Post by bonastud on Jun 1, 2005 22:26:27 GMT -5
Former Olean High basketball star Charles Perry apparently isn’t done looking for a career in a sport that made his a household name in these parts.
The emergence of an expansion American Basketball Association (ABA) team in Buffalo entices Perry, who said he has played professionally in a low-level U.S. league, as well as taking part in several tournaments recently.
From a sure-fire Division I prospect, to various troubles with the law, to a job as a bouncer at an Olean club, Perry keeps the dream of establishing a credible pro career.
“I’m in good shape,” he said. “I’ve been lifting and shooting.”<br>Perry, who has lived in Lockport and Niagara Falls, said he has talked with former St. Bonaventure players Caswell Cyrus and Tim Winn about an opportunity to try-out for the Buffalo Rapids. Rapids’ coach Rich Jacob told The Times Herald he is interested in signing Winn and Cyrus as well several other Western New York players.
Perry said he has hired a Canadian-based agent and has made contacts with a few franchises overseas, but said “if I could stay close to home, I’d like to do that. I guess we’ll see what happens.”<br>
Meanwhile, the ABA has also expanded to Rochester this year. But the Razorsharks have run into a problem of finding a coach.
Oh, they hired a coach, former Bona assistant Billy McCaffrey. McCaffrey, a former aide of Jan van Breda Kolff, made a George O’Leary-like stay at the helm, however.
After a little over a week on the job, the once interim head coach at Bona, shocked team management on Thursday by turning down the job.
“We fully expected him to be our coach and to be here for our tryout camp at St. John Fisher. Now he says he isn’t ready to coach professionally,” Razorsharks general manager Orest Hyrwnak said in a statement.
“He was here for 4 1/2 days last week and I thought everything was set. He enjoyed the city and was impressed with our organization. We were lining up an apartment, use of a car, a benefits package and a bonus incentive plan. Now I have to take out my A-list of coaching candidates again. I hope to name our coach within a few weeks.”
A-list? Perhaps Hyrwnak has van Breda Kolff’s name in his Rolodex or maybe even Tom Chapman.
The Razorbacks continued with their invitation-only tryout camp this past weekend at St. John Fisher nonetheless.
(Vinny Pezzimenti is a sports writer for The Times Herald.)
I remember playing against Chuck back in highschool in a few pick up games, he was definately a man among boys. Hope the best for him he definately needs basketball to turn his life around. He would have been a big man that Bonas could have definately used in the last few years.
The emergence of an expansion American Basketball Association (ABA) team in Buffalo entices Perry, who said he has played professionally in a low-level U.S. league, as well as taking part in several tournaments recently.
From a sure-fire Division I prospect, to various troubles with the law, to a job as a bouncer at an Olean club, Perry keeps the dream of establishing a credible pro career.
“I’m in good shape,” he said. “I’ve been lifting and shooting.”<br>Perry, who has lived in Lockport and Niagara Falls, said he has talked with former St. Bonaventure players Caswell Cyrus and Tim Winn about an opportunity to try-out for the Buffalo Rapids. Rapids’ coach Rich Jacob told The Times Herald he is interested in signing Winn and Cyrus as well several other Western New York players.
Perry said he has hired a Canadian-based agent and has made contacts with a few franchises overseas, but said “if I could stay close to home, I’d like to do that. I guess we’ll see what happens.”<br>
Meanwhile, the ABA has also expanded to Rochester this year. But the Razorsharks have run into a problem of finding a coach.
Oh, they hired a coach, former Bona assistant Billy McCaffrey. McCaffrey, a former aide of Jan van Breda Kolff, made a George O’Leary-like stay at the helm, however.
After a little over a week on the job, the once interim head coach at Bona, shocked team management on Thursday by turning down the job.
“We fully expected him to be our coach and to be here for our tryout camp at St. John Fisher. Now he says he isn’t ready to coach professionally,” Razorsharks general manager Orest Hyrwnak said in a statement.
“He was here for 4 1/2 days last week and I thought everything was set. He enjoyed the city and was impressed with our organization. We were lining up an apartment, use of a car, a benefits package and a bonus incentive plan. Now I have to take out my A-list of coaching candidates again. I hope to name our coach within a few weeks.”
A-list? Perhaps Hyrwnak has van Breda Kolff’s name in his Rolodex or maybe even Tom Chapman.
The Razorbacks continued with their invitation-only tryout camp this past weekend at St. John Fisher nonetheless.
(Vinny Pezzimenti is a sports writer for The Times Herald.)
I remember playing against Chuck back in highschool in a few pick up games, he was definately a man among boys. Hope the best for him he definately needs basketball to turn his life around. He would have been a big man that Bonas could have definately used in the last few years.