7/24/2007

By LARRY MORITZ

Salina Journal

For Tommy DeSalme to reach his ultimate destination, he had to leave Salina and Kansas Wesleyan University behind.

After one year as KWU men's basketball coach -- leading the Coyotes to the most successful season in the program's history -- DeSalme announced Monday he is leaving Wesleyan to take the head coaching position at Independence Community College.

DeSalme interviewed at Independence last week and received an offer. He needed a day-and-a-half to decide he was leaving Salina.

"This had nothing to do with Kansas Wesleyan or Salina," DeSalme said. "I love this town and that's one of the things that made the decision hard. I love the university and the people I work with. They've bent over backward to make this program a success.

"Where I see myself in five to 10 years, I need to make this move. Nothing against Kansas Wesleyan or Salina, but I look around and understand our league and how hard it is to move out.

"I want a chance to coach the best and recruit the best, and to keep moving up that ladder. To do that I need to get into the Jayhawk Conference where I can make more contacts."

DeSalme spent only one season at Kansas Wesleyan, but certainly made it one to remember. After taking over for longtime coach Jerry Jones, DeSalme guided the Coyotes to a school-record 28 wins and an appearance in the NAIA Division II National Tournament.

His team captured the Kansas Conference regular-season title with a 17-1 record and won the KCAC postseason tournament with a thrilling 56-55 victory over Friends at Muir Gymnasium.

Making their first appearance at the NAIA National Tournament since 1950 and the first ever at the Division II level, DeSalme's team won its tourney opener over Bluefield, Va., for its 19th consecutive win, the second-longest streak in school history. The Coyotes, ranked No. 6 in the nation, had their season come to an end the following day with a 74-54 loss to Northwestern (Iowa).

"In my mind, last year might have been that season that comes along once in a coaching lifetime," said DeSalme, who was a finalist for the Sewart County job in April. "It was just like the perfect storm, everything was a perfect fit. There was not one team issue. We didn't have bad days or tough situations.

"The kids just bought into what we were selling and all that success came from playing as a team. By no means did I think we'd go 28-4 or 20-1 in our league, and 20 years from now they might still be saying that was the best team that ever played in the KCAC. It was an incredible group of kids that made my job really easy."

DeSalme does have some connections with one Independence Community College official. Current athletic director Mick Wilson was head men's basketball coach at Sterling College in 2000-2001, and was replaced by DeSalme after Wilson resigned.

DeSalme went 84-67 in five seasons at Sterling, including a 60-30 record against KCAC competition, before leaving the Warriors to accept the position at Kansas Wesleyan.

His success at the NAIA level didn't always attract a lot of attention outside the league, so his connection with Wilson might have helped DeSalme land his new position.

"The KCAC doesn't get the respect it deserves in the nation, much less the area, and it's hard to (move up)," DeSalme said. "When you've got a chance, you've got to take it. I've wanted to get in the Jayhawk pretty bad for the last couple of years, but it always came back to 'Can you recruit the Division I athlete?' You can't prove that here.

"One of the best ways to get into a job is to have a connection with the athletic director. My contact with Mick allowed them to pull the trigger. He knows about me and the way I like to coach and the way I run a program."

The Coyotes lost six seniors from the team that finished 28-4, including unanimous KCAC Player of the Year Marcus Faubion. DeSalme has been busy in the offseason, signing 13 players to join the Coyotes for the coming season.

Since accepting the Independence job, DeSalme has been in contact with all of the returning KWU players and almost all of the Coyote recruits, hoping they'll honor their commitments to Wesleyan.

"I've told my players there is going to be a time in your life when you've got to be selfish," DeSalme said. "When you are coaching a team, you are trying to get selfishness out of people. But there are times when you've got to do what's best for you.

"It's hard to call the players that are returning and have signed with us and let them know. Especially the returning guys -- Trey Sims, Tony Boone and DuPree Richardson -- I love them to death and those were three hard phone calls to make."

Kansas Wesleyan athletic director Matt Williams referred any questions concerning DeSalme's departure to Leslie Eikleberry, Wesleyan's director of public relations.

"I think he did a very good job in the year he was here," Eikleberry said. "Basketball was very exciting and the team did very well. We wish him well in his new endeavours."

Eikleberry also said the process to find DeSalme's replacement has already begun, with advertisements placed with the NAIA, the NCAA and the opening announced on the school's Web site.

"Kansas Wesleyan is committed to having a high quality academic program as well its athletic program," Eikleberry said. "We're confident we'll attract some high quality coaches and get the best person for Kansas Wesleyan.

"We hope to have somebody on board as soon as possible."

Southeast of Saline head coach Mike Davert, a former Wesleyan assistant from 2004-06, was among the three finalists considered when DeSalme was hired in March of 2006. Davert said he is happy in his current position but would also consider an offer from Wesleyan if one was made.

"I was highly impressed with the university, their athletic program and the whole direction the university was moving when I was an assistant there," Davert said. "That was one of the reasons I applied for the job last year.

"If the university was to contact me about the position, I would certainly look into it. When an opportunity comes along, no matter what you do for a living, you have to take a look at the opportunity when it presents itself.

"I'm at Southeast right now and I'm really happy out there. We just came off a fantastic season and I think the program there is going in the right direction, so right now I'm focused on next year's team and my job at hand."

Brown Mackie coach Francis Flax, the third finalist for the job with DeSalme and Davert, said Monday he is not interested in the Wesleyan position at this time.

DeSalme couldn't speculate on his replacement, but said assistant coach Donnie Jackson will join him on the Independence staff. Jackson has five years experience as an assistant under DeSalme and connections in the Jayhawk Conference, having played two years at Allen County.

DeSalme's staff at Independence also will include Josh Berry, who played for DeSalme at both Sterling and Kansas Wesleyan.

"I hope more than anything that their success here keeps going," DeSalme said. "I don't want Kansas Wesleyan to take a step back."

The Coyotes and their new head coach will open the 2007-08 season on November 2 against the University of Sioux Falls in the USF Classic in Sioux Falls, S.D., and begin defense of their KCAC title on November 29 at Ottawa.

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