LAS VEGAS - He didn't expect to stay longer than five seasons, just wanting to see if he could do the job. He stayed another five just to see if he could do the job even better. Goo turned court
into his classroomVince Goo put his University of Hawaii women's basketball team on the court today for the 290th time since being hired in the fall of 1987. The Wahine went into
today's game against TCU at the Thomas & Mack Center, looking to give Goo his 199th career victory and seventh 20-win season in his 10-year stay at the Manoa campus.
"I thought I'd only be around five years," said Goo, who coached at Castle and Kaiser high schools before becoming a Wahine assistant in 1984. "Thought I'd give it five, then maybe go back to teaching."
In reality, Goo never left teaching, just turned the court into his classroom. It has become his personal study hall, too, where he instills the pride of tough defense in his Wahine teams.
"Defense is tougher than offense," said the former Kalani High guard. "You don't know what your opponent is going to do so you have to keep guessing and guess smart. A lot of the credit for our defense goes to (assistant coach) Da Houl. Every game tape, she breaks down every offensive play by the opponent.
"My job is to decide what we're going to do on offense and defense. We change both every single game, nothing drastic but a little something different every time out. You need to keep your opponent guessing, too."
GOO feels he inherited his father's approach to coaching. Ah Chew Goo, former Rainbow men's coach, taught his son that hard work pays off.
"He'll never talk about it but I've heard it from other people how he would, as an 8-year-old, spend three hours a day working on his shots," said Vince Goo. 'They talk about how, during halftimes of Hilo High games, he would walk out and shoot baskets from half court. People would come to watch him at halftime.
"He played against the Globetrotters in the '40s and they didn't want to play against him the next year. But he played, and used some of their tricks - the flat dribble, the free-throw attempt with a string - against them. I guess what I learned the most from him was you have to work hard to be a good coach."
Goo never thought he'd be coaching college women. He spent 16 years as a boys prep coach and one season with prep girls.
"Don't ask me what the record was, all I remember is it was very frustrating," said Goo. "But college is another maturity level. I like the women's game, like how it's developed, like where it's headed.
"I see more girls involved at the youth level now in Hawaii. That's good. I appreciate the increased exposure the sport's getting and our program is getting. I can't say enough about our fans and our booster club."
GOO wouldn't say how much longer he'll stay on the job. He's sacrificed a lot to be a coach, particularly time with his wife, Gay, and his four children.
"One day the burnout will happen," he said. "One day, I won't want to come in at 6 a.m. to watch videos. One day, I'll quit feeling guilty if I come in late, like at 9.
"When I have two or three days like that in a row, then it will be time to walk away. Hopefully, all the time and effort will have made it a better program. We've taken it to another level in the last 10 years.
"We're still not getting the high school All-Americans to come here but I'm proud of the effort we've gotten out of the players we do get. We always try to get the best in Hawaii and I'm happy that we can show that local girls can compete at the Division I level."
Goo wasn't too pleased that the WAC tournament jackets for the Wahine only had half of the team name embroidered on the front. He sent the jackets back after noticing it read 'HAW'. But he also saw it as a omen that maybe Hawaii would have the last laugh.
Another 20-win season, a second tournament title win, a fifth NCAA berth, even his 200th win . . . now that would surely cure burnout.
Cindy Luis is a Star-Bulletin sportswriter.
Her column appears weekly.