Coaches Corner: The Madness Never Stops

Now that the Toledo men's season is complete, I finally had a moment to interview Coach Kemp for an end of the season interview. Let's hear his perspective of the 2013-14 season, the highlights, disappointments, and his predictions for the NCAA tournament! 

What was the highlight of the 2013-14 basketball season?

Winning a MAC Conference Championship, was most definitely the highlight of this season. I would also say our overall record is something to be proud of. We ended the 2013-14 season, 27-7 which is an all-time school record.

What was your favorite road trip of this season?

Boston College was by far my favorite road game. I really believe that that game brought us together as a program. It of course helped that we won.

What was your reaction when you were named one of the 100 Hottest Coaches in College Basketball by CollegeInsiders?

It was quite hilarious and an honor. I had no clue they were developing such a list...

And, how did you find out?

I am an avid Twitter follower, and I got plenty of twitter messages from friends and others notifying me that I made the list. 

What was it like writing your blog for College Chalktalk this year?

It was a fun experience as I am not much of a writer, but it helped me organize my thoughts as a coach. It also provided an opportunity to share with my peers my coaching philosophy and beliefs. Check out his November 2013 and December 2013 entries.

What was the most disappointing loss?

In my opinion, the most disappointing loss was losing in the MAC tournament championship game. Our guys played extremely hard, and deserved to win, but came out short. 

So, now what are you doing with all of your "free time?"

Free time is very limited in this profession, although I have enjoyed watching the NCAA tournament  games periodically. We have shifted our focus to recruiting, summer camps, and reflecting how we can improve the team for next season.

What is to look ahead to next year?

There is a lot of hope for next season with the Rockets as we have many key players returning. We plan on working diligently to get better at the little things, and have a bright future ahead of us.

Who are your favorites to win the NCAA tournament?

It seems to me that everyone is capable of winning it at this point, but I like Florida, Louisville, or Wisconsin to win it all!

Well, there you have it folks. Thanks Coach for taking some time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions. Some may say that I have an advantage ;).

I hope each of you enjoy the excitement of the Sweet 16 games. I have a few favorites which of course include my two alma maters, Florida (Go Gators) and Wisconsin (On Wisconsin).

Michelyn