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Dunlap departs for NBA
Division-II coach signs a deal with Karl and Nuggets
By Matt Gunn
gunnma@mscd.edu

Archive photo by Bradley Wakoff Coach Mike Dunlap watches from the sidelines as the Roadrunners post a typical rout of the away team (see scoreboard in background). The ensuing victory came during the Roadrunners’ 2005 NCAA Division-II National Championship season. Dunlap announced at a conference Aug. 22 that he was leaving Metro to take an assistant coaching position under the Nuggets’ George Karl for an undisclosed amount. Dunlap had signed a five-year contract with Metro in May.

The Mike Dunlap era is at an end.

The head coach of the Roadrunners men’s basketball team agreed to a contract Tuesday to serve as an assistant basketball coach with the Denver Nuggets. In a nine-year career with Metro, Dunlap amassed a 248-50 overall record, two NCAA Division-II national championships and was twice named coach of the year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

“He’s really put the school on the national map,” said athletic director Joan McDermott. “It’s been a great ride over the past nine years and we’ve had a lot of fun. We really appreciate everything that he’s done for the school.”

Following the announcement, Dunlap’s long-time assistant Brannon Hays was named interim head coach. Hays played for Dunlap at California Lutheran University and was an assistant coach on Metro’s first national championship squad in 2000. He returned to the Roadrunners last year after five seasons in charge of Colorado Christian University’s men’s team.

“I feel like we’re very fortunate to have Brannon back on our staff, and it should be a smooth transition,” McDermott said. “Coach Dunlap left this team very strong.”

Dunlap had signed a five-year contract extension with Metro, worth nearly $750,000, at the end of May. However, the contract was open-ended and allowed Dunlap to resign if a better opportunity came along.

Dunlap said the opportunity would allow him to grow as a coach. The chance to learn from George Karl and the Nuggets’ staff was enough for him to leave. He will assist in player development along with his duties on the bench.

"If you can be a head coach for 16 years and have success, then you can be a good assistant,” Dunlap said. “I think you need to make yourself available to everyone, do your job and be consistent.”

According to senior Michael Bahl, Dunlap told the team the Nuggets had contacted him in July. When the offer was made, Dunlap told the ’Runners he would be leaving.

“I thanked (the team), because if it wasn’t for those great players, I wouldn’t be here,” he said.
Bahl and sophomore Brian Barringer were excited for Dunlap’s new opportunity to gain experience in the NBA.

“It’s George Karl’s team, and coach understands that,” Bahl said. “I hope if (Carmelo Anthony is) messing up or some of those guys mess up, he’ll get them rocking like we did.”

Coaching in professional basketball is not entirely new to Dunlap, who spent three seasons in charge of the Adelaide 36ers of Australia’s National Basketball League. He took his team to the NBL playoffs each of those three years and was the runner-up in the 1994 Grand Final.

Dunlap has a winning record in all levels of basketball he has coached. Bahl said the thing he would miss most about Dunlap was his intensity.

“Every day you knew what he wanted,” Bahl said. “He wanted to win.”

Since many players from last year’s team will return for 2006, the transition should be easy for the Roadrunners. Hays’ coaching style is similar to Dunlap’s, and the rest of the coaching staff should remain intact. Five new players will join Metro this year.

“I think it will definitely be an easy transition with coach Hays getting the job,” Bahl said. “We’re going to hit the ground running and there’s no looking back now.”

Last year Dunlap took a team with nine new players to the NCAA regional tournament. The same intensity he showed at Metro can help Dunlap succeed in the NBA.

“Every day he was here, he gave it his all,” Bahl said.