Leckie licks wounds after 4-23 disaster
SPC coach looks back at first year and wonders what happened
After losing in the first round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament last weekend in Buffalo, putting a merciful end to his first season as the head coach, Bob Leckie boarded the plane with his St. Peter’s College basketball team and wondered whether he did the right thing in taking over the program at his alma mater.
"There wasn’t a day that went by when I didn’t think that way," said Leckie, who took the job last April, only to suffer through a horrendous 4-23 campaign – the worst season in the history of the program. "I always ask my wife, ‘Did I do the right thing?’ It couldn’t be as bad as this. Whatever I thought it was going to be, it turned out to be 10 times worse."
Leckie had a nice life as the owner and operator of a bar and restaurant in Brooklyn and as the head coach at Bishop Loughlin High School. He didn’t need the aggravation that comes with being a Division I basketball coach.
But several influential alumni of the school – including former teammates when Leckie was a point guard with the Peacocks in the late 60s – talked him into taking the position, after former coach Rodger Blind resigned after a 5-22 mark a year ago.
"I thought I understood the caliber of basketball that was played in the MAAC," Leckie said. "I saw St. Peter’s play a few times and I watched some games and I really thought I had a handle on it. But I would be a little remiss if I didn’t underestimate the talent level before we played. That’s my fault."
Added Leckie, "Before the season, I really worried whether we could field a team. I tried to uncover someone who might have fallen through the cracks and could help us right away. And we needed help. I held a traditional college workout during the first few days, and there weren’t many who could complete it. I was shocked. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was tough for me to evaluate the talent."
However, after a promising preseason, Leckie started to feel a little better about his team’s chances.
"I thought we were looking pretty good," Leckie said. "We had some good workouts and good scrimmages. But somehow, we never really got going."
There was some early season promise. A win against Lafayette seemed to lift a gigantic burden off the entire team. A solid showing against Seton Hall, then the No. 9-ranked team in the nation, gave everyone some hope.
However, the Peacocks suffered a gigantic blow, when center Kamaal McQueen was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
"I believe that took a lot out of us," Leckie said. "The kids really believed in Kamaal and saw what he could do. It may have had an effect on us, because games that were winnable went the other way. After we lost a few games in the league, reality set in for most of us, myself included. When we lost to Siena (by 30), that pretty much told us that we were in for it."
Leckie didn’t have dreams of grandeur. He didn’t expect to win a conference title in his first year. In fact, he was just hoping to be competitive. That wasn’t to be.
"I didn’t expect a 360-degree turnaround, but I didn’t expect the bottom to fall out either," Leckie said. "I just wanted to keep it together, to make sure that the team didn’t quit and that we were losing kids left and right. I never realized what it would be like just to keep our heads afloat. To the kids’ credit, they didn’t quit. They could have folded their cards and gone home, but they played it out to the bitter end. I was happy about that."
Finally, the Peacocks went to Buffalo to the MAAC tourney, just hoping to get something to build on.
"We went down, fighting tooth and nail," Leckie said. "The long marathon was over."
Leckie seriously considered walking away after the disappointing season.
"I hadn’t seen my son in a while and hadn’t had dinner with my family in months," Leckie said. "It was a lot more than what I expected. It was very time consuming. I really wondered if I was doing the right thing. My wife was willing to support anything I decided to do. Everyone’s out there, trying to get an edge and you have to keep up with them. You have to outwork the next guy and I wasn’t prepared for that."
Added Leckie, "But I know I did the right thing in taking this job. I’m going to go at it with the best of my ability. I’m not afraid of hard work and never have been. I’ve used sheer hard work to get everything I have today, in basketball, in business. I look at a program like Iona (the MAAC champions) and realize that I need to get those kind of players. I want to model my program that way talent-wise."
So, in listening to Leckie’s words, you can be rest assured he’s not about to quit now.
"What can I say?" Leckie asked. "Things can’t get much worse. It is the worst record in the history of the school and it’s something I’m not happy about. I know dedication and hard work are needed to change things. I’ve played and coached this game way too long and I understand the game. I know what it takes and the talent that we need to compete."
Added Leckie, "I’m going to keep on trying. I just hope that the effort and the hard work pays off. I know what we need now."
Leckie also said that he will consider local players, refuting a comment in a local daily sports section.
"I think it’s a benefit to the program to have a kid with local flavor," Leckie said. "Maybe a neighborhood kid will bring more people to come and see us play."
And hopefully, somewhere down the road, see Leckie and the Peacocks win. More than four games. Things can only get better.