College basketball coach calls timeout with team losing — to make players run sprints
Only one month into his first season as a Division I head coach, Arkansas-Pine Bluff basketball coach Solomon Bozeman is making eye-catching headlines.
But not in a way you’d think.
During the Golden Lions’ 19-point loss to the 19th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones on Dec. 1, Bozeman called a timeout with 18:20 left in the second half to make his players run baseline-to-baseline sprints.
Many felt that was not a good look for Bozeman and the Golden Lions, who are 1-8, with their win against the NAIA Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes. The video quickly caught the eye of those in the Twitterverse, who were baffled by the move, some of whom believed that the frustrated Bozeman was on a power trip and acting out on his underdog team.
There were some who applauded the coach for executing the bold move.
The sprints might have had a positive effect on the Golden Lions, who were only outscored by three points during the second half of their 83-64 loss.
Bozeman, 33, is one of the youngest head coaches in Division I men’s basketball. He spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Oral Roberts University and was instrumental in helping the Golden Eagles “improve their conference wins each year,” the official website for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff said.