Dan D’Antoni Bolts For Marshall

FINALLY D’Antoni is GONE!!!! Let the celebration begin, right?

Well…not exactly. Head coach Mike D’Antoni has yet to clear his belongings from his office.  In fact, things appear that moment won’t take place for another year.  Sorry Lakers fans but older brother Dan D’Antoni is departing the ever so slowly sinking Lakers ship and taking his talents to West Virginia.  The elder D’Antoni was announced as the Marshall Thundering Herd new head  basketball coach Friday.

Dan D’Antoni has no college head coaching experience.  However, D’Antoni has no experience as a head coach on any level beyond high school.  His last stint in college in fact was 43 years ago as an assistant on Marshall’s staff.  The elder D’Antoni also played for Marshall and was the team’s leading scorer in 1968-69 as a Junior.

Dan, much like Mike, has his work cut out for him at Mashall. The Herd have not been to the NCAA tournament in 27 years and that likely may remain the same as one of Marshall’s top recruits, Redshirt freshman Kareem Canty, has transferred.  Yet, D’Antoni may have found happiness nonetheless as he considers this his “dream job”.  Dan D’Antoni may actually flourish as a college head coach.  He has had a long specialty in dealing with youths from his 30 years as an high school coach.  And, D’Antoni never really seemed to be all that much dialed into the NBA and personality traits of its athletes therein.

Ultimately here in the midst of your frustration that the Lakers just can’t get rid of the RIGHT D’Antoni, perhaps finding humor in that Dan D’Antoni has went from public high school basketball coach, to restaurant owner, to NBA assistant coach of the 2 largest markets in sports, to Division-I college head coach…..at 66 years old.  Moral of the story is age can’t stop you from living the dream, right?  Only in America.