. Joseph�s to the 1986 A-10 championshp and a berth in the NCAA Tournament as a junior. The Hawks also made NIT appearances in 1984 and 1985 with Flint on their roster. He was inducted into his alma mater�s athletic hall of fame in 1998.

Flint was a 1983 graduate of Episcopal Academy where he was a first team All-Philadelphia and third team All-State selection following his senior season. He finished his prep career ranked second on the Inter-Academic Conference�s all-time scoring and assist lists, and was named the league�s MVP as a senior.

Flint inherits a Drexel program that posted six 20-win seasons while claiming three America East championships and subsequent NCAA Tournament berths as well as one National Invitation Tournament bid in the 1990s. The Dragons went 28-29 in Seymour�s two campaigns, making a ninth straight America East semifinal appearance in 2000 and sustaining a 74-73 upset defeat to Northeastern in the 2001 league quarterfinals. The Dragons lose three all-conference selections � Mike Kouser, Joe Linderman and Stephen Starks � from this season�s 15-12 squad.

Flint and his wife, Rene, have a 5-year-old daughter, Jada.

ames "Bruiser" Flint remembers taking the No. 34 trolley as a child from his home at 58th Street and Baltimore Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia to play basketball at Drexel.

He has fond memories of those days, although his trolley days are basically over. As the new Drexel men's basketball coach, Flint can drive to campus.

He might even get a parking spot, too.

"When I came here one time, [Drexel athletic director Eric] Zillmer walked me to the corner and waited. I said, 'Believe me, I've been around here a lot. I'm OK,' " said Flint, who was introduced yesterday as the new coach at the John A. Daskalakis Athletic Center.

Flint, who played for Episcopal Academy and later starred at St. Joe's, knows the city. He hopes that knowledge will work to his advantage when he recruits.

Drexel thinks it will. That is one reason the school hired him.

"I've been recruiting against some of the best in the country," Flint said. "That doesn't scare me at all. I'm home. I have a nice little recruiting base. I made my phone calls already."

Drexel president Constantine Papadakis and other school officials praised Flint at their news conference. They talked about his strong character and career at UMass, which included two NCAA tournament appearances. They discussed his future, and how they believe he will be successful in the Colonial Athletic Association and in the NCAA tournament.

Flint listened to every word. He could tell they were excited.

"Every time you get a new job, they talk about you like you're [UCLA legend] John Wooden," Flint said. "I hope they talk about me like that at the end, too."

That means Flint, who had an 86-72 record in five seasons at UMass, must win. And that might not happen immediately. The Dragons, who finished 15-12 last season, lose their top three scorers and move next season to the CAA from the America East Conference.

Flint said he considers the CAA to be just as good as the Atlantic Ten. But Drexel officials made it clear to Flint, who is believed to have signed a five-year contract worth $1 million, that they will give him time to build a program.

"It's going to take a couple years in the CAA to really be competitive," he said. "But like I said, the players they have here might surprise me. We might get in the league and compete right away. But I can't say that now. . . . We talked about it. Let's not try to think I'm a miracle worker."

Drexel junior Ashley Howard, who will be the Dragons' top returning scorer next season at 8.9 points per game, is excited to have a coach from a high-profile program such as that at UMass, which reached the Final Four in 1996 when Flint was an assistant to John Calipari.

"When I first heard about it, I thought he was the perfect guy," Howard said. "He's a Philly guy. I think it will work out well."

Flint likened his relationship with Drexel to a marriage. He believes this one will last longer than the one at UMass, where he was pressured to resign after a 15-15 season and third straight year without making the NCAA tournament.

"My expectations are high," he said. "We just weren't on the same page up there. I just felt like we were on the same page at Drexel. Everybody was looking to do the same things. I don't know if I always had that at UMass. They wanted to do one thing. I wanted to do another."

Flint believes he will receive solid backing from Drexel administrators. He even said that coaches do not build programs, administrations do.

"We want to be competitive," he said. "We want to get to the NCAA tournament. Let's build this program to be a good program in the conference that we're going in. It boils down to getting players. They said, 'Whatever you need to be successful.' They understand what they have to do. That's the most important thing right there."

"e's a man. He's his own man. He is a great quality person," Director of Athletics Eric Zillmer said. "He's a great addition to the University. ...He has the skills that will lead to great internal relations and great external relations at the school."

James "Bruiser" Flint will replace former head coach Steve Seymour who was fired March 7 after two seasons as head coach. The details of Flint's contract were not released by the University, and Flint himself denied to comment. However, according to a report in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the contract is worth $1 million over five years.

Flint, a Philadelphia native, is returning home after guiding the University of Massachusetts basketball program for five seasons as head coach and for seven years as an assistant coach under John Calipari. Many of his family members were in attendance for the press conference.

"Coach Flint will continue his success at Drexel, and we'll have Drexel back in the NCAA [Tournament] before we know it," University President Constantine Papadakis said.

Flint brings head coaching experience from a well-known basketball program. That experience is what Zillmer wants the Dragons to have as they start competition in the Colonial Athletic Association next season. Zillmer admitted at the press conference that this decision was the biggest of his career, to which Papadakis replied, "You're right."

"We're going to get a bigger impact from Bruiser' than from any other coach," Zillmer said. "He's hungry and he wants to prove himself. Philadelphia is the most populated college basketball town in the country, you've got to know your way around."

Flint joins Jay Wright of Villanova and Billy Hahn of La Salle as Philadelphia's new coaches for next season.

Flint is well aware of the challenges that are awaiting him. With three of the top scorers in the America East leaving the program as seniors and only one left, the move to the CAA will be difficult.

"It's going to take a couple of years to be competitive in the CAA," said Flint. "I'm not a miracle worker. My expectations are high. Everyone here has the same visions and goals. We did a good job recruiting in Philadelphia when I was with UMass."

Flint said that the program's move to the CAA was a huge impact on his decision to select Drexel. Flint stated that he was contacted by many schools for vacant head and assistant coaching positions, but the biggest recruiting was done by Duquesne and soon-to-be former America East rival Northeastern.

Flint added that one of his biggest concerns was future support from the University, especially after the dismissal of Seymour after only two seasons.

Flint amassed an 86-72 record as head coach and was 52-28 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. He took the Minutemen to the NCAA Tournament in his first two seasons as head coach and to the National Invitational Tournament once.

However, after guiding the Minutemen to a 15-15 record and an appearance in the A-10 championship game, Flint was forced to resign March 12 after intense pressure from the school's administration.

According to Zillmer, as soon as Flint resigned he became the top candidate for the head coaching job at Drexel.

"I was surprised how many big name programs were interested in the position," Zillmer said.

The other finalists for the position were Karl Hobbs, an assistant at UConn, and Matt Brady, an assistant at St. Joseph's in Philadelphia.

Other coaches who interviewed for the position included Brad Soderberg, the former Wisconsin coach; Dave Miller, an assistant at the University of Southern Califonia; Paul Rodio, who was senior forward Mike Kouser's high school head coach; Dean Demopoulos, a former Temple assistant; and Walter Fuller, an assistant coach at Virginia.

" always came back a lot while coaching at UMass to see my family. I'd bring the whole team down to eat cheese steaks at Jim's," Flint said at the April 5 press conference at Drexel announcing his appointment.

Family remains a big part of his life, especially after the recent passing of his uncle, Kenneth Lee.

"You do miss your family while you're away," Flint said. "My uncle was very close to me and played an important role with my development in basketball."

Flint's father claims he taught him everything he knows.

"My dad has always been a big part of my basketball career and I'm sure he always will. Both my mother and father play huge parts in my life, and this gives them the chance to come to all of the home games," Flint said.

After spending 12 seasons in Amherst, Mass., Flint said he is more than pleased to be back in a city that is surrounded by action.

"Now I can take my wife out to movies, restaurants, and concerts. In Amherst, you had to hope a decent movie was playing within the area," Flint added.

Although he went to St. Joseph's, Drexel is by no means new territory for Flint. One of his close friends, Charles Hickman, was a former player for the Dragons.

"I used to take the 34 [trolley] to come see Hickman play all the time," Flint said.

Flint's new goal is to bring Drexel men's basketball into a new era � an era of excellence and prominence. Hopefully, his rich history in basketball and close ties to Philadelphia can help him bring in the right recruits and achieve his goal.

es, it is surprising that Drexel did receive a lot of interest from coaches involved with big time programs, but the hiring is even more surprising for another reason, one that's as black as the ink you're reading.

In Drexel's 100-plus years in athletics, Flint is the first African-American to take over the head coaching position in any sport.

With the obvious amount of star players in sports who are African-American, it is disturbing that Drexel took this long to jump on a bandwagon that has been rolling for quite some time.

The fact that Flint joins Temple's John Chaney as the only other African-American head basketball coach in Philadelphia makes me believe Director of Athletics Eric Zillmer even more for saying that Flint will have the most impact of any head coaching prospect on the market.

It's obvious that a majority of the star players in college basketball is of African-American descent. At Drexel, seven of the 15 players on the 2000-01 roster are African-American (Ashley Howard, Doug Fairfax, Robert Battle, Jamil Moore, Stephen Starks, Petrick Sanders, and Sean Brooks).

One of the keys to Flint's success as a Drexel coach will be his ability to recruit within the city of Philadelphia.

Look at the city; everywhere you look, every playground you walk upon, it is there staring you in the face: basketball. And most of the players are African-American. One of the top five players in this year's NBA Draft will be Eddie Griffin of Seton Hall, a Philly native. Across the river is Dejuan Wagner, the best high school player in the nation. He's going to Memphis, if not the NBA.

To think that race isn't somewhat of an impact on college prospects is wrong.

Of course, coach Krzyzewski of national champion Duke University is Caucasian, but how many programs are as strong as Duke at pulling in recruits. The McDonald's All Star game is hosted on Duke's campus, it's no wonder they have no problem getting the best player out there.

Zillmer, a psychology scholar, said that Flint will usher in a new era of Drexel basketball. There is a good chance he could bring Philly collegiate basketball into a new era as well. I think Zillmer knows more than he lets on.

Flint encourages people to be well-rounded, to be just as talented on the court as off it. He has strong family ties, as shown by the number of family members who attended his press conference.

He is a role model; I'd want my kids to play for him. Zillmer was correct when he said that Flint is his own man.

Flint doesn't think that race will be that much of a difference when it comes to recruiting, but he did admit he hopes it gives him even a slightest advantage. Flint said that he's had as much success recruiting Caucasians as African-Americans. The more power to him.

He doesn't want to be known as an African-American coach; he wants to be seen as a coach, period. However, if Drexel is a microcosm once again, people will tend to stick to those closest to their own culture. There's no denying it, and I believe the same will apply to Drexel's recruiting over the next few years.

Ironically, Flint's all-time favorite player is the Caucasian Derek Kellogg, who played in the mid-1990s.