"For a short time, Cleveland, Ohio was the epicenter of the college basketball world." – Nick Camino, WKYC Sports Anchor.
Kevin Mackey is known for the historic Sweet 16 run that propelled Cleveland State into national prominence, but his Cleveland State legacy begins long before that. After coaching in the high school ranks and at Boston College, Mackey became the head coach at Cleveland State in 1983. Taking over a team that was 8-20 the year before and, in the brand new Association of Mid-Continent Universities Conference, Mackey had his work cut out for him.
"Coach Mackey took a bunch of us under-recruited players, guys with chips on our shoulders, and convinced us we could use our 'strength in numbers' to gain an advantage," said former player Pat Vuyancih. "He was pure genius, and always entertaining to watch in practice, games, and with the media. He blended a unique playing style with a 'Boston brashness' to achieve a level of attention for our program and CSU that will be difficult to replicate."
Dubbed "The King of Cleveland" by the media, he called his style of play "Run & Stun." He played at least 10 players a game, pressed and tried to wear down his opponents. No matter the opponent, he did just that. The Vikings won 14 games in his first season. The next? Twenty-one. The 1984-85 season was the first time the program hit the 20-win mark. He was building something special.
"Coach Mackey changed the outcome of my life," said former player Shawn Hood. "I had only a couple of coaches interested. Coach was the only college coach that truly believed in me, and when you think about how unconventional that was and is, we rarely see 5'7" guards in Division I basketball."
After the 20-win campaign came the most memorable season in Cleveland State history. The Vikings went 29-4 and did not lose at home. Woodling Gym was sold out on a nightly basis, and the Vikings won the AMCU-8 regular season title. The league was too new to receive an autobid to the recently expanded NCAA Tournament, but the Vikings garnered an at-large bid and the No. 14 seed in the East Region.
Mackey called it a "magic carpet ride" as the Vikings put the college basketball world on notice in the national tournament. The first round saw Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers, where Cleveland State won, 83-79. After the game, Knight told Mackey that Cleveland State had the better team. Clinton Ransey finished with 27 that night, while Eric Mudd had 16-point, 10 rebound double-double. Indiana would return to the NCAA Tournament the next season and win the national title. The Vikings took down St. Joseph's in the second round, and Cleveland was hooked on CSU basketball. Euclid Avenue was a celebration zone for days when the team returned from the first and second round. Legend has it Warren Bradley – a large forward for the CSU squad - was carried around Rascal House on Euclid by the CSU faithful.
The Sweet 16 game saw David Robinson's Naval Academy, where Robinson hit a game-winning shot and won the game, 71-70. While the run ended, they made history.
The Vikings would go on to make two National Invitation Tournaments under Mackey and would continue to defend Woodling Gym, going 15-0 again in 1986-87.
"Coach Mack was an incredible individual," said Ransey. "I was recruited by many DI schools but there was an underlying thought that I was too short to play forward and to slow to play guard. He told me that from my HS stats and AAU performance, that I will find a place for you. Mackey took what was available and pulled the best out of that. He knew I was a natural scorer and had a high basketball IQ so he would build off that. The greatest thing I experienced was that he took a group of kids from different backgrounds and culture and blended them into a family that trusted one another. That family can still be seen today, 40 plus years later. He believed that if you do something long enough, you would eventually grasp the magnitude of that skill."
Mackey's players rewrote the record book, with records still standing today. Ken "Mouse" McFadden holds the career mark for points (2,256) and assists (463) and is the only player at CSU to average 20 points per game in three seasons. He is Cleveland State's only four-time All-American.
"Coach Mackey followed this teenager from the Lower East Side of Manhattan New York to play college basketball in Cleveland, Ohio" McFadden said. "Convincing me from playing in the Big East Conference to play at Cleveland State University – a school I knew nothing about - was unbelievable and something I will never forget. It was some place that was truly Magical! His words of wisdom, encouragement, devotion and love will be missed. Simply said, "The Best"."
Without Coach Mackey, Cleveland State basketball would not be what it is today. Coach Mackey laid the foundation for the future.
"We appreciate everything Coach Mackey did for the Cleveland State community and his impact on our program is long lasting." Vice President and Director of Athletics
Kelsie Gory Harkey said. "He will be remembered as the coach who brought Cleveland State basketball to national prominence."
Mackey once told the Cleveland Plain Dealer "The NCAA gives you a chance because it's going to be David versus Goliath. That's going to be the perception. When you beat Goliath, good things happen."
Good things happened at Cleveland State when David beat Goliath.
