Jimmy Patsos

Even though the whole thing was handled in a hush-hush way that doesn't make much sense, Loyola University did the right thing Wednesday when it agreed to a new multi-year deal with Jimmy Patsos. We'll get to the hush-hush part in a moment. But for now, know that Patsos has a new contract extension to coach the Greyhounds' men's basketball team for the next five years, and he couldn't be more thrilled. "That was all that was ever important to me, staying at Loyola," Patsos said . "The money was never an issue.

After parting ways with Maryland last month, Mychal Parker decided he wanted to finish his college career closer to home. East Carolina, located just 30 minutes from Parker's hometown of Washington, N.C., offered the 6-foot-5, 195-pound wing that opportunity. But late last week, the former Terp decided against a potential homecoming in favor of staying in Maryland and committing to Loyola. “It was a really tough decision,” Parker said Monday night. “I really wanted to go back home, but I really had to think about my future.

Like a lot of other coaches, Jimmy Patsos is big on inspirational sayings. On Sunday, he needed one in the worst way. Not a "Braveheart" quote, exactly. Not something to make a man want to take a spear in the throat for his homeland. More like something to make a 20-year-old with a short attention span focus, or something to help a college basketball player suck it up and not dwell on the past. The Loyola men's basketball team, after all, was on a two-game losing streak. Sure, the Greyhounds' goal of winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and going to the NCAA tournament was still in sight.

Loyola men's basketball Guard Drummond chooses to transfer Loyola sophomore guard Justin Drummond has told the Greyhounds' coaching staff that will transfer, the school announced. Drummond, from Bowie, averaged 10.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 33 games (four starts) for Loyola in 2011-12 and was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Sixth Player of the Year. The 6-foot-4, 187-pound All-MAAC third-team selection has not decided where he will transfer. "We would like to thank Justin for his contributions to the program," said coach Jimmy Patsos , whose Greyhounds won the MAAC tournament and played in their first NCAA tournament since 1994.

There was a moment in last Monday's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament final against Fairfield when Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos stared for several seconds toward the court during a television timeout, holding his two index fingers close together between his eyes and nose. Obviously angry, Patsos also seemed frozen, fixed on either a call he didn't like from one of the referees or a lapse from one of his players. Assistant coach Luke D'Alessio brought Patsos back to the huddle - and back to the moment.

The day after watching his team lose on its home court with a stagnant effort that surprised and angered him, Jimmy Patsos is wrapping up a spirited practice session and running short on sleep. Since taking over one of the NCAA's worst Division I men's basketball programs last spring, Patsos has held steady in the belief that Loyola College, with his knowledge, passion and energy driving it, will fix this mess and do it quickly. And the new face of the Greyhounds keeps telling himself things are getting better.

The men's basketball program that was almost a record-setting loser is already undergoing an extreme makeover. Everywhere one looks at Loyola College, the University of Maryland influence has infiltrated. When the Greyhounds launch their new season under Jimmy Patsos in six months, they will be shaped in the Terrapins' image, playing a style the new coach learned as Gary Williams' longtime assistant at College Park. "I think when we made the hire, we wanted somebody who could give the program a new face," said Loyola athletic director Joe Boylan.

After parting ways with Maryland last month, Mychal Parker decided he wanted to finish his college career closer to home. East Carolina, located just 30 minutes from Parker's hometown of Washington, N.C., offered the 6-foot-5, 195-pound wing that opportunity. But late last week, the former Terp decided against a potential homecoming in favor of staying in Maryland and committing to Loyola. “It was a really tough decision,” Parker said Monday night. “I really wanted to go back home, but I really had to think about my future.

Every athletic director looking for a basketball coach should have Jimmy Patsos on his or hers short list. What he's done in taking Loyola from 1-27 to the NCAA Tournament is nothing short of remarkable. But he's just 44 and probably makes good, not great, money. According to a story last July when Patsos was being talked about as an assistant at some bigger schools, he could make more as a big-time assistant. Loyola needs to lock him up now. Give him a long extension and as much money possible.

Jimmy Patsos' flirtation with the Big Apple turned out to be brief. The Loyola coach said this morning he has declined an opportunity to join Steve Lavin at St. John's and will remain in Baltimore. "I'm very lucky to be at Loyola, and I really want to coach at Loyola," Patsos said. "I think the future is really bright, and we're on the verge of being really good." Lavin was named St. John's coach on Wednesday. On Thursday, Patsos met with his former boss, Maryland coach Gary Williams, in Indianapolis at the Final Four to gain perspective.

Loyola men's basketball Patsos wins Skip Prosser Award Loyola men's basketball coach Jimmy Patsos was named the 2012 recipient of the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award on Friday night at an awards banquet hosted by CollegeInsider.com at the NCAA Final Four in New Orleans. The award is named in honor and memory of Prosser, who was coach at Loyola, Xavier and Wake Forest before dying in July 2007. It recognizes coaches who achieve success on the basketball court and display moral integrity off it. Patsos recently completed his eighth season at Loyola, a year during which he guided the Greyhounds to a 24-9 overall record and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship for the first time since 1994.

Gary Williams spent this college basketball season out of coaching for the first time in more than four decades. A fundraiser for the university and an analyst for the Big Ten Network and ESPN 980 in Rockville, Williams was honored Wednesday night at the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards ahead of the 10th anniversary of Maryland's national championship. The 67-year old sat down with The Baltimore Sun prior to the "An Evening With Gary Williams" celebration to discuss the anniversary.

Jimmy Patsos, who coached the Loyola University men's basketball team to a 24-9 record this past season and the school's first NCAA Tournament berth in 18 years, has been rewarded with a multi-year contract extension, a university source confirmed Wednesday.  The source said Patsos has signed a new five-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.  "That's all that was ever important to me, staying at Loyola," said Patsos, voted Coach of the Year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference after his team won the conference tournament and finished with a 13-5 record in MAAC play.

Laurel Park 107-1 shot Wire Funds rallies to victory Wire Funds, a Maryland-bred 4-year-old who entered Wednesday with one win in 18 starts, took the final race Wednesday at Laurel Park at odds of 107-1. Ridden by Geovany Garcia , Wire Funds was last going into the far turn, then picked his way forward and beat Alston Gunter by a half-length. "When I asked at the quarter-pole he just took off," Garcia said. Wire Funds, whose other victory came in July at Charles Town, paid $216.80 and topped a $1,226.40 exacta, $10,831.40 trifecta and $32,759.40 superfecta.

PITTSBURGH -- Jimmy Patsos pointed to the white board in his team's dressing room at the Consol Energy Center on Thursday night, the names of the Ohio State players scrawled in red marker, their stats in black. He came to the names of sophomore forwards Jared Sullinger and DeShaun Thomas. "That sucker's good," the Loyola coach said about Sullinger, the National Player of the Year as a freshman. He turned to junior forward Erik Etherly in talking about Thomas. "That guy's really good getting to the offensive glass," Patsos said.

Every athletic director looking for a basketball coach should have Jimmy Patsos on his or hers short list. What he's done in taking Loyola from 1-27 to the NCAA Tournament is nothing short of remarkable. But he's just 44 and probably makes good, not great, money. According to a story last July when Patsos was being talked about as an assistant at some bigger schools, he could make more as a big-time assistant. Loyola needs to lock him up now. Give him a long extension and as much money possible.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt thinks the winner of this weekend's Atlantic Coast Conference men's tournament will be more of a survivor. Maryland coach Gary Williams thinks this weekend will be a fan's dream. On paper, the ACC's featured gathering at Greensboro Coliseum looks like a special event in this, the league's last nine-team party. Each of the league's top five seeds is a Top 20 team. Just below them is sixth-seeded Maryland, which has beaten two of them and been involved in countless other close ACC contests.

Joe Boylan was sitting with Jimmy Patsos at last Saturday's Loyola-Duke lacrosse game when the former athletic director asked the man he had hired as the school's basketball coach eight years ago if he had any preference as to where Greyhounds would play their first NCAA tournament game in 18 years. "Jimmy wanted to go to Pittsburgh because our fans could get there - and then he said, 'I've set it up for the team to go to the Andy Warhol Museum,'" Boylan recalled Monday. "How many coaches whose teams are going to the NCAA tournament are thinking about that?