3/11
The Sea Dragons announced the hiring of Kevin Mackey as their head coach for the 2001 season during a press conference Wednesday (January 10) afternoon.
Mackey, 55, has won numerous championships and awards over the course of
his pro coaching career. He led the Atlantic City Seagulls to three consecutive
United States Basketball League titles between 1997 and 1999, garnering Coach
of the Year honors in 1997 and 1999. He received the same honor in the International
Basketball Association when he led the Mansfield (OH) Hawks to the 1999 league
championship, and in the Global Basketball League for directing the Fayetteville
(NC) Flyers to the
1992 Eastern Division crown.
Prior to entering the professional ranks, Mackey coached at Cleveland State University, where his teams averaged more than 20 wins per season during his seven-year tenure. In 1986 he led the Vikings to one of the most famous upsets in NCAA Tournament history when they knocked off Indiana in the first round. After taking CSU to the Sweet 16 round of the tournament, he was named Ohio College Coach of the Year. He began his coaching career in Massachusetts high school basketball, leading his teams to four New England championships in the 1970s.
Sea Dragons Vice-President Chip Meiers cited Mackey's winning record and his knowledge of players, coaches, and players' agents across the country as the primary reasons for his hiring. "Kevin has proven his ability to sign top-notch players, and then mold them into a winning team", Meiers said. "We're confident he'll accomplish those same things here, and we're very happy and excited to have him leading our team."
"This organization really impressed me", Mackey said at the press conference. "It's a great franchise, and the arena is super. Hopefully we'll be able to be successful down here. I can't wait to get to work."
Mackey succeeds Rick Barry at the helm of the Sea Dragons. Barry guided the team to a 16-14 regular season record during its inaugural season in 2000. In November the team announced that Barry and team management had mutually agreed that Barry would not return to coach the Sea Dragons in 2001, allowing him to pursue other interests, both in and out of basketball.