Dana Altman wasn't Oregon's first choice but he was the best choice
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Midway through a meandering 39-day coaching search that had already dragged into April, Oregon acting athletic director Pat Kilkenny called Nike's George Raveling seeking his advice.
Raveling urged Kilkenny to halt his pursuit of splashy candidates like Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon and Gonzaga's Mark Few because they were just using the Ducks as leverage in contract talks with their current schools.
When Kilkenny asked who he should consider instead, Raveling had someone in mind. The former Washington State and USC coach told Kilkenny to reach out to someone whose name was well regarded in coaching circles even if it was largely unknown in the Pacific Northwest.
"My answer was there's only one guy — Dana Altman," Raveling said. "He was an effective communicator, a good teacher and he always put his players in a position to succeed. He didn't have a marquee name, but it was obvious to me that this guy was special."
If Raveling's suggestion was controversial when he made it, it can only be described as clairvoyant six years later. Not only has Altman led Oregon to six straight 20-win seasons and four consecutive NCAA tournament berths, the former longtime Creighton coach also has the Ducks just two victories away from their first Final Four since 1939.
What's especially impressive about Altman's Oregon tenure is his program's 50-17 record after Valentine's Day the past six years. The Ducks tend to improve over the course of each season as Altman develops his collection of transfers, four-year recruits and junior college prospects and determines how best to deploy them.
From landing five-star shooting guard Tyler Dorsey last winter, to finishing runner-up to Kentucky for Jamal Murray last spring, Altman has raised Oregon's profile enough to draw interest from coveted recruits. The Pac-12 champion Ducks will have a chance to increase their stature even more on Thursday night when they face fourth-seeded Duke in a highly anticipated Sweet 16 matchup.
"Anytime you get an opportunity to play someone as well established as Duke, it's a great opportunity," Altman said. "Our basketball tradition is not that great. We're working hard to improve that. We need to play well on the national stage against someone that is very good and has proven themselves."
Oregon's is certainly in better shape than it was when Kilkenny began his pursuit of a new coach six years ago. After back-to-back poor seasons, the Ducks needed a coach who could replenish their roster and energize their fan base in time for the opening of their state-of-the-art new arena the following season.
Altman was certainly a more realistic candidate than some of Kilkenny's initial targets, but luring the aw-shucks Nebraska native away from Creighton was no slam dunk. When Altman returned to the Bluejays just a single day after being introduced as the next Arkansas coach in 2009, he cited proximity to his family and his love for his home state as reasons for his abrupt change of heart.
Altman might indeed have remained at Creighton for the rest of his career were it not for the timing of Oregon's interest and the allure of the job. Kilkenny approached Altman at a time when the Creighton fan base had grown restless after the Bluejays failed to win 20 games for the first time in more than a decade and failed to make the NCAA tournament for the third year in a row.
"Dana is one of those people that's harder on himself than he is on anyone else," said Creighton athletic director Bruce Rasmussen, a close friend of Altman. "We hadn't been as successful as a lot of people felt we should be that particular year, and I think Dana felt that Omaha didn't want him, that the fans of Creighton didn't want him there. His sense was that our fan base thought that Dana's time had run at Creighton."
When Kilkenny and Altman met at a discreet spot in Indianapolis, the Oregon athletic director pitched the coach on the chance to compete for Final Fours at a school with sparkling new facilities and ample resources thanks to the support of Nike founder Phil Knight. Little did Kilkenny know he also had another advantage over Altman's previous suitors.
In 1976, Rasmussen worked the USA Track & Field Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore., an experience that left him so awed by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the vibrancy of the community that he vowed to move there someday. Rasmussen never did make that move, yet he repeatedly raved about Eugene to Altman, never knowing it would contribute to his departure from Creighton.
"It was probably not good for Creighton that I had been in Eugene before and loved it," Rasmussen said with a laugh.
A big-budget program with championship aspirations and a community with a Midwestern feel were too much for Altman to pass up, especially with his daughter set to graduate high school. It also helped that Altman had entered his 50s and felt that his window to make a move was starting to close.
When Altman arrived at Oregon, he received a tepid reaction from Ducks fans who had been led to expect a bigger-name hire after Kilkenny's flirtations with Izzo, Few and others. Altman poked fun at the situation deftly, joking that he wasn't his wife's first choice, either.
Ultimately, Altman captured the hearts of Oregon fans the hard way. He won.
It started with fifth-year transfers like Devoe Joseph, Olu Ashaolu and Arsalan Kazem. Soon that led to higher profile transfers like Mike Moser and Joseph Young. Pretty soon the Ducks were winning consistently enough to attract top 100 high school recruits too.
What Altman looks for most when recruiting is versatility — long, athletic wings and swingmen who can play up tempo, score multiple ways and defend multiple positions. His junior college background makes him comfortable turning over his roster every year or two and meshing newcomers and returners on the fly.
"The main thing we've tried to to do is be competitive every year, and sometimes that takes transfers to do that," said Kevin McKenna, a longtime assistant under Altman at both Oregon and Creighton. "Coach has always believed in having a mix of transfers and four-year guys. I don't think there's any question his junior college background has influenced how he operates."
This year's Oregon roster is loaded with perimeter talent, and Altman has altered his approach to capitalize on that.
Oregon has won 30 games by spreading the floor, identifying potential mismatches and attacking them off the dribble. It helps that stars Dillon Brooks, Elgin Cook and Tyler Dorsey each create effectively off the bounce and center Chris Boucher can drag opposing shot blockers away from the basket with his ability to shoot jumpers.
As Altman's strongest team stands a win away from matching Oregon's best NCAA tournament outcome since 1939, he allows himself a brief moment to reflect on how far the Ducks have come during his tenure. He's grateful Raveling recommended him for the job and pleased he took it even if he initially wasn't at the top of Kilkenny's list of candidates.
"I'm not sure if I was their 38th or 39th choice, but by the time they got to me I was excited," Altman said. "It was a good time personally for me to make a move."
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
