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Penders tabbed for top job

Former Longhorn takes over as head coach of UH's men's basketball team

By Keenan Singleton
The Daily Cougar

Former University of Texas head men's basketball coach Tom Penders spent a lot of time making the "hook 'em horns" hand sign, with his pinky and index finger pointing up.

But Tuesday at the UH Athletics/Alumni Center, Penders added another finger, officially making him a Cougar. Athletics director Dave Maggard named Penders the seventh head coach of the UH men's basketball team, replacing Ray McCallum who accepted a reassignment within the department March 8. 

Pin Lim/The Daily Cougar 

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Tom Penders, the new UH men's basketball head coach, will try to resurrect a program that has been trying to find its identity for the past 10 years.

In his 30 seasons as a Division I head coach, Penders has an overall record of 527-361 (a .593 winning percentage) and has led his teams to 10 NCAA Tournament invitations and six National Invitation Tournament appearances.

"I felt like he was the man to resurrect this program," Maggard said. "I felt like he could get us back to national prominence faster than anyone could."

Penders led the Longhorns to eight NCAA Tournaments during his 10-year tenure at UT. He resigned in 1998 with four years remaining on his contract. 

"I was looking for someone who had tremendous passion, and he had it," Maggard said.

Penders' passions are up-tempo offenses and trapping defenses -- two tasty pieces of eye-candy for fans. Former and future players were singing his praises after Penders' introduction to fans.

"He has a great style of basketball," former UT ('97-'98) and UH ('99-01) basketball player Bernard Smith said. "He has two great guards already (senior Andre Owens and sophomore Lanny Smith). I think his style of play will fit the city perfectly. The players who come out of Houston are athletic. You need a coach who'll use that ability to the upmost and (Penders) is going to do that."

"I like (playing) up and down, up and down," Owens said. "I'm pretty happy ... I'm pretty satisfied. We've got a guy who's going to win and will bring chemistry to this program. He'll improve my game and everyone else's game."

"His style of play fits my game, everybody wants to get up and down," said Smith, the Houston Chronicle boys' All-Greater Houston player of the year in 2002. "That's going to bring excitement back to the game and to the University."

The 58-year-old coach warned fans to not frequent the concession stand during games -- because they just might miss something.

"They'll be the best conditioned team in the country, and we'll play 94 feet of basketball," Penders said. "They'll play hard and get after people."

Penders' last coaching stop was at George Washington, where he led the Colonials to a 49-42 over a three-year span.

"I came (to UH) to win a national championship," Penders said.
 

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