Date posted: 10-19-04

Editors: You are encouraged to use this story in your publication. Please credit the author and DeKalb News Service as shown. And, please send two tearsheets to: Jim Killam, Department of Communication, Watson Hall, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115.

For source-contact information, contact Jim Killam at jkillam@niu.edu or 815-753-4239.

Old friends: Harrington reunites with the coach who recruited him as a player

By Joshua Glade
DeKalb News Service

DeKalb - Midnight madness last weekend [Oct. 15-16] means NIU basketball practice has begun. That was just a formality for Sean Harrington, the newest behind-the-scenes Huskie.

The former University of Illinois star guard joined NIU last June as director of basketball operations. A typical day might find him planning team travel and coordinating video for Coach Rob Judson. Harrington cringes at every glaring mistake he sees in the video. The worst part about is he can't coach the players to avoid those mistakes. Not yet. But he'll gladly wait for his opportunity.

"Right now I cannot help the players a whole lot," he said. "I cannot do any coaching in my position. But I will do all I can for the coaches to help them prepare the players for the season."

As the only administrative member of the Huskie coaching staff, Harrington's job keeps him multi-tasking for long hours. But that's nothing new.

As a teen, Harrington spent long hours being drilled by his father, Jim Harrington, who was his head coach at Elgin High School. Sean learned the holes of every imaginable defense and how to exploit those holes. He also learned to play fundamental defense and where to be on the court at all times. In fact, Sean attributes most of his success as a player in high school and beyond to his dad.

"I think my dad was a great coach," Sean said. "He did a great job of preparing me for college ball. He did a lot of things in practice and games that I would see again in college. So he really did a good job of getting me ready for the next level."

Sean broke 62 records at Elgin High School including most career points (2,119) and most career three-point field goals (264.) His hard work ethic and propensity to make three-point shots caught the eye of Judson, then an assistant coach at the University of Illinois. Judson recruited Harrington to play at Illinois when Harrington graduated in 1999.

"Sean had a great basketball I.Q.," Judson said. "He really knows the game. He grew up as a coach's son and was a gym rat. We couldn't keep him out of the gym."

Sean's long hours of taking jump shot after jump shot paid off. He perfected the craft of the three point shot and whenever the Illini needed a big three, then-Illinois Coach Bill Self rang up Harrington's number.

He often delivered. As a sophomore Harrington lead the Big Ten in three-point percentage, and then repeated the feat as a senior. In all, Harrington rang up 191 threes in his four years at Illinois, good for third most all-time for the Illini. But he insisted that the numbers meant nothing.

"I have never been caught up in individual honors," Harrington said. "I am glad that I was able to make threes for the team, but I am more happy at the fact that we won games while I was there."

In all four of Harrington's years at Illinois, the team qualified for the NCAA tournament. In the 2000-2001 season, the team earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament and cruised into their regional final game against No. 2 seeded Arizona. The team played hard but came up short against Arizona on that night, losing 87-81. Harrington made a lone three-pointer in four attempts and had to watch in anguish as his chance to make the Final Four slipped from his hands.

"That was a very tough game to take," Harrington said. "We were really disappointed because we played three great games leading up to that one and then we just did not play well in that game. Even not playing well, we still had a chance to pull out a win."

While Harrington watched college teammates Brian Cook (Lakers) and Frank Williams (Knicks) catch on with NBA teams, he switched his focus to his passion: coaching.

"The NBA was never a possibility for me," said Harrington. "I would have loved to play in the NBA. It was always a dream of mine. But my time just ran out on my playing career. Now it is time to move on."

He moved on to the University of Kansas, where he reunited with Self after Self took the head coaching job there. After a year of running video and travel for one of the most prominent basketball programs in the nation, NIU called.

"I had a great time there (at Kansas)," Harrington said. "But when an opportunity comes along to get you back to your roots and meet back up with a coach that you have earlier ties with, it is hard to pass up."

His new boss? The man who had originally recruited Sean to play at Illinois, Huskie Head Coach Rob Judson.

"He played a big role in me coming to NIU," Harrington said of Judson. "I got really close to Coach while he recruited me and while he coached me. We stayed in contact and then when the job opened up we started talking about the opportunity."

Judson was thrilled to have a familiar face aboard in the attempt to revive the Huskie basketball program.

"Sean's success in college will allow him to show our players the off-the-court aspects of being a student-athlete allow you to be successful on the court," Judson said. "Sean will be an asset with our players' organization off the court and with their academics."

The task of bringing the Huskies back to prominence will be a challenge. They were favored to win the MAC last year and had a disappointing campaign, finishing toward the cellar. The recent success of NIU's football team, earning national media attention, has overshadowed the basketball team.

"I think it all comes back to winning games," said Harrington. "NIU got some great support a season ago and we are excited to getting back to a high level of play."

For now, Harrington will take a back seat and do whatever he can to help the team. He relishes his opportunity to watch Judson work and soak up knowledge. He aspires to be a head coach; to work with the players to fix the glitches he finds in the game film.

"I hope soon," Harrington said of coaching aspirations. "But I have a lot to learn. Hopefully I can get an assistant position soon and the move up from there one day."

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