New Orleans– Dillard Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Newell joins Karen Loftus to talk about getting the Bleu Devils back on the national NAIA scene, sharing the name with a movie director and flip phones.
KL: You guys had a season to remember. You made it to the round of 16 in the National NAIA Tournament and had a school record 25 wins. Now that you’ve had time to maybe reflect on it, what do you think was so memorable about it for you guys looking back at what these kids were able to do?”
MN: “All the kids that came in believed in the dream of bringing Dillard back to a winning program, not only doing that, but getting to the national tournament. Myself and the players, that’s nice but our goal is still to win that national championship.”
KL: “You have the same name as a movie director, which I didn’t know because I’m not a big movie buff, but do you ever get that when you introduce yourself to somebody—“Oh Mike Newell, like the movie director?’”
MN: “I’ve got the same name. I don’t have the same net worth. Someone else has brought that to my attention so one evening when I was bored I Googled that and I thought man, he’s really famous– from England I think.”
KL: “Word on the street is you have a flip phone…”
MN: “I do. I just need it to text and I need it to answer the phone. If I want to get it on the internet or I want to check stuff, I’m going to get on my laptop or on my computer in the office. I get by just well– and it sort of stands out. They see Dillard so know—‘Hey remember me?’ ‘You’re the guy with the flip phone.’ You’ve got to stick out some way. That’s one of the ways I do.”
KL: “Having a flip phone, one would say is old school. Do you think translates to your coaching style being old school.”
MN: “I think it does. I hold kids accountable. Karen, I’ve coached in 5 decades. There’s one common denominator. They want to be coached. They want to get better. They want discipline and they want structure. So I think that’s the old school that I do deliver.
KL: “Final question– what’s your favorite kind of pizza?”
MN: “Probably meat lovers. But there’s no non-favorite. I’ve not tasted a bad pizza.”
KL: “Right, we like all pizza,”
MN: “That’s right.”
KL: “Thanks so much for taking some time to join us.”
MN: “Thank you for having me.”