Wolff Reaches 200 at Boston University
BOSTON – Not unlike the entire 2005-06 season thus far, Wednesday night’s win over Hartford was not a thing of beauty for Boston University. But it was a special win for their head coach, as Dennis Wolff added to his school record in winning his 200th game.
For good measure, the win was his 100th over a current member of America East, a conference in which the Terriers have been a consistent contender since Wolff took over in 1994-95. Another coincidence: he became the school’s all-time leader in wins by beating the Hawks just over four years to the day (January 22, 2001) for his 102nd win.
Now the dean of America East coaches, Wolff has done it by emphasizing defense, the one thing that has kept this year’s version in many games. The inexperienced Terriers have struggled to score, but their strong defense has given them a chance to win most games. In nearly a quarter of his games coached, they have allowed under 55 points; they have done that seven times in 19 games this season. Anyone who will play at the school has to know that defense is not optional in the least.
Although he’s not one to talk much about things like this during the season, Wolff reflected on the accomplishment after the game.
“When I think about this, I think of Larry Greer and Jason Williford, who were here for a lot,” Wolff said, alluding to two former assistant coaches who have since moved on. “It’s been a good situation and a group effort.”
Wolff came to the school after stints as an assistant coach at two ACC schools and SMU. Like many, he had been making the rounds as an assistant coach, and was happy to get the opportunity at Boston University. Nowadays, many coaches at the mid-major level don’t get the chance to win 200 games at one school, because they move on to another job before reaching that many. Wolff’s named was mentioned in connection with St. John’s job two years ago, but the New York native was never contacted about it. He’s continued to have a good home in the area, having raised his family here and seen his two sons grow up in Walpole. His older son, Matt, is a sophomore on the Terriers.
Coaches are known for wanting their players to get better as a season and their careers go on. True to that, Wolff has gotten better with time en route to his 200 wins at the school. His first 100 wins came against 88 losses; his next 100 came against just 56 losses. Many of them came during the past four seasons, where the Terriers were one of just 23 Division I programs to win 20 or more games each year. They made the postseason each of those years, falling short of the NCAA Tournament the past three years because they were right behind the stellar Vermont Catamount teams each season.
Wolff’s name will surely come up again as head coaching positions open up. His teams have been disciplined and know how to play defense, and he constantly speaks highly of the kids he has in his program. With the consistency the Terriers have had under him, they figure to be a contender in America East as long as he is on the bench. And yet, it’s hard to imagine him coaching anywhere else, a sentiment he expressed after Wednesday night’s win. At this rate, he might one day reach another 200 wins as the head coach on Commonwealth Ave.
