Post by WeNeed3 on Mar 20, 2009 7:29:48 GMT -5
Neuqua coach leaving for Metea
March 20, 2009By PATRICK MOONEY pmooney@scn1.com
Vozza was still planning to head to Peoria on Thursday for the state finals, which on one level is essentially a convention for basketball coaches.
Neuqua Valley was expected to be right there in the Class 4A bracket, but its 31-2 season ended Tuesday night with a surprising 64-59 loss to Dundee-Crown at the NIU Super-Sectional. It also marked Vozza's final game as Neuqua's associate head coach under Todd Sutton. Vozza will become the lead basketball coach at Metea Valley -- which opens for freshmen and sophomores in August -- before he inherits the head varsity job.
"You heard the saying two heads are better than one -- (Vozza's) the second head to go along with Coach Sutton, helps him keep his cool and everything," Neuqua junior center Kareem Amedu said during the playoffs. "We're sad that he's leaving and all but (we're) trying our best to get a ring for him before he leaves, hopefully."
It didn't work out that way, but Vozza departs after two consecutive sectional titles, and the move was inevitable for the 36-year-old coach.
"Oh, we've talked for years about these things. (Vozza's) turned down several jobs," Sutton said. "He just wanted the perfect job and he waited his turn and the perfect job presented itself. He was very picky, didn't take bad jobs. He's very content at a wonderful Neuqua Valley (school).
"(Metea's) gonna be a great basketball school, (so when) the perfect opportunity came, he jumped all over it."
Vozza found a fit in Metea, and he's already been doing behind-the-scenes work for the new program -- ordering equipment and uniforms, arranging summer shootouts and camps, finalizing next season's schedule.
"Just looking at other situations, (I) was very careful in terms of how it would affect my family. (My) familiarity with the district helped and a lot of it was just timing," Vozza said. "At those particular moments when I was looking at jobs, (maybe) I felt like I wasn't ready. (I) feel like I'm ready for the change now. I've been at Neuqua since it opened and obviously learned a heck of a lot from the people here and Todd's helped me a great deal.
"I just feel like I'm ready to take that step."
Vozza had a front-row seat as Neuqua basketball went from a concept to one of the state's elite programs. In 11 seasons, the Wildcats have won nearly 71 percent of their games under Sutton's guidance.
"Bob Vozza's just laid-back, chill," Neuqua junior forward Dwayne Evans said. "He's (like) the foil to Sutton. Sutton's always just like in your face, trying to get you to go hard and push you. Vozza's doing the same, but in a different manner."
If nothing else, Vozza knows the area and what he's getting into. Metea principal Jim Schmid recruited Vozza out of Waubonsie Valley to play baseball for him at Aurora University, and the two ran together in a summer basketball league.
"He's a class act. I thought that was a great get for us," Schmid said of Vozza. "I think he has kids at the heart of all his decision-making. (He's) a guidance counselor by trade and (we're) looking forward to seeing him develop that program."
Neuqua has set a standard, and Vozza said the Metea program will borrow several of its principles. But now everyone's still chasing the 1914-15 Naperville High School team, the city's last one to make state.
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/sports/highschools/1486910,6_2_NA20_BHOOPS_S1.article
March 20, 2009By PATRICK MOONEY pmooney@scn1.com
Vozza was still planning to head to Peoria on Thursday for the state finals, which on one level is essentially a convention for basketball coaches.
Neuqua Valley was expected to be right there in the Class 4A bracket, but its 31-2 season ended Tuesday night with a surprising 64-59 loss to Dundee-Crown at the NIU Super-Sectional. It also marked Vozza's final game as Neuqua's associate head coach under Todd Sutton. Vozza will become the lead basketball coach at Metea Valley -- which opens for freshmen and sophomores in August -- before he inherits the head varsity job.
"You heard the saying two heads are better than one -- (Vozza's) the second head to go along with Coach Sutton, helps him keep his cool and everything," Neuqua junior center Kareem Amedu said during the playoffs. "We're sad that he's leaving and all but (we're) trying our best to get a ring for him before he leaves, hopefully."
It didn't work out that way, but Vozza departs after two consecutive sectional titles, and the move was inevitable for the 36-year-old coach.
"Oh, we've talked for years about these things. (Vozza's) turned down several jobs," Sutton said. "He just wanted the perfect job and he waited his turn and the perfect job presented itself. He was very picky, didn't take bad jobs. He's very content at a wonderful Neuqua Valley (school).
"(Metea's) gonna be a great basketball school, (so when) the perfect opportunity came, he jumped all over it."
Vozza found a fit in Metea, and he's already been doing behind-the-scenes work for the new program -- ordering equipment and uniforms, arranging summer shootouts and camps, finalizing next season's schedule.
"Just looking at other situations, (I) was very careful in terms of how it would affect my family. (My) familiarity with the district helped and a lot of it was just timing," Vozza said. "At those particular moments when I was looking at jobs, (maybe) I felt like I wasn't ready. (I) feel like I'm ready for the change now. I've been at Neuqua since it opened and obviously learned a heck of a lot from the people here and Todd's helped me a great deal.
"I just feel like I'm ready to take that step."
Vozza had a front-row seat as Neuqua basketball went from a concept to one of the state's elite programs. In 11 seasons, the Wildcats have won nearly 71 percent of their games under Sutton's guidance.
"Bob Vozza's just laid-back, chill," Neuqua junior forward Dwayne Evans said. "He's (like) the foil to Sutton. Sutton's always just like in your face, trying to get you to go hard and push you. Vozza's doing the same, but in a different manner."
If nothing else, Vozza knows the area and what he's getting into. Metea principal Jim Schmid recruited Vozza out of Waubonsie Valley to play baseball for him at Aurora University, and the two ran together in a summer basketball league.
"He's a class act. I thought that was a great get for us," Schmid said of Vozza. "I think he has kids at the heart of all his decision-making. (He's) a guidance counselor by trade and (we're) looking forward to seeing him develop that program."
Neuqua has set a standard, and Vozza said the Metea program will borrow several of its principles. But now everyone's still chasing the 1914-15 Naperville High School team, the city's last one to make state.
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/sports/highschools/1486910,6_2_NA20_BHOOPS_S1.article