Eastern Introduces Aggers, Its Man With A Plan New Head Coach Lays Out His Aspirations For Win-Hungry Eagles
A week after accepting the job as head men’s basketball coach at Eastern Washington University, Steve Aggers was officially introduced Tuesday during a press conference at Cavanaugh’s Inn at the Park.
The 44-year-old Aggers, who spent last season as an assistant at Kansas State after four years assisting at Pepperdine, replaced John Wade.
Aggers stressed his commitment to five objectives - ethical conduct, diligence, unity, rekindling fan support and recruiting.
“I do realize that it’s going to be a hard job,” Aggers said, mindful of EWU’s 34-98 record over the last five seasons. “The objectives that I have as far as goals are primarily to build not only a competitive team that can compete with upper echelon teams, but to win this league and to compete for postseason play.”
EWU finished last in the Big Sky Conference last season, winning just two of 14 league games en route to a 6-20 overall record. Tuesday’s press conference gave the university a chance to look ahead.
“When we announced this position,” EWU president Dr. Mark Drummond began, “we had a great deal of interest and a great number of very high quality candidates. But of those candidates, we found that we had one man that we felt was up to the task and in fact exemplified the things we wanted to see happening at Eastern Washington University, and that is Steve Aggers.”
Drummond said he is most impressed by Aggers’ philosophy.
“The essence of it really says that the key to quality athletics is building quality of character,” the president added.
Drummond first offered the job to Kermit Davis, the former Idaho coach whose reputation was later damaged by scandal at Texas A&M. When Davis declined EWU’s offer April 24, Drummond offered it to Aggers.
EWU players Kevin Groves and Brett Thompson attended Tuesday’s announcement and welcomed Aggers’ hiring. Since Wade was fired as coach and resigned from the university as part of a settlement last month, the Eagles have been under the supervision of former football coach/drill sergeant Dick Zornes.
“Hiring a new coach is great,” said Thompson, the Eagles’ part-time point guard and full-time humorist. “We’ve been at such a standstill. Zornes has been on us. I mean, he’s been good, but - boot camp. He’s been running boot camp for us - he’s a great guy, but it’s nice to have a coach because now we have focus.”
So the players are excited? “Uh, I think ecstatic might be the word,” Thompson corrected. “I mean, you’re down for so long that this is our ray of hope. You can kind of see a light at the end of the tunnel and this is the guy who can take us there. That’s the way we really feel.”
“It’s great,” echoed Groves, a starting forward as a sophomore last season. “We had our first (team) meeting yesterday and (Aggers) seems really positive. He gives a lot of good qualities to our program.”
Having lost seniors Josh Lewis and Craig Stinnett, Aggers has two scholarships to offer. With playing time on the line, Thompson was quick to offer advice. “We go big,” the 6-foot-1 junior joked. “We don’t need any guards. We stay away from guards and we just go big. That’s all we’re looking at.”
“I think we need sportswriters,” Groves quipped.
Aggers will have the final say. And with a month of recruiting having slipped by since Wade’s departure, the new coach said he’ll probably have to focus on finding two junior-college transfers.