Steve Fisher returns to Crisler on Sunday
The game on Sunday is the 30th anniversary of the 1989 National Champions.
Its head coach in the NCAA Tournament will return to Crisler. I don't think he's been back since he left the court after Michigan's NIT Second Round win over Oklahoma State on March 18, 1997.
February 20th, 2019 at 9:29 PM ^
Glad for Coach Fisher.
Have fun coach, and glad for the 89 team.
This team won it all. Unlike any other M bball team.
February 20th, 2019 at 9:31 PM ^
February 20th, 2019 at 9:34 PM ^
Shouldn't Bill Frieder be invited too since he recruited all those guys?
Just sayin'...
February 20th, 2019 at 9:38 PM ^
Don't you wonder how we would have done with Frieder coaching in the tournament? Pretty neat 'revenge' streak - hey coach, guess what we can do without you!!!
February 20th, 2019 at 10:04 PM ^
We would've lost to UNC again. I don't know if Fisher coached a better game in his career.
February 21st, 2019 at 8:10 AM ^
Out in the second round.
February 21st, 2019 at 12:20 PM ^
Frieder's track record in the tournament was terrible. Pretty much the anti-Beilein.
February 20th, 2019 at 10:21 PM ^
I think Frieder should be invited. He is a M grad.
He sure could recruit, even for Coach Orr, All those guys were recruited by Frieder. And no, we wouldn't have won the nc with Coach Frieder coaching.
February 21st, 2019 at 6:09 AM ^
Not unless you want to see Bo turn over in his grave.
February 21st, 2019 at 10:50 AM ^
Wait til Bo gets a look at #SpeedinSpace
February 21st, 2019 at 12:58 PM ^
Im pretty sure that Bo has been doing that a lot lately...since 2008.
February 20th, 2019 at 9:37 PM ^
I remember it well... Bo was the Athletic Director back then and when Bill Frieder (who had been head coach until the NCAA tournament) told Bo he had accepted a job coaching at Arizona State next season Bo fired him and declared "A Michigan man will coach Michigan!". Fisher and the team gave us an amazing tournament to watch!
February 21st, 2019 at 12:19 AM ^
The Virginia game in particular was amazing. Higgins and Rice bombed them out of the building. They combined to go 11-15 from 3. Higgins finished with 31 and Rice finished with 32.
February 20th, 2019 at 9:41 PM ^
Go Fish!
It was such a magical run, a dash of Bo "a Michigan Man will coach Michigan", Rumeal's ice cold veins and the beauty of the Rice jumper.
Plus, Fish just seemed like a genuinely nice guy. And sometimes, nice guys finish 1st.
February 20th, 2019 at 9:43 PM ^
I guess all that's left to do is kick the crap out of Staee Sunday afternoon.
February 20th, 2019 at 9:55 PM ^
He was at Dominick’s in 2000.
February 20th, 2019 at 10:15 PM ^
Rumor has it he also beat up Ted Bundy at Dooley's in 1978.
February 20th, 2019 at 10:57 PM ^
I heard Ted Bundy is Mineral King.
February 21st, 2019 at 2:04 PM ^
Ted shoulda kept his husky mouth shut and Steve would have let him watch the game in peace.
February 20th, 2019 at 10:04 PM ^
If Belein considers Fisher a close friend, that’s all you need to know, I wish Michigan had fought harder for him. In today’s athletics, we would just shrug and move on. But Michigan has always had this sanctimonious relationship with sports that feels weird. Either embrace the reality of college sports, or be Northwestern. Belein is amazing in his ability to do both. But Fisher was a good dude overall.
February 20th, 2019 at 10:55 PM ^
Well, I’m, Fisher was in charge during one of the biggest hoops scandals ever. So...
February 21st, 2019 at 1:00 PM ^
He did nothing worse than what John Wooden did at UCLA. Wooden got all of his players via a wealthy booster in LA.
February 21st, 2019 at 6:15 AM ^
"Cheat because everyone else does" is never a good excuse - in sports, business, or life in general.
February 21st, 2019 at 10:02 AM ^
Weird bc it seems like cheating works whether we’re talking about college basketball, politics or Fortune 500 companies.
February 23rd, 2019 at 2:50 PM ^
... until it doesn't.
February 21st, 2019 at 2:05 PM ^
That’s what cheaters say to keep honest folk from participating.
February 23rd, 2019 at 2:51 PM ^
So, honest folk need to be told not to cheat?
February 20th, 2019 at 10:14 PM ^
He was back for Senior Day the following year.
What I want to know is if the dude from the San Diego Tribune who was hassling Beilein on the eve of the championship game about "honoring" Fisher is going to make the trip??
February 21st, 2019 at 3:18 PM ^
Cool story alert... I was 14 in 1998 when Michigan under first year coach Brian Ellerble won the inaugural Big 10 Conference Tournament. Anyway I stayed after most games back then and collected every players autograph on the season schedule poster. While I am waiting for tractor trailor to come out of the locker room I realize I am standing next to Steve Fisher. So, I immediately say, "Coach, would you be willing to sign my poster?" Couldn't have been a nicer guy. Talked to me for 15 minutes about my interests not just in basketball but school and everything else. Personalized the autograph and addressed it to me. Then when tractor trailer came out, I remember one thing. Steve said to Robert, "We need to go out to dinner because I can buy you dinner now." Anyway after all that I only had one more signature to get, Brian Ellerble. I remember him looking at the poster and seeing that Fisher had signed it. He literally paused, hesitated and then looked at me again before signing. I would only come to understand that interaction later in life. I still laugh about it every time I look at that poster.
February 20th, 2019 at 10:15 PM ^
Good.
February 20th, 2019 at 10:23 PM ^
That 89 team was so good. Averaged 91 points per game, scored over 100 ten times, and over 120 twice that season.
February 20th, 2019 at 10:41 PM ^
Also worth noting the 3 point line was 12 inches closer in 1989. Not saying that's the only factor, but imagine if some of beileins teams got that advantage.
February 20th, 2019 at 11:36 PM ^
The shot clock was 45 seconds, too. Imagine if some of Beilein's teams got that advantage. I promise you, though, Michigan wouldn't be averaging 90+ points per game. :)
February 21st, 2019 at 1:26 AM ^
Good lord. Michigan and UVA would rarely crack 40 and their opponents would rarely top 30.
February 21st, 2019 at 12:20 PM ^
the ACC line was even closer when it started.
February 20th, 2019 at 10:31 PM ^
Wow, that’s cray
February 21st, 2019 at 1:32 AM ^
Speaking of Fisher, I watched some of the SDSU game against Nevada tonight (down went Nevada) and the Aztecs court has a huge "STEVE FISHER COURT" on the sidelines in front of the scorers table. First I had known about that.
Pretty crazy that the only coach at Michigan to win a national title has his name on a different teams court. A mountain west team, no less.
XM should be resting easy tonight knowing Nevada likely won't be in the top 10 the rest of the year.
February 21st, 2019 at 6:31 PM ^
Should his name be on OUR court?
February 21st, 2019 at 2:21 AM ^
Tangentially related, but I never realized that the guy behind the "We Believe in Steve" rally shortly before Fisher was fired was Mike Duggan: https://www.apnews.com/172a8f16ae978dcf490a4c55b4786e3c
February 21st, 2019 at 6:14 AM ^
Mr. Blog: Add an active link in your post next time by clicking the chain icon in the comment ribbon.
It's easy. Hit the easy button when you are done.
February 21st, 2019 at 10:39 AM ^
Sorry, laziness on my part. Forgot that it doesn't automatically hyperlink here.
February 21st, 2019 at 8:18 AM ^
That fall Mrs Lampjaw and I were getting a pregame tour of the press box. Steve Fisher rode up the elevator with us and he was unbelievably kind and polite. Also met Keith Jackson that day.
February 21st, 2019 at 8:35 AM ^
I don't know how to break it to you, but Keith Jackson died.
February 21st, 2019 at 10:47 AM ^
I should go and try and get a picture with him and recreate my 1991 Steve Fisher's basketball camp picture I took with him outside of Crisler.
February 21st, 2019 at 12:18 PM ^
fuck fisher.
February 21st, 2019 at 12:57 PM ^
This is Great. Fisher deserves to be honored.
Whatever went on 30yrs ago with the booster Ed Martin, has been common place in college basketball since John Wooden in the 60s, who got away scott free with his reputation.
Michigan was made an example of by the NCAA and frankly it was BS.
February 21st, 2019 at 9:45 PM ^
I like it. Welcome home, Coach Fisher! GO BLUE!