HISTORY
Program History
• April 22, 1971 — The University of Miami Board of Trustees voted to drop the sport “temporarily until such time as a permanent field house can be constructed on the main campus.” Sagging attendance figures and serious financial losses were also believed to contribute to the discontinuation of basketball at UM.
1983: UM COMMITS TO REBUILD • July 15, 1983 — Sam Jankovich was named athletic director at the University of Miami. Coming to UM after a successful stint as the athletic director at Washington State, Jankovich immediately announced that the resurrection of men’s basketball at Miami would be his primary priority in the early months of his tenure, enabling UM to have “one of the nation’s most complete and visible overall programs in the country.” • October 12, 1983 — The University of Miami Board of Trustees unanimously voted to reinstate men’s basketball at the University of Miami. The Board made the decision after reviewing a report submitted by newly hired Athletic Director Sam Jankovich, which stated that men’s basketball can be a revenue-producing venture. Moreover, nearly $500,000 had already been raised in support of bringing basketball back to the University. It was also announced that the Hurricanes would be ready to compete on the Division I level in the 1985-86 season, and the downtown James L. Knight Center was home for the reborn program. “This is an exciting day for the University and for the athletic program,” UM President Edward T. Foote II said. “And we are keeping in mind the priorities of academics first and athletics second ... we are pleased that the changes in the economics of intercollegiate basketball allow the University to resurrect one of the country’s most popular sports. We look forward to welcoming these Hurricanes home again.”
1984: FOSTER HIRED AS COACH
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• March 21, 1984 — Bill Foster, a 47-year-old native of Hemingway, S.C., was named the seventh men’s basketball coach at the University of Miami. Foster came to Miami after 19 years as a head coach at Shorter College, Charlotte and Clemson. Foster also announced that Clint Bryant, a long-time assistant at Clemson, would also join the Miami staff. • April 9, 1984 — Foster announced the hiring of a second assistant coach, Seth Greenberg, who was serving as an assistant coach to Terry Holland at Virginia. • April 16, 1984 — Tim Harvey, a 6-10, 240-pound center, became the first basketball player to commit to the University of Miami in over 14 years. The Plainfield, N.J., native announced that he would transfer to Miami after spending two seasons in the Georgia Tech program. • July 1, 1984 — A third assistant coach was hired to complete the basketball staff. Miami native Cesar Odio returned home after serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Florida Southern. • October 11, 1984 — Nearly one full year after the announcement that basketball would return to the University, Athletic Director Sam Jankovich announced that a million dollar-plus practice facility would be constructed on the Coral Gables campus. The new all-purpose structure — located between the Hecht Athletic Center and the Greentree Track would be funded through a gift from the James L. Knight Charitable Trust. • The first phase of the 1985-86 basketball schedule was also announced on this day, and the line-up included such perennial powers as North Carolina, Georgia, Notre Dame, Marquette and Dayton.
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1985-86 MIAMI HURRICANES Front (L to R): Manager Kevin Nord, Kevin Presto,Terrell Roberson, Joel Warren, Robert Selby, Darrell Glenn, Brian Heller, Bryan Hughes. Back: Eric Brown,Terance Hare, Mike Noblet,Tim Harvey, Mark Richardson, Robert Schneckenberg,Tim Dawson, Dennis Burns. • October 15, 1984 — The first men’s basketball practice session in more than 12 years was held on the patio in the center of campus. More than 200 members of the student body participated.
1985:WITH ALL IN PLACE, MIAMI TIPS OFF AGAIN • April 25, 1985 — Foster announced that UM’s 1985-86 basketball roster would include nine freshmen, one sophomore and one junior as the spring signing period ends for NCAA basketball. • August 16, 1985 — Athletic Director Sam Jankovich announced that the 1985-86 basketball schedule had been completed and that network television coverage of the Hurricane program would include two games on CBS (Arizona) and ESPN (Notre Dame). • Jankovich also announced the completion of a local television schedule (on WBFS-Channel 33) that would bring all nine UM road games back to Miami by way of live local broadcasts. Channel 33 would also carry select home games in the Knight Center. • WIOD Radio, the radio voice of UM football and baseball, would also carry all Hurricane basketball games with veteran Hurricane announcer Sonny Hirsch at the microphone. • October 15, 1985 — Basketball practice officially begins at the University of Miami in the Knight Sports Complex. • November 12, 1985 — The Knight Sports Complex was dedicated at a gala banquet that was held on the basketball courts of the new structure. CBS basketball analyst Billy Packer served as the evening’s guest speaker for an event which welcomed more than 500 guests to the oncampus home of Hurricane basketball. The facility served as the practice home to the men’s and women’s basketball programs, while also housing the men’s basketball coaching staff offices. In addition, the Knight Sports Complex enabled the athletic program to more than double the size of the existing strength room, while also providing meeting rooms and lecture rooms for all of Miami’s student-athletes. • November 22, 1985 — The brand new era of Hurricane basketball was ushered in by a young UM squad which defeated The Citadel, 85-77, in front of a sellout crowd of 4,984 at the Knight Center. Dennis Burns (24 points), Kevin Presto (22) and Eric Brown (21) combined to lead the Miami DENNIS BURNS thrilled fans on opening night with five dunks en route to 24 points in UM’s 85-77 win over The Citadel.