Commentary: Buzz can’t

resist chance to return

to App’s bench
By Steve Behr, sports editor

Buzz Peterson was born to coach.

It’s in his blood. It’s in his heart. While others go off to work watching the clock strike 5 p.m., Peterson would rather be conducting practice or looking at film.

It’s why he’s leaving a good job as director of player personnel with the Charlotte Bobcats, probably at a healthy salary, to return to Boone to coach Appalachian State for a third time, the second time as the Mountaineers’ head coach.

Peterson proved to me he loves to coach when he took the job at Coastal Carolina. After four years at Tennessee, he was nudged out with a year left on his contract worth over $1 million. He could have taken a few years off, probably could have hooked up with one of the Fox affiliates or ESPN, and done color commentary on games throughout the Southeast.

He would have been a natural. He knows the game and communicates well.

Instead he took a job at Coastal, a program that has a great location seven miles west of Myrtle Beach, S.C., but not exactly the center ring.

After two years at Coastal, he took his job with the Bobcats and his close friend, Michael Jordan. But the chance to return to the bench was too much to ignore.

For the most part, that’s why Peterson returned to Appalachian State. The question on several people’s minds, at least in this area, is: How long will he stay here?

“This is totally different than 13 years ago,” he said. “This is the place where I want to make a difference and a lasting impression. I’m looking to coach the next 12 or 15 years, like Jerry Moore. Some coaches say that seven years is a lifetime. This is somewhere I’d like to finish my career.”

Peterson used to be a hot commodity during his first stay as head coach. He accepted, then turned down and chance to move to Southwest Missouri State in 1999. He was courted by Houston and a finalist at Georgia Tech in 2000 before finally accepting a position at Tulsa.

One year later, he landed what he called his “dream job” at Tennessee.

That was a while ago. Younger men get older and become more willing to settle down with their families.

Peterson said Wednesday that he has reached his final destination. He signed a five-year contract, but if he can lead the Mountaineers back to the NCAAs, his name will probably come up once again when schools with losing programs from power conferences start looking for a new coach.

He admitted Wednesday during a conference call that for a while, he was a bit burned out. “Coaching can be a grind,” he said.

There is the travel. There is the recruiting. There is the time away from the family.

But there was also the camaraderie he missed while on the bench. He missed being with the players. And no matter how hands on he may or may not be with the Bobcats during the draft, that is not his program.

His program resides at the corner of Hardin and Rivers Streets.

So Peterson returns to the address that he had a huge role in getting built. He’s never coached at the Holmes Center, but was here when it was under construction.

He takes over a program that can contend for a Southern Conference championship. The depth is there both on the front line and especially in the backcourt.

What Peterson needs to find is a difference maker. During his first tour of duty, he had guards Tyson Patterson, Rufus Leach and forward Marshall Phillips.

All three delivered points, defense and most of all, consistency. The Mountaineers’ last two things last year: the ability to take care of the basketball and consistency, particularly in scoring.

It will be up to Peterson to build on the foundation former coach Houston Fancher constructed. Peterson put together three straight 20-win seasons at ASU and took them to the 2000 NCAA Tournament.

He won’t have Fancher, who as Peterson’s assistant played a key role in recruiting and gameday coaching, with him. Still, the two have handled an awkward situation with class and Peterson said Fancher has signed off on Peterson’s return.

“He said ‘I’d rather have you coach these young men than anybody else because we’re family,’” Peterson said Fancher told him.

Winning games is only the first challenge for Peterson. Putting fannies in those Holmes Center seats is another. He’s popular enough to draw some extra fans for maybe his first two years. However, former ASU coach Bobby Cremins is also still popular around here, and the novelty of him bringing in College of Charleston has more or less worn off.

But that’s a problem that Peterson can address later. Maybe Jordan can help him out by hosting some autograph sessions.

In the meantime, Peterson has a coaching career to revive.