April 26, 2006

I don't think it's shocking to see Matt Doherty moved up already. He went from Florida Atlantic to SMU and into Conference USA.

I could hear a lot of critics screaming out, asking about loyalty. When he was down and out and nobody was giving him a shot, the Boca Raton-based school gave Doherty an opportunity and a Division I head coaching job and now he leaves after one season.

My take is very simple. Loyalty is a two-way street and where was it in Chapel Hill when North Carolina didn't allow him to fulfill his contract when he went out and busted his tail to recruit the likes of Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Sean May. You can't blame a guy who tries to improve himself professionally, trying to help his family in the long run. He is advancing by going to Conference USA, to a bigger program, so he can't turn the opportunity down.

Remember, in his business, you'd better make good while you cam because they forgot about you quickly if you lose. When you are fired, it is difficult to get back to the level where you were. The experience at Notre Dame and North Carolina, compared to Florida Atlantic, where he didn't have to deal with the same expectations, tells me Doherty is ready for this challenge.

SMU clearly was seeking Doherty, in part due to his Notre Dame days. Incoming athletic director Steve Orsini was a former football player on Notre Dame's 1977 championship team. Orsini, who was also the athletic director at Central Florida before taking over the Mustangs, was familiar with Doherty's background.

As Orsini said when he talked about Doherty, "He's a winner - as a student-athlete, as a coach, and as a person. Matt was our first choice. We had a diverse pool of candidates to choose from, which says a lot about SMU and what this program stands for today. Matt is a perfect fit."

Doherty is a workaholic and a recruiting dynamo. SMU needs to rebuild its program after going 13-16 last season and it made a dynamite choice. He has a great resume, going 90-71 in his five seasons as a Division I head coach. He led the Tar Heels to a 26-7 mark in his first season at Chapel Hill back in 2000-01.

SMU has locked up a good one.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.