NORFOLK, Va. (WTKR) — Old Dominion heads into Sun Belt play on Saturday but the program's main concern is with the health of head coach.
Jeff Jones suffered a heart attack last Wednesday, just hours before the Monarchs played their first game of the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii last week. Jones is back in Norfolk after flying back this past weekend and is resting at home.
Interim head coach Kieran Donohue says there is no timetable on Jones' return to the bench. On the latest edition of the Old Dominion Full Court Press, ODU players share their emotions in seeing their head coach battling and how they're regrouping before conference play begins.
The silver and blue tip things off on Saturday with South Alabama coming to Chartway Arena. After the home league opener, ODU heads on the road for four straight. At 4-8 and plenty to improve on, Donohue sees the start of the conference schedule as a chance to hit the reset button and get a fresh start.
The veteran assistant coach will step up as the interim head coach while Jones recovers. Donohue, who has worked on staffs for Jones as early as 1993, is balancing the emotions of the scary incident in Hawaii while also trying to guide the program through a time with many unknowns. He helped ODU get a win over Temple in the Diamond Head Classic, his first as the acting head coach, and players like Jason Wade and Imo Essien find Donohue to be a calming presence patroling the sidelines. As a pivotal part of the schedule arrives, Donohue dives into the transition from assistant to head coach and how he's approaching the next stretch of games with the philosophy of "we".
Our 94 Foot Conversation is with freshman point guard Vasean Allette. The Canadian guard has come on strong over the last month, surging to the team's leading scorer. He chats about transitioning to the American style of basketball, life for an international student, and what new food has slowly become one of his favorites in his new home.
The Old Dominion Full Court Press airs each Wednesday during News 3 at 11:00 through the end of college basketball season.
