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Sellitto’s final run IT can be dark and dank, and it doesn't smell like a bouquet of roses. It's a locker room, and for most of his life, there has hardly been a place where Tony Sellitto would rather be.
The Hawaii Pacific skipper is ending
a storied career, and coaches his last
home game Tuesday with much
at stake against rival BYUHBy Brandon Lee
blee@starbulletin.comFrom his early years as an athlete through his long career as a successful basketball coach, the locker room has been one of Sellitto's favorite hangouts. It even defines him, in a way.
The New Jersey native played football, basketball and baseball, and also boxed as a student-athlete at Colorado College in the late '50s and early '60s. After his collegiate career, Sellitto had professional opportunities as a player drafted for both the gridiron and the diamond, but opted for a brief military stint, instead.
His stay away from athletics was brief, however, as he was playing baseball for an Army team within a week of arriving at his first assignment at Schofield Barracks in 1961.
Sellitto became a fixture in Hawaii and local locker rooms when he took over as athletic director and basketball coach at Maryknoll High School two-and-a-half years later. He then moved onto the same duties at Hawaii Pacific in 1988.
"Growing up being one of the guys, I like that I've been able to continue being one of the guys," said Sellitto, 64. "I've always been a locker-room guy."
*Tony Sellitto, HPU: 294 (14 years, .689 winning percentage) HAWAII ALL-TIME BASKETBALL WINS
*Riley Wallace, Hawaii: 238 (15 years, .589)
Merv Lopes, Chaminade: 237 (12 years, .666)
*Ken Wagner, Brigham Young-Hawaii: 228 (12 years, .648)
Jimmy Yagi, Hawaii-Hilo: 218 (9 years, .715)
Bob Wilson, Hilo: 153 (10 years, .528)
Ted Chidester, BYUH: 119 (8 years, .531)
Paul Smith, HPU: 106 (5 years, .627)
Larry Little, UH: 103 (9 years, .419)
*Active, not including last night's results
While he will always carry that attitude with him, Sellitto's days of passionately motivating his team and plotting strategy with his assistants in gym basements are numbered.
Before this season -- his 37th of coaching and 14th at HPU -- Sellitto decided to make it his last on the sidelines. He will remain as athletic director for one more year before retiring completely.
On Tuesday night, the man who became the only Hawaii coach to bring a national basketball title to the Islands when the Sea Warriors captured the 1993 NAIA crown, will be leading HPU for the last time in a conference home game. Appropriately, Sellitto will face his and HPU's biggest rival during his tenure -- Ken Wagner and Brigham Young-Hawaii.
"Naturally, when we play (BYUH) it's always a great rivalry and a great game," said Sellitto, who has racked up 28 of his 294 career wins (133 losses) against the Wagner-led Seasiders. In his 12 years at BYUH, Wagner has bested Sellitto 16 times.
"(Wagner) and I have always been great rivals, and that has lent to a nice, healthy relationship between the two of us. ... I'll miss that a lot. Playing them this last time will be special."
As was the case many times in the past decade, there is a lot at stake in this game. The outcome could determine this year's Pacific West Conference champion, who receives an automatic bid to the postseason.
Entering play last night, the Sea Warriors (17-6 overall, 8-3 PacWest) were in sole possession of first place in the conference.
"It's pretty much like a story book so far," said HPU assistant coach Russell Dung of Sellitto's farewell season. Dung played for Sellitto at Maryknoll and first joined him on the bench as an assistant with the Spartans 30 years ago.
"I hope we can finish the story," Dung added. "We control our own fortune at this point."
HPU and BYUH split their two previous games this year, each winning at home. The Seasiders took the first contest by 17 points, while the Sea Warriors won by 19 a week later. Though both outcomes ranked in the Top 5 for largest margin of victory in the Sellitto/Wagner era, 23 of their 44 games have been decided by fewer than 10 points.
Sellitto has led HPU to a national postseason tournament eight times, while Wagner has guided BYUH to five.
"They've had some great teams and we've had some as well," Wagner said. "It's always been a real challenge.
"It will be sad (next year), you hate to see Coach Sellitto going," he added. "It will be hard to replace his personality and he's done a great job. ... (Next year I'll) probably be a little lonely."
Sellitto said that staying on one more year for the chance at 300 victories should HPU not win six more this season is not a possibility. He said that he's never been interested in his actual win total -- only that he was comfortable with his win-loss record overall.
After health problems a few years ago, Sellitto is fully recovered and is leaving only because he feels it's time for somebody else to take the reins. Dung is a potential candidate and Sellitto's personal pick, though the HPU administration has yet to make an official decision.
Sellitto plans to keep up with his former players in retirement -- as he already does now -- because from his many years as a coach, his relationships with them are what he values most.
"To this day, he is my favorite coach," said John Strickland, a 1995 graduate and two-time All-American from HPU who since has become a well-traveled professional player. "We had a love-hate relationship, but one thing I can say is that I learned so much from him about sticking with it. Don't quit."
Sellitto is looking forward to keeping up with collegiate basketball as well, just with a more detached perspective. Still, he hasn't really given much thought to this next stage of his life.
For now, he has three more PacWest games to play and a conference title he'd like to win. And that matters a lot to the loud, demonstrative, shorts-wearing legend with a shaved pate still pacing the Sea Warriors' sideline.
"I kind of thought I'd be a lot more relaxed this year," Sellitto said. "But I'm not -- not even close. As we're getting into the title race, I'm getting more into it -- if that's possible. I'm as into it as ever."
Said HPU co-captain Nick Spajic of his coach: "(He's) intense, he's passionate, and that's something I really respect about him. He's into it. It's like he's actually playing in the game with us."
Like one of the locker-room guys.
"I don't think he has changed. He has been wise about being more accommodating, but his philosophy and methods about coaching haven't. He still has the same passion for the game and the same passion for his players. There will never be another coach like him. WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT TONY SELLITTO
"One of his famous sayings is: 'A bench can cure cancer.' "
Francis Fletcher
HPU assistant coach"It's not only the way he coaches. He talks to us about a lot of stuff, not just basketball. He's school-oriented, he talks to us about life. I think it's nice when a coach is interested in you because of more than just basketball."
Nick Spajic
HPU senior co-captain"He is the most loyal, friendly personal individual I know. I consider him to be my very best friend. He is so altruistic toward his kids -- he will do anything for them -- and that is one aspect of him that I will cherish for a long time."
Clay Benham
Interscholastic League of Honolulu executive secretary and longtime Sellitto friend"Professionally, he was a great boss because of his straight-forwardness and his loyalty. He was tremendous for HPU because of those traits, as well as for his athletic department leadership. Personally, I consider Hawaii my home because I can consider people like him my family."
Neil Everett
ESPN anchor and former HPU assistant athletic director
"As a coach, you're always most concerned with playing the game properly. As long as the players improve and their understanding of the game improves, that's what gives me the most satisfaction."
"I'm perfectly healthy, perfectly capable. I just feel it's time for somebody else. I'm not (leaving coaching) for any particular reason."
Tony Sellitto
HPU Sports