Loyola women?s basketball coach Joe Logan spent the better part of four years working at a desk just three feet away Rider coach Lynn Milligan in the heart of Philadelphia.
Buttonight at 7 at Reitz Arena when the Greyhounds host the Broncs, the good friends and former St. Joseph?s assistants will be separated by just a 30-foot scorer?s table.
“The reason we have jobs is because we were successful at St. Joe?s and were able to be a big part of the program,” Logan said. “We have a great relationship and we talk a couple times a week, but we don?t talk a whole lot this week.”
Logan and Milligan were assistants at St. Joseph?s, with Logan coaching from 2001-2005 and Milligan from 2001-2007. The pair served under coach Cindy Anderson-Griffin, who headed Loyola from 1998-2001. They were instrumental in the success of one of the country?s top mid-major programs, leading St. Joseph?s to three appearances in the Women?s National Invitation Tournament.
After four years at St. Joe?s, Logan, a 1996 graduate of Loyola, returned to the Evergreen to guide the Greyhounds. In four seasons, he?s led the squad to a record of 82-56, including this year?s mark of 10-13 overall and 5-8 in the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Association entering Saturday?s game.
But this season, Logan has the challenge of facing one of this best friends twice a season.
Milligan left St. Joseph?s last year to accept the Rider job at her alma mater. Her first year, however, has been difficult, as the Broncos are just 7-17 and 2-11 in the league, including a 66-59 loss to the Greyhounds in Lawrenceville, N.J., on Jan. 13.
“You never want to coach against one of your best friends,” Milligan said. “Coaching against each other brings back memories of practice times when we coached against each other during practices at St. Joe?s.”
Their connection, however, goes much deeper. Logan, Milligan and Anderson-Griffin are all part of the Pat Coyle coaching tree.
“We say it?s a basketball cult,” Anderson-Griffin said. “Everyone is connected someway, somehow.”
Coyle is head coach of the New York Liberty of the Women?s National Basketball Association. From 1992-1998, Coyle coached at Loyola where she met Logan, before leaving for an assistant position in the WNBA. Anderson-Griffin, who was coached by Coyle as a player at St. Joe?s in the early 1990s, took over the vacated position at Evergreen until leaving for her alma mater in Philadelphia.
“Your legacy is about the people that you come into contact with,” Coyle said. “They work with you and you are doing a good enough job to help them get better and go out and be successful.”
And Logan wishes nothing but success for his close friend. Well, almost.
“I?m sure Lynn feels the same way,” he said. “I hope she wins all her games, but the two we play her.”
