Mooney named Air Force head basketball coach
4/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 22, 2004
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The Air Force Academy announced today the hiring of Chris Mooney as head coach of the men's basketball team, according to Senior Associate Director of Athletics Mike Saks. Mooney replaces Joe Scott, who left the Academy to accept the head coaching job at Princeton University.
Mooney, the fifth head coach in Air Force history, has been with the Air Force program for four years, the last two as associate head coach. He was an assistant coach for Scott his first two seasons. The 31-year old native of Philadelphia, Pa., came to Air Force after a two-year stint as head coach at Beaver College in Glenside, Pa. During his time at Beaver College, Mooney turned the program around. He inherited only six players his first season and led the team to eight wins and a playoff berth in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference tournament.
"We are extremely pleased and excited that our associate head coach, Chris Mooney, has accepted the job as the Academy's new head basketball coach," said Brigadier General Johnny A. Weida, Commandant of Cadets. "Like Joe Scott, Chris is an inspirational leader and superb coach. We're confident Chris will step up to the challenge and take Falcon basketball to the next level of excellence!"
The Falcons won a school-record 22 games in 2003-04 and claimed the Mountain West Conference regular season title, the program's first-ever conference championship. Air Force appeared in its first NCAA Tournament since 1962, falling to North Carolina, 63-52, in the first round.
"We are thrilled that Chris has agreed to become our men's basketball coach," said Saks. "He has proven himself as an outstanding recruiter and was a major factor in taking this program to national prominence."
Before coaching at Beaver College, Mooney was the boy's basketball coach at Lansdale Catholic High School in Philadelphia from 1995-98. In the 40-year history of Lansdale, the school had won just one league championship. He led the school to three titles, including a district championship, and his 1996-97 squad won a school-record 21 games and advanced to the state tournament's second round. He was named Philadelphia Inquirer Boy's Basketball Coach of the Year for his efforts.
Mooney is a 1994 graduate of Princeton University where he played for Hall-of-Fame coach Pete Carril. He started all 107 games in his career and was a two-year captain who helped the team to a pair of NCAA tournament berths. As a senior, Mooney was named first-team all-Ivy League and is still ranked 19th on the Princeton career scoring list with 1,071 points. Scott was an assistant coach at Princeton during Mooney's junior and senior campaigns.
A versatile inside and outside player, Mooney hit 142 career three-pointers which ranks seventh all-time at Princeton and shot .412 from behind the arc. During the 1992-93 season, he averaged 13.5 points per game and shot .515 from the field and .469 from three-point territory.
Mooney is a two-time winner of the B.F. Bunn Trophy at Princeton, given annually to the varsity basketball player who through sportsmanship, play and influence contributed most to the sport at the school. Mooney won the award in 1993 and '94.
QUOTES FROM TODAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE:
COACH Chris Mooney: "I am honored and ecstatic to be the head basketball coach at the nation's greatest school. I recognize the awesome responsibility that I have in leading the men's basketball program here. I promise to embrace that responsibility with passion, energy and commitment to the institution, to our administration and to our players."
"I am thrilled. It's been a whirlwind. I am extremely emotional but my most important feelings are gratitude to the Academy and pride in what we have accomplished. I recognize how significant it is and how fortunate I am. I think my experience, coupled with my age, is an asset. I have been a head coach and things you do as a head coach, regardless of the level, are universal."
"I am very proud to announce that all the assistant coaches are staying. Coach Mike McKee has been named associate head coach. There is only one spot to fill due to the commitment of the Academy to keep the program intact. "
"I told the players how proud I was to be the head coach here. I owe it to the players. I owe it to the program and the most important piece of the program is the players. I care very deeply for the players and look forward to working with them."
"Our expectations for our program are much higher than they were. Our players wouldn't want it any other way. They are very confident and very accomplished right now. I think it's fair to be measured up to last season's successes. "
JUNIOR GUARD Tim Keller: "I never wanted Joe Scott to go. I definitely thought I'd play out my career with him being the head coach. He explained to us his reasons for leaving and it's certainly understandable. It was a shock but we are over it and ready to move on. "
SOPHOMORE GUARD Antoine Hood: "We feel that we are the best hands we possibly could be with Coach Mooney. We believe in him and are behind him 110 percent. We will play for him just as hard if not harder than we played for Joe Scott. "
"This is only the beginning as far as NCAA appearances and the other accolades we received this year. We only plan on going up. We have a strong brotherhood here. There is more to life than just basketball and here we can accomplish so much and become better people."
SOPHOMORE CENTER Nick Welch: "We are really fortunate to get to play for Coach Mooney. We will be playing under the same system so it will be a very easy transition. He's our coach and we are going to play just as hard for him as we would for anybody."
"When you come to the Academy you come for more reasons than just basketball. We have adapted to the system and have grown in the system. I am 100 percent dedicated to this team, this program and this fine institution. I couldn't imagine playing for any other coach than Coach Scott or Coach Mooney. It will be a privilege playing under Coach Mooney."
