When you wish, be careful

It’s interesting watching everything that is transpiring in Raleigh since Herb Sendek left town.

I’ve wanted so badly to take one side or the other. I want to say, without a doubt, the side that wanted Sendek out of town – the side that eventually pushed him out of town – was right on target. Or, perhaps I could come down on the side of those who think the coach never got a fair shake from the NC State fans.

What I’ve come to realize, though, is that both sides have legitimate arguments.

Do you want to say Sendek’s record at NC State wouldn’t have been nearly as good as it was without some early-season cupcakes and ACC expansion? And there is that whole thing about no ACC titles. I can buy those as reasons to want the coach out.

But maybe you want to argue that, for the past five years, State has at least reached the NCAA Tournament, something not even North Carolina can claim.

Then again, perhaps you would like to point out that while Duke and North Carolina have been pulling in one top recruit after another, State got the crumbs. And, while were on the topic of Duke and Carolina, Sendek’s record against those two is dismal. No, I’ll take that back. The record isn’t up to dismal’s standards.

There are those, however, who will point out that Sendek took over a program in shambles and, in 10 years, managed to get them back to respectability, both on and of the court. Maybe some had hoped he would be further along than mere respectability, but at least the coach had the program headed in the right direction.

Now my head is spinning. Was it a case of good riddance and don’t let the door hit you on the way out or another year or two and State would have been a national title contender? To tell the truth, I’m not even sure.

I’m not sure I even care. Sendek is gone and State needs a new coach. It won’t be Rick Barnes or John Calipari, but it could still be a very good coach. It may even be a coach who can take State to levels Herb Sendek never could.

The one thing I am sure of is that State fans should stop wishing for the next Jim Valvano. Honestly, don’t at least some of you recall the program when Valvano left?

I know that it’s not good to speak ill of the dead. I also know that it’s not good to speak ill of those worshipped by certain NC State fans.

What we all want to remember is the gregarious, fun-loving guy who worked for ESPN and ABC. Or the guy who fought a courageous battle against cancer in a very public spotlight and gave that speech that was as touching and powerful as any I can recall. His Jimmy V Foundation has done wonders for the fight against cancer, and for that we should be grateful.

Still, all of that has served to overshadow the fact that Valvano left North Carolina State in a bad situation. The team suffered a postseason ban and probation, and, as poor a job as Les Robinson did in Raleigh, the coach who replaced Valvano had to dig out from under it. Robinson may not have succeeded on the court, but he did do plenty of good off the court.

For that matter, so did Sendek. At least he never had a book written about his program that, to this day, is embarrassing to NC State. Yes, “Personal Fouls” may have been full of inaccuracies, but there was enough truth in the book that it’s still troublesome to the school and to Valvano’s legacy.

Or at least it should be. Instead, there are so many people shouting that State needs the next Valvano that I wonder if they know for what they are asking. Forget the off-court problems for a minute. Valvano wasn’t exactly Dean Smith or Mike Krzyzewski on the court.

He got the team one national title on a lucky play at the end of the game. Yes, they played well enough to be in a position that a lucky play could win it for them, but it’s still a lucky play.

And that was in 1983. Valvano was around the rest of the decade and had no other national titles to show for it. Without that one title, Valvano is considered a decent coach at best. Who knows, maybe the fans would have eventually chased him away before the scandals did.

Either way, Everett Case he was not.

So go ahead. Mourn or rejoice the fact that Sendek is gone. But remember that if you keep asking for the next Jimmy Valvano there’s that cliché that warns one to be careful for what they wish. They just might get it.

- Patrick Hite