from the article on Philly.com "La Salle was in trouble in 1968. A previous coaching regime had gotten the program in NCAA trouble.
Durrett, Larry Cannon, Bernie Williams, Fatty Taylor and Stan Wlodarczyk needed a coach. Gola, busy with his investment business, a newly elected state representative in the process of running for a city controller job he would win, agreed to help his alma mater."
- The Pea's comments...When I was a Sr in HS I was offered a scholarship to LaSalle. Turned it down for one to Villanova. That did not turn out too well...ended up working with Dad in NJ at "Aluminum Shapes". After that year I went to the Seminary. After that year LaSalle coach Joe Heyer gave me a Scholarship to LaSalle once again. Started matriculating @ LaSalle in Sept 1966 and ended up in "Basic Training" At Fort Bragg, NC on Feb 12, 1967. (what the !@#$%?) how did that happen?
I never thought about it 'til I saw this piece today. Tom Gola took over in '68?
What happened to Joe Heyer? Fran Dunphy I knew, Larry Cannon I knew, Durrett I heard about...I would have been a bald headed substitute ball handler on the '68 Team had I not been in Long Bien
Who knows, maybe things do work out for the better...
I never got to meet Tom Gola though...
Bringing this article closer to home is that Gola is in the same place where Bernie Black was & Michael has seen Gola's wife there...
Bringing this article closer to home is that Gola is in the same place where Bernie Black was & Michael has seen Gola's wife there...
3 comments:
what a story... the turn of events still amazes. I guess had you played, it was a little early for the shaved head look.
Today bald younger guys have it made - the go for the shaved look. Try going bald in the late seventies when everybody wanted hair like Vinnie Barbarino.
I had the hair in those days, but little else...no "game",no job,no clue..life's about trade-offs ain't it! go figure..
For you history buffs, not only did I meet "Long" Tom Gola, but I actually played against him when he was with the NY Knickerbockers! That would have been during my Freshman Year at LSU in a game called "Alumni Game". I did my windmill 360 and crashed and burned. Must have been a loose floor board in the Old Gym.
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