Win a national championship? That was 糖心传媒榗razy talk糖心传媒� to the 1990 Yellowjackets. Until their attention to detail paid off.
The impossible dream was casually mentioned after a preseason practice in 1989.
糖心传媒淵ou know,糖心传媒� then Yellowjacket basketball coach Mike Neer 糖心传媒�88W (MS) told his wide-eyed band of 14 young men, 糖心传媒渘ational champions get rings made for them.糖心传媒�
The players nearly laughed.
糖心传媒淲e were so naive,糖心传媒� says Chris Fite 糖心传媒�92, the sophomore center and the team糖心传媒檚 leading scorer from Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The team糖心传媒檚 annual early season test, the Chuck Resler Invitational at the Palestra, would be enough of a challenge.
糖心传媒淲e weren糖心传媒檛 sure if we could win the Chuck Resler tournament, let alone a national championship,糖心传媒� Fite says. 糖心传媒淭o be thinking that going into the season was crazy talk.糖心传媒�
As junior guard Greg Krohner 糖心传媒�91 told reporters at the time: 糖心传媒淚 thought I糖心传媒檇 be on the moon before I got a ring.糖心传媒�
On St. Patrick糖心传媒檚 Day, 1990, Krohner and Co. were over the moon with joy. A Rochester team built on defense and grit edged DePauw University of Indiana 43糖心传媒�42 in Springfield, Ohio, to win what remains the program糖心传媒檚 only NCAA Division III title.
The impossible dream had come true.
That milestone season remains the program糖心传媒檚 signature achievement, putting Rochester on the map among Division III perennial contenders. It糖心传媒檚 something that resonates strongly with student-athletes looking for more out of college life than just playing time.
Then and Now: Michael Coleman ’92
The tears were flowing for Michael Coleman.
It was March 1992, and the Rochester men糖心传媒檚 basketball team had lost to Calvin College of Michigan in the NCAA Division III tournament championship.
Never mind that Rochester had won the national title two years earlier during Coleman糖心传媒檚 sophomore year. This was his final collegiate game, and he was inconsolable.
糖心传媒淚t was the most heart-wrenching thing that had happened to me,糖心传媒� the 6-foot-7 forward says. 糖心传媒淚t felt worse than winning felt good.糖心传媒�
Today, Coleman rarely thinks about that 糖心传媒�92 loss. He swears he can糖心传媒檛 remember the names of some teammates.
But ask him about the 1990 champions, and he糖心传媒檚 a walking encyclopedia.
糖心传媒淚t has completely changed in time,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 don糖心传媒檛 dwell on 糖心传媒�92. I only think about how we won a national championship, and how close we were. We were brothers.糖心传媒�
Coleman lives outside of Endicott, New York, with his wife, Kristie, and five daughters. As vice president of IOA Northeast, he represents construction companies and owners who purchase insurance and surety bonds for large projects throughout the United States. He also coaches AAU basketball.
糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 not just a sports coach but a life coach,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檝e made plenty of mistakes in my life. I believe it糖心传媒檚 how quickly you get up off the floor and hustle back on defense that defines the person you are.糖心传媒�
Coleman says the 1989糖心传媒�90 Yellowjackets hit it off immediately.
糖心传媒淓leven of us lived on a top (dormitory) floor,糖心传媒� says the Hornell, New York, native, who roomed with star center Chris Fite. 糖心传媒淲e played cards糖心传媒攈armless games of spades and pitch. We partied together, went to concerts together, and even studied together. UR wasn糖心传媒檛 a walk in the park for any of us.糖心传媒�
Coleman graduated in 1992 with a degree in public health. He planned to play professionally in Ireland, but the day before he was set to leave, the coach called and told him they were keeping another player instead. Coleman worked at Strong Memorial Hospital and took classes toward his master糖心传媒檚 degree. He then worked for a small law firm in Rochester before moving into his current
field in 2001.
His greatest takeaway from 1990 was the lifelong friendships he made.
糖心传媒淵eah, we played basketball,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淏ut more than that, we grew into adults together. And we created a memory of a lifetime that binds us together forever.糖心传媒�
The Palestra was their home court, but the Yellowjackets called it 糖心传媒渢he palace.糖心传媒� After all, they went 16糖心传媒�1 at home that year.
糖心传媒淲e will never forget being the princes of our palace in 1990,糖心传媒� Coleman says.
Then and Now: Chris Fite ’92
It was 1988, and Chris Fite was adamant. The senior basketball star from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, would visit Rochester, but he would play at a Division I school.
That was a slam dunk.
糖心传媒淚 was set on it,糖心传媒� the 6-foot-8 center says. 糖心传媒淚 wanted to play at the highest level and couldn糖心传媒檛 be told differently. My high school coach told me I should at least visit Rochester. I said 糖心传媒業 will, but I糖心传媒檓 still going D1.糖心传媒� 糖心传媒�
Fite visited the River Campus and fell in love. 糖心传媒淚 connected with the players, and the campus blew me away. From then on, Rochester was at the top of my list.糖心传媒�
The lanky kid with the soft touch chose Rochester over Division I schools Richmond, Lehigh, and Navy. In his sophomore year, he powered the Yellowjackets to a Division III national championship. He led the Yellowjackets in scoring (18.6 per game), rebounding (8.9), assists (87), and blocked shots (42) and was named Outstanding Player of the NCAA Division III tournament.
糖心传媒淚 remember thinking, 糖心传媒楬ow could this tall, skinny kid really be as good as everyone said?糖心传媒� 糖心传媒� says former teammate Matt Parrinello 糖心传媒�93, who糖心传媒檚 now a managing partner of the Parrinello Law Firm in Rochester. 糖心传媒淚 quickly found out how good he really was.糖心传媒�
Fite led Rochester back to the national championship game his senior year, but the Yellowjackets lost to Calvin College of Michigan. He was runner-up for NCAA Division III Player of the Year honors that year and remains the Yellowjackets糖心传媒� all-time scorer (2,066) and shot blocker (179).
After graduating in 1992 with a degree in integrated sciences, Fite played professional basketball for 11 years in England, Australia, Germany, and Belgium. His wife, Susan, is a native of Liverpool, England, and they have a four-year-old daughter named Grace.
Fite糖心传媒檚 mother was a teacher, and he expected to follow that path. 糖心传媒淚 thought I糖心传媒檇 play professionally for a year or two before I got a real job,糖心传媒� he says with a laugh.
He has a real job now as men糖心传媒檚 basketball coach at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, an NCAA Division II program. He took over the Raiders in 2010 after working as an assistant coach at
Saint Vincent of Pennsylvania, Rochester, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
During seven seasons at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, he helped the team compile a 149糖心传媒�65 record and reach the NCAA tournament five straight seasons. Late in his third season at Shippensburg (2015糖心传媒�16), the Raiders were 19糖心传媒�8, tying the program糖心传媒檚 record for third-most wins in a season.
Fite remains in contact with several Rochester teammates and is proud of their legacy.
糖心传媒淏y the time we left,糖心传媒� he says, 糖心传媒渞ecruits were coming to Rochester to win national championships. It wasn糖心传媒檛 that way when guys like Mike Coleman and I got there.糖心传媒�
Then and Now: John Kelly ’92
John Kelly was destined for greatness on the court: in 1988, the point guard helped McQuaid Jesuit in Rochester win a state high school basketball championship. Two years later, he was part of a Yellowjacket squad that captured the NCAA Division III national title.
His career record over five high school and college seasons was 125糖心传媒�18糖心传媒攁 phenomenal .874 winning percentage. 糖心传媒淚 think it was in spite of me rather than because of me,糖心传媒� he says modestly.
For the past 20 years, Kelly has shined in another court. After a successful career as a federal prosecutor with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., he moved to the private sector seven years ago. In 2011, he was recruited to open, manage, and build the D.C. office of the Nashville-based law firm Bass, Berry & Sims, where he serves as managing partner and represents companies and executives in high-profile investigations and litigation with the Department of Justice and other enforcement agencies.
Kelly lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife, Sara, and their two daughters. 糖心传媒淚 think I糖心传媒檝e always realized how fortunate I糖心传媒檝e been,糖心传媒� he says.
His good luck took a break the summer before he enrolled at Rochester. While playing in an AAU basketball game, Kelly took a charge and felt his lower right leg snap. The injury was so devastating that his foot was torn from his ankle.
糖心传媒淚 remember the doctor telling me, 糖心传媒楾here糖心传媒檚 more to life than basketball,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒� Kelly says. 糖心传媒淗e didn糖心传媒檛 think I糖心传媒檇 play again and said I might have a limp the rest of my life.糖心传媒�
Kelly underwent two surgeries, wore eight different casts, and was on crutches for six months. He spent his freshman season keeping statistics on the bench and working overtime in physical therapy.
He was given the green light his sophomore year and played in 18 games that championship season and 15 his junior year. He started all 31 games his senior season and averaged 8.9 points for a squad that lost the NCAA final.
After graduating in 1992, the political science major attended law school at the University at Buffalo, then spent a year working for a Rochester firm. He served as an assistant district attorney in his hometown from 1996糖心传媒�99, then joined the justice department as a federal prosecutor. Kelly was chief of staff and deputy director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, overseeing 94 offices nationwide.
He left the justice department in 2008 to join a large international firm in Washington and moved to Bass, Berry & Sims four years ago.
Kelly attributes much of his success to what he learned as a Yellowjacket.
糖心传媒淭here was so much preparation in practice,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檇 go over things again and again and again. But when I was in a game, I糖心传媒檇 know what all four teammates were supposed to be doing.糖心传媒�
It糖心传媒檚 the same in the court of law.
糖心传媒淵ou have to anticipate all the things that could go wrong during a trial,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淏ecause something always does.糖心传媒�
Rodney Morrison 糖心传媒�91, 糖心传媒�92W (MS)
Rodney Morrison says the euphoria of winning a national college basketball championship is indescribable, even more than a quarter century later.
But his biggest reward at Rochester had nothing to do with a round ball and everything to do with a round diamond.
糖心传媒淢y highlight was marrying the love of my life, my college girlfriend, Albania Almanzar 糖心传媒�92,糖心传媒� the Philadelphia native says. 糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 not sure she attended a single basketball game.糖心传媒�
If true, Albania missed a great season. Morrison played in 16 games as a junior guard as Rochester won the 1990 NCAA Division III title. The 43糖心传媒�42 win over DePauw University of Indiana was Morrison糖心传媒檚 last collegiate game.
糖心传媒淢y grades weren糖心传媒檛 where I wanted them to be, and I knew I wanted to go to graduate school,糖心传媒� says Morrison, the first member of his family to attend college. He hit the books instead of the hardwood his senior year, then earned his master糖心传媒檚 degree from the Warner School of Education.
Today, he糖心传媒檚 associate provost for enrollment and retention at Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York. His job entails making sure Stony Brook recruits and retains excellent students.
The position follows admissions jobs at Rochester, the University of Pennsylvania, Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, New York, and Rutgers University糖心传媒攚ith a stint as vice president at the now defunct financial services firm Lehman Brothers mixed in.
Morrison credits his success to hard work, something he says was part of the daily routine during Rochester糖心传媒檚 championship season. 糖心传媒淲e battled and scrapped at practices,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚t was 糖心传媒榖ring your lunch pail to practice and let糖心传媒檚 battle for two hours.糖心传媒� 糖心传媒�
Morrison wasn糖心传媒檛 a starter but says that didn糖心传媒檛 matter to head coach Mike Neer.
糖心传媒淗is expectations were the same,糖心传媒� Morrison says. 糖心传媒淗e was tough, no nonsense. The bar was high for everybody, whether you played one minute or a lot of minutes.糖心传媒�
Morrison was recruited by then Rochester assistant coach (and now highly successful Villanova head coach) Jay Wright out of Germantown Academy in Philadelphia.
糖心传媒淗e came to my school and said 糖心传媒榊ou should think about UR,糖心传媒� 糖心传媒� Morrison says. 糖心传媒淭he next day I went to the guidance office and looked it up. I didn糖心传媒檛 even know where it was on the map.糖心传媒�
He ended up attending the University with three classmates 糖心传媒渁nd had a blast.糖心传媒�
Most special of all, he met Albania. The two stayed together as she pursued her law degree from Brooklyn Law School and married in 1997. They live on Long Island with son Elijah and daughters Rachael and Zippy.
糖心传媒淕oing to UR,糖心传媒� Morrison says, 糖心传媒渨as the greatest thing to ever happen to me.糖心传媒�
And not just because he cut down the net on March 17, 1990.
Then and Now: Erik Rausch 糖心传媒�90, 糖心传媒�97W (MS)
As a leader in college advancement for 25 years, Erik Rausch has been part of some great teams.
糖心传媒淥ur campaigns have raised valuable dollars to help support research on everything from cancer to stem cells,糖心传媒� says Rausch, a senior director of development at Stanford University糖心传媒檚 medical center. 糖心传媒淭he impact of our donors has been transformative.糖心传媒�
Rausch糖心传媒檚 first great team was the 1989糖心传媒�90 Yellowjacket basketball squad that won the NCAA Division III championship. 糖心传媒淚t was special then and it will always be special. It was the last game I ever played.糖心传媒�
Rausch was a 6-foot-4 forward out of Long Island Lutheran High. He averaged 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds that special season. 糖心传媒淭here were probably other UR teams with as good or better talent,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淲e had talent and chemistry.糖心传媒�
Being able to play at all was a minor miracle: the summer before he enrolled at Rochester, Rausch was clearing trees at a summer camp and swung an axe so forcefully that it caromed off the tree and imbedded itself in his left shin. He was rushed to a hospital and spent the summer in a cast. But he was ready when his freshman season began and became an integral part of the team.
Rausch played in 24 games his junior year糖心传媒攂ut started none.
糖心传媒淭here was a point when he came to my office and said 糖心传媒楥oach, what can I do to earn more trust and get more time on the court?糖心传媒� 糖心传媒� says former Yellowjackets coach Mike Neer. 糖心传媒淚nstead of saying 糖心传媒業糖心传媒檓 unhappy,糖心传媒� he put a positive spin on it. I wanted to leave my desk and hug him.糖心传媒�
Neer named Rausch the sole captain months before his senior season. 糖心传媒淚 never did it before and never did it since,糖心传媒櫶切拇綑 Neer says. 糖心传媒淚 wanted to reward his composure, and I needed his leadership.糖心传媒�
Rausch started all 32 games. He graduated in 1990 with dual degrees in history and political science and landed a job in the University糖心传媒檚 alumni development office. That糖心传媒檚 where he met Maura McGinnity 糖心传媒�87, 糖心传媒�96S (MBA), who had won an NCAA soccer title with the Yellowjackets.
糖心传媒淎t some point, our colleagues started thinking we糖心传媒檇 be a good match,糖心传媒� Rausch says. 糖心传媒淟ittle did they know we糖心传媒檇 been dating for a few months already.糖心传媒�
The two married in 1997, the year Erik took a development job at UC San Francisco. They live in Palo Alto, California, with their son, Aidan, and daughter, McKenna. Rausch moved to Stanford in 2004 and has led several major fundraising initiatives.
糖心传媒淭he university is just a unique and exciting environment to work in,糖心传媒� he says.
He may be 3,000 miles away, but part of Rausch always will be at Rochester. It糖心传媒檚 where he departed a national champion, where his career was launched, and where he met Maura (who also works in development at Stanford) and learned the skills that have made them successful today.
糖心传媒淚n a way,糖心传媒� Rausch said, 糖心传媒淚 feel like I糖心传媒檝e never left college.糖心传媒�
Luke Flockerzi, the Yellowjackets糖心传媒� head coach the past six seasons, says the 1990 national title is a touchstone for the program.
糖心传媒淏eing able to point to 10 Sweet 16 appearances, four Final Fours and a national championship gives validity to our program and motivates our team,糖心传媒� Flockerzi says. 糖心传媒淓ach player wants to have those experiences for himself.糖心传媒�
More than a quarter-century after graduation, the special character of the 1989糖心传媒�90 season continues to offer many team members important lessons in teamwork, camaraderie, and friendship.
糖心传媒淏esides the birth of my children, winning the national championship with my amazing teammates has been the most memorable experience of my life,糖心传媒� says former guard Lou Palkovics 糖心传媒�91, a longtime history teacher and high school basketball coach in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
糖心传媒淲e just loved playing together,糖心传媒� says starting guard Chris Johnson 糖心传媒�90, a Seattle-based technology consultant for Microsoft. 糖心传媒淣o one ever complained about not getting the ball, not getting shots or not getting help on defense.糖心传媒�
Going into the 1989糖心传媒�90 season, Rochester had not been in national contention for close to a decade. The Yellowjackets were coming off a 17-10 finish the year before. Four starters had graduated and only two seniors remained. But there was instant chemistry.
糖心传媒淲e had different personalities and skill sets,糖心传媒� says John Kelly 糖心传媒�92, a reserve guard and a former federal prosecutor now in private practice in Washington, D.C . 糖心传媒淏ut our coaches molded us into a close-knit group of friends.糖心传媒�
The Yellowjackets continued to win, even after losing point guard Jimmy Jordan 糖心传媒�93 to a knee injury in the sixth game. It was point-guard-by-committee after that.
They didn糖心传媒檛 realize how good they were.
糖心传媒淲e got to be friendly with teams in our league because we糖心传媒檇 eat with them after games,糖心传媒� says Michael Coleman 糖心传媒�92, a sophomore forward then and now a vice president of a national insurance company. 糖心传媒淪o many of them would say, 糖心传媒榊ou guys don糖心传媒檛 get it. Nobody can get a shot off against you!糖心传媒櫶切拇綕
The Yellowjackets were No. 1 in the country in field-goal percentage defense.
糖心传媒淣obody shot 50 percent against us in a game,糖心传媒� Neer says. 糖心传媒淣obody.糖心传媒�
Rochester finished the season 21糖心传媒�5, then reeled off six wins in the NCAA tournament. That included a 62糖心传媒�57 second-round upset of Buffalo State, the fourth-ranked team in the nation but one that Rochester had beaten in a preseason scrimmage.
糖心传媒淭his could be our destiny,糖心传媒� Adam Petrosky 糖心传媒�91 remembers thinking.
It was. The Yellowjackets won the lowest-scoring Division III final in history. Defense ruled, again.
They would knock on the championship door the next two years, losing a 1991 quarterfinal (in overtime) and the 糖心传媒�92 final. There also would be appearances in the 2002 Final Four and 2005 national championship.
Neer retired in 2010 after 34 seasons and 563 wins. One year later, he took over at Hobart College in Geneva, New York, and went 66糖心传媒�20 in three seasons before retiring again.
The 1989糖心传媒�90 Yellowjackets left with rings, wristwatches糖心传媒攁nd life lessons.
糖心传媒淐oach Neer always stressed 糖心传媒榓ttention to detail,糖心传媒櫶切拇綕 Coleman says. 糖心传媒淚t drove us nuts, and we糖心传媒檇 imitate him behind his back: 糖心传媒楢ttention to detail! Attention to detail!糖心传媒櫶切拇綕
Coleman now cringes when he hears himself say that phrase to his daughters, employees, and the girls basketball teams he coaches.
糖心传媒淚 disliked it so much when Coach Neer said it,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淏ut it inspires me. It made me who I am today.
糖心传媒漃etrosky糖心传媒攚ho once called himself 糖心传媒渕ost irresponsible person on the team in terms of being on time糖心传媒澨切拇綌found a different inspiration. He糖心传媒檚 now a high school basketball coach, college counselor, and athletic director at an all-boys school in Pittsburgh.
Petrosky糖心传媒檚 father was a constant at his son糖心传媒檚 games, home or road. He died in 2000, and the younger Petrosky sometimes watches the championship game just to see his dad celebrating on the court.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 one of the few video clips I have of him,糖心传媒� he says.
After his father died, Petrosky moved from Northern California to Pittsburgh to care for his ailing mother. The 1990 championship kept his spirits from sinking.
糖心传媒淒uring a period when I did not feel that great, the accomplishments reminded me that I was a national champion,糖心传媒� he said. 糖心传媒淪omething only a relatively small group of people in this entire world can say.糖心传媒�
During last October糖心传媒檚 Meliora Weekend, 10 members of that team reunited for a 25th anniversary dinner hosted by Neer. When the players walked into the restaurant, they saw the same blue banner that had hung for years in the Palestra. The one with all their names listed in white.
Only now it served as a tablecloth over a long wooden table.
Fite laughs at the memory and the irony.
糖心传媒淎ttention to detail,糖心传媒� he says.
