The Post spoke with the MAC commissioner this past weekend.
CLEVELAND — The Post spoke with Mid-American Conference commissioner and Ohio University alumnus Jon Steinbrecher this weekend about the conference’s championship game, Ohio’s season and the program’s future under coach Bob Boldon.
Heading into the MAC Championship, top-seeded Ohio, a team that brushed aside opponents all season, was pitted against sixth-seeded Eastern Michigan, the team it previously lost to on Feb. 18.
The Eagles entered Saturday’s game as the “team of destiny,” playing for a championship only six weeks removed from the tragic death of a teammate who was killed in a car accident. Eastern Michigan had also won four games in five days heading into the championship game.
The Bobcats won 60-44, clinching their first outright MAC title since 1986, and their first NCAA appearance since 1995.
They found out their next opponent — TEAM[TT1] — Monday night.
The Post: What did the two scenarios do building up as storylines entering the game?
Steinbrecher: You hit on the two really fascinating storylines to follow. In the case of Ohio, I was sitting in the press conference listening, and they literally went from the worst team ever at Ohio to the best team ever at Ohio with almost the same kids, largely.
I think it goes to show what can occur when there’s a really good coach and the players buy into it. What a phenomenal thing to accomplish.
And with regards to Eastern Michigan, we talk in sports an awful lot about how we use it as a metaphor for the rest of our lives and facing adversity and all this, and sometimes we do it and sometimes we don’t do it very well.
I think it’s a prime example of dealing with really bad situations and you have choices to make, and they made some choices. They grieved together as a team and they’re continuing to grieve together as a team, but also at the same time, they have to keep going. And that’s what they did. They rallied around each other and they’re a pretty good team.
I mean, the last half of the season, you could see it coming. Coming into the tournament they were really, really good. And good for them. It was compelling.
The Post: Is it nice having the No. 1 team in the MAC, which won the season outright, finally, win a game in the tournament?
Steinbrecher: (Laughing.) Yeah, we haven’t done that in a while.
(Note: Since the MAC Tournament reshaped its bracket in 2011, the No. 1 seed had never made it out of its first game. Before Ohio, the No. 1 seed was 0-3 in the tournament.)
The Post: Now you have a scenario where the No. 1 team is finally going to play somewhere.
Steinbrecher: Yeah, well I don’t know if it’s nice, but they earned it. They earned the regular-season title in dominating fashion. They earned the opportunity to get a couple byes. And then they came in and took care of business here. So they’ve clearly been our best team. We hope they go out and represent us all well.
The Post: The Bobcats just re-signed Bob Boldon until 2020. Do you think there’s going to be exciting times for Ohio?
Steinbrecher: (Laughs again.) Well, I think if I was a Bobcat fan, I’d be very optimistic about where it’s going. The program is certainly trending in the right direction.
@charliehatch_
gh181212@ohio.edu
