Coach

DEAR CAL -- My son has been playing on a select basketball team for five years. We have seen all types of coaches, with three boys who all play sports, but this one is the toughest. If a player makes one mistake, he immediately pulls him out of the game. He has told them that he hates to lose. Most of the boys are too nervous to even shoot the ball, taking two or three shots per game. My son is usually a very outgoing, happy, confident kid who loves sports. Now he is nervous and worried before his games.

Atholton Raiders1998-99 record: 11-10Coach: Jim AlbertTop players: Steve Eureste, Sr., G; Scott Malczewski, Sr., G; Ramnik Aulakh, Sr., G; Craig Smith, Sr., F; Casey Diaz, Sr., G; Jamie Hollander, Jr., G; Calvin Williams, Jr., F.Outlook: The Raiders have won four county titles over the past six seasons. They graduated their top six players from last season and must try to rebuild without a returning all-county player as a centerpiece. Hollander is a good shooter who came up to varsity midway through last season.

The boxes adding to the clutter in Marvin Lewis' office suggest that the Ravens' former defensive coordinator is packing before he leaves town.Don't think Lewis is not getting around. He has been offered a chance to lead the defense in Philadelphia. Carolina coach George Seifert also wants him. The Pittsburgh Steelers would not mind having him back. The Cleveland Browns may try to lure Lewis after interviewing him today.Yet Lewis, one of the 13 assistants who became jobless when the Ravens fired coach Ted Marchibroda, would rather stay in Baltimore.

Doug DuVall turned his back to the action.The Wilde Lake coach, who typically roams 5 yards onto the field to follow every play, had noticed Jason Dawns grimacing in pain on the sideline. DuVall abandoned his headset and straddled the bench. He rested his forehead on his fullback's brow and whispered: "Tough times go away. Tough people don't."It's a glimpse of DuVall that has defined his program.He's a motivator more than a strategist. A counselor more than a technician. A confidante more than a coach.

BALTIMORE COUNTYArlington Baptist EaglesCoach: Glenn TeixeiraOutlook: The Eagles are rebuilding after the graduation of five starters. Freshman forward Paul Rattray has impressed new coach Teixeira.Beth Tfiloh Warriors (1-9-2)Coach: Howard BurkomOutlook: After losing five games by one goal with no seniors last season, Burkom is hoping having seven seniors will turn those decisions around this season.Boys' Latin Lakers (7-12)Coach: Butch MaiselOutlook: After missing the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference playoffs for the second straight year after nine straight appearances, Maisel is optimistic about a comeback.

Archbishop Curley's Dan Popera has stepped down as the Friars' basketball coach after 25 seasons, the school has announced.Popera was named All-Metro Coach of the Year by The Sun in 1978 and was Maryland Scholastic Association C Conference Coach of the Year in 1989.Popera will remain on the school's faculty as chairman of its business department and as an accounting teacher.He also will continue running the summer basketball camp.Assistant athletic director Matthew Keller is part of a committee searching for a successor.

Two new boys winter-sports coaches were announced in Anne Arundel County yesterday.Sam Golder is the new boys basketball coach at Arundel, and Tom Sfakiyanudis succeeds his former coach, Dave Gehrdes, as the Annapolis wrestling coach.Golder coached the Arundel JV to a 34-4 mark over the last two seasons and succeeds Hank Kuzma, who coached for one season. Kuzma, the ex-Navy player, is not a teacher and was considered an emergency coach, which necessitated the advertising of the positon.Sfakiyanudis wrestled for Gehrdes, now Annapolis' athletic director, from 1990 through 1992.

As a football fullback, South Carroll's Jason Tourangeau earned the nickname "Train" for his propensity to plow over would-be tacklers in pursuit of the end zone.This spring, the 6-foot-4 senior said he's kept pretty much the same attitude.As a pitcher on the Cavaliers' county-championship baseball team, he uses a fastball clocked as high as 91 mph to plow through opposing lineups. His pursuit -- a possible pro career.Though his son already has signed to play at East Carolina next season, Michael Tourangeau said that could change depending upon what happens at this year's amateur draft, which begins June 2."

The scene was as noticeable as anything that has happened during the 10 seasons Gary Williams has spent as basketball coach at the University of Maryland. It took place late in Maryland's blowout victory over Florida State during the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.On the bench was All-American Steve Francis, joking with a middle-age guy who looked amazingly like Williams except for one detail: On his face was the silliest of grins."I screwed up," Williams said of last weekend's lapse in his usual intensity.

Mike Bellotte was named Severna Park boys lacrosse coach yesterday, one day before the start of spring practice.Bellotte, a defenseman at St. Mary's High, Loyola College and Anne Arundel Community College before an auto accident ended his career, replaces Greg Manley.Manley, who coached the Falcons for three seasons, is stepping down because of a full-time job commitment."This is something I had always hoped to do, and Severna Park has a lot of talent returning," said Belotte of the team that last year finished 9-3. "I'm coming in with a staff that knows the kids from coaching youth lacrosse and in the Hero's programs."

Doug Collins is reportedly close to getting a second go-round in Chicago as coach of the Bulls, just about two decades after he was fired there after the 1988-89 season on the eve of the blossoming of a dynasty. If he is hired, it would be Collins' fourth head coaching job after a roller-coaster tour of duty in Detroit in the 1990s and an awkward stint baby-sitting Michael Jordan's Washington Wizards earlier this decade. Three decades. Three teams. Three strikes. But in the NBA, apparently you're (almost)

There are still several weeks left in the college lacrosse season, but the Coach of the Year award should already be determined. The award has to go to UMBC's Don Zimmerman. There are compelling cases for others such as Ohio State's Joe Breschi, Drexel's Chris Bates and Syracuse's John Desko. But Zimmerman has put together strong back-to-back seasons with the Retrievers, who have won nine straight games. And he has done it under some very tough circumstances. "He lost his entire attack from a year ago," Maryland coach Dave Cottle said.

There are plenty of good reasons to root for Mount St. Mary's tonight. If the Mountaineers beat Sacred Heart in the Northeast Conference tournament championship game, they'll reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1999, and the first time since a certain bow-tied iconic figure retired after 49 years at the school in 2003. But Milan Brown, Jim Phelan's replacement and former assistant, has one more for you. "If we're lucky enough to win [tonight] and advance," Brown said as he and his players bused to Fairfield, Conn.

Boston College Coach -- Al Skinner, 11th season at school (196-120), 20th overall (334-245) 2006-07 record -- 21-12, 10-6 (tied for third in ACC) Outlook -- Gone is ACC Player of the Year Jared Dudley, but three starters return for the Eagles: Tyrese Rice, Shamari Spears and John Oates. Rice, who averaged 24.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the Eagles' two NCAA tournament games, started all 33 games as a soph omore. Without Dudley, Spears is the team's leading returning rebounder (4.6 a game)

Senior Wade Simmons is a left-side hitter for C. Milton Wright's boys volleyball team, which clinched the Harford County regular-season crown last week. He's a four-year starter and three-year captain for the Mustangs. Simmons, whose family lives on a farm in Forest Hill that's been in his family for 100 years, wants to work in land conservation. Last summer, he worked with the Student Conservation Association outside of Tucson, Ariz., and had almost no contact with the outside world for about five weeks.

California Cougars Coach -- Bernie Lilavois Last season -- 7-23, 11 games behind Outlook -- The Cougars were a mess, beset by front-office turmoil and the most grueling travel schedule, which led to a 1-14 road record. They surrendered 482 goals, by far the most in the league, and will need to vastly improve their defense. Already, misfortune struck when F Vicente Figueroa, a former rookie of the year, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the preseason. Sanaldo will handle the goalkeeping.

Good morning -- Hope Solo -- Player ripping the coach - don't let anyone say women's sports are so different from men's.

DEAR CAL -- I have a 13-year-old nephew who plays baseball for several tournament teams. He's very good and big for his age. Recently, he was playing first base in a tournament and fielded a throw that pulled him off the bag. When he made a swipe tag at the runner, the tag hit the runner in the head and knocked him to the ground. The next thing we knew, the opposing coach, who happened to be the runner's dad, charged the field and tackled my nephew. Amazingly, neither umpire claimed to have witnessed the tackle.

For more than 25 years, Barbara Bellamy has spent her weekends coaching and running swim meets in Howard County. At the Columbia Neighborhood Swim League All-City Championship on Saturday at the Phelps Luck pool, the 53-year-old Columbia resident coached for the last time. Now, Saturdays belong to her. "It was a little hard at the end of the meet [when] all the kids lined up to give me a hug with tears in their eyes," Bellamy said. "I feel emotional but OK. I'm ready to move on." Several current CNSL coaches, all of them coached by Bellamy at some point, honored her with a plaque at the championship.

DEAR CAL -- My son has been playing on a select basketball team for five years. We have seen all types of coaches, with three boys who all play sports, but this one is the toughest. If a player makes one mistake, he immediately pulls him out of the game. He has told them that he hates to lose. Most of the boys are too nervous to even shoot the ball, taking two or three shots per game. My son is usually a very outgoing, happy, confident kid who loves sports. Now he is nervous and worried before his games.