It would seem far-fetched if a women's institution of higher learning, say Mills College in Oakland, suddenly went coed, implemented intercollegiate athletics, and was invited to the NCAA tournament in men's basketball, where it knocked off some national powerhouses.

If this sounds like March madness, it's understandable, but it isn't fiction. This same scenario occurred in Virginia at James Madison University. Founded in 1908 as a women's college, JMU basically remained that way until 1971, when Dr. Ronald E. Carrier, the new president and academic visionary, made the school coed, brought intercollegiate athletics on campus and watched as his basketball team did, indeed, dominate at the highest level.

Four years after its conversion, James Madison made the NCAA Division II men's hoops tournament twice in two years. Fast-forward another five years, and JMU qualified for the NCAA Division I tournament three straight seasons, scoring first-round upsets over Georgetown, Ohio State and West Virginia.

The coach of those JMU Dukes was Lou Campanelli, an unknown assistant coach at Rhode Island before he was hired by JMU to build a basketball program nearly from scratch -- he was hired before the second season of JMU men's hoops. But, first, he had to construct a schedule, and then construct a team, which meant recruiting players that the major schools didn't want.

The end result was a sterling 238-118 record (.669), a perfect graduation rate among his players -- 42 for 42 -- and a new coaching position in 1985 across the country at UC Berkeley. And there he returned the Golden Bears to a postseason tournament after an absence of 25 years.

But what he achieved at JMU still resonates today at its Harrisonburg, Va., campus, and beyond, as a Hoosiers-like fairy tale.

It is now in book form. Late last month at JMU, Campanelli's inspirational memoir, Dare to Dream: How James Madison University Became Coed and Shocked the Basketball World, was released on the same weekend as the school's homecoming. This coincided with the arrival of ESPN's Game Day crew for the JMU-Richmond football game on national television.

As co-author of Campanelli's book I was there with him Oct. 24 to witness the instant reaction to his unique story -- 125 copies sold at the campus bookstore in four-hours as the two of us signed books published by George F. Thompson Publishing in Staunton, Va.

Campanelli hit town two days earlier, accompanied by his wife, Dawn, son Kyle and daughter Brooke. It hasn't been an easy year for the old coach, 77, who suffered a stroke last January that has rendered him unable to eat or drink normally. He receives his nourishment through a tube in his stomach.

But nothing would stop him from attending his book's release, and the same thing could be said for 30 of his former players, who traveled from up and down the Eastern Seaboard to be there with him, and for him, as they celebrated their one-of-a-kind hoops saga.

At a reception Friday night at the JMU arena, Campanelli, from a seated position to conserve his strength, told his players how much they meant to the school, and to him, in an emotional 20-minute speech. And that love was reciprocated. Everything they accomplished together gave James Madison University its first national image.

Just as he built JMU hoops, he rebuilt Cal basketball. He predicted the Bears would end UCLA's 52-game win streak over Cal the first time they met. And he delivered on that prediction. Campanelli guided Cal back to the NCAA tournament after a 30-year absence, and then beat Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers 65-63 in an opening-round game.

But with victory came sadness. After Midnight Madness in 1988, Dawn Campanelli was seriously injured in a car crash when a drunk ran into a car driven by son Kyle. The drunk served six months of jail time, and Dawn's pelvis was put back together so that she could walk again. Lou Campanelli took time off to be by his wife's side until he was sure she was out of danger.

The end for Campanelli at Cal came unexpectedly in 1993. Two weeks after beating UCLA 102-81 at Pauley Pavilion, the Bruins' worst defeat up to that point in that building, Campanelli was fired. He was replaced by Todd Bozeman, who took the Bears to the NCAA tournament, then was fired for buying a player, Jelani Gardner, which landed Cal on NCAA probation.

Campanelli never mentions Bozeman in his book. Campanelli's only comment: "I ran a clean program." Whatever his critics said about him in Berkeley, they can't refute that comment. Or the fact that he forced an uncommitted Kevin Johnson to fully commit to basketball, and to drop baseball. Then Campanelli instructed assistant Sherman Dillard, a JMU grad, to teach Johnson the 3-point shot. Johnson became an NBA All-Star, thanks to Campanelli's tough-love coaching, and went on to do a fine job as mayor of Sacramento.

Cal constitutes one chapter, the final chapter, of Campanelli's book, which basically has legs in Appalachia as the story of a little school that could, and would, dunk on the big boys of NCAA hoops. Campanelli pulled that off with under-the-radar players. Only one of his JMU players, Linton Townes, would make it into the NBA as a journeyman.

Dare To Dream: How James Madison University Became Coed and Shocked the Basketball World, will be available on amazon.com  in a few weeks. Campanelli's own rise to becoming a college coach is a riveting part of his memoir, as is the chapter on Dr. Carrier, an academician all to himself. Though I'm the co-writer, I dare say it's a great read.

Retired  Oakland Tribune

columnist Dave Newhouse will have two new books

published this year:  Founding 49ers: The Dark Days Before the Dynasty,

 now available, and Dare To Dream : How James Madison University Became Coed and Shocked the Basketball World, just being released.

Send us your Memorable Sports Moment or Sports Pulse and we will share them with our readers. Write: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com. 

John Silva

El Cucuy & 

Super Fan

 

I was born in San Jose and growing up as a kid, I didn't have a favorite football team. My dad was/is a New England Patriots fan so naturally every team not named the Patriots was my favorite team.

 

While celebrating a much earlier birthday, the Oakland Raiders went into the fourth quarter with a 13-3 lead over the New England Patriots. What could be a better birthday gift than seeing the one team you don't like having their season end at home, while watching another team celebrate that they are going to the Super Bowl? The celebration was going strong. Woodson hit Brady, Brady fumbled the ball, Biekert recovered the ball, game over. Raiders win. Time to start celebrating. Wait. Slow down just a minute. Why are the refs taking so long?

 

That was the Tuck Rule Game and the day I became a fan of the Oakland Raiders.

 

In 2012 I started dressing up as El Cucuy ( Mexican Boogeyman)  and my first event was for a San Jose SaberCats game and included the Raider Drive Booster Club. In 2014 my face went from three-quarters painted to fully painted. The start of my day for a home game is getting up at 3:30 a.m. to shave my head. The next step is driving 30 minutes to my aunt's house so she can paint my face. The amount of time sitting in the chair can go from two to three hours. Once we are finished I take the hour and a half drive to Oakland. I do this all for the love and wouldn't want to do it any differently.

 

Away from Raider fan events, my life is not as exciting as one would expect. I think the biggest surprise is when I meet new people and they learn I only drink water.  I once weighed 338 pounds and couldn't lose any weight until I quit drinking soda. Keeping active to make sure I never go back to being 338 pounds again is a big part of my life, along with work.

 

For the last eight years I've worked at Costco. Away from work I sell collectors toys and electronics on eBay as a Top Rated Plus Power seller. The newest thing in my life is I recently got into a relationship after being single for the last two years. Neither of us drinks or has tattoos but we both love the Raiders.

 

El Cucuy is among a number of Oakland Raiders Super Fans who add excitement and delight to attending Raiders games. Photos by Ed Jay. 

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San Francisco

Abbey Tavern, 4100 Geary Street

The Blue Light, 1979 Union Street

Bus Stop, 1901 Union Street

The Chieftain, 198 5th Street

Danny Coyle's, 668 Haight Street

Dave's, 29 Third Street @ Kearny

Final Final, 2990 Baker @ Lombard

The Holding Company, #2 Embarcadro Center

Il Pirata, 2007 16th Street

Jake's Steaks, 3301 Buchanan Street

Jullian's, 101 4th Street

The Kezar Pub, 770 Stanyan Street

Mad Dog in the Fog, 530 Haight Street

Mucky Duck, 1315 9th Avenue

Nickie's Bar, 466 Haight Street

Players Sports Grill, Pier 39, Buildings L & M

Polo Grounds, 747 3rd Street

 

East Bay

Brennan's Restaurant, 4th & University, Berkeley

Churchward Pub, 1515 Park Street, Alameda

City Beach, 4020 Technology Place, Fremont

Crogan's Montclair, 6101 La Salle Avenue, Oakland

Cue & Brew, 1029 Arnold Drive, #6, Martinez

Dan's Irish Sports Bar, 1524 Civic Street, Walnut Creek

Diamonds Sports Bar & Grill, 77 Hegenberger, Oakland

Ed's Mudville Grill, 6200 Center Street, Clayton

The Englander, 101 Parrott Street, San Leandro  

Evie's, 7138 Village Parkway, Dublin

Francesco's Restaurant, 8520 Pardee Drive, Oakland

Frank's Saloon, 2014 Marina Blvd., San Leandro

Funky Monkey, 22554 Main Street, Hayward

George & Walt's, 5445 College Avenue, Oakland

Grand Oaks Restaurant, 3701 Grand Avenue, Oakland

Go Sports Bar, 736 Washington Street, Oakland

Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Avenue, Albany

Kingfish, 5227 Claremont, Oakland

Linguini's Pizza & Brew, 1508 Park Street, Alameda

Livermore Casino Sports Bar, 3571 First Street, Livermore

McCovey's Restaurant, 1444 N. California, Walnut Creek

Mr. Lucky's Bar & Grill, 1527 Locust Street. Walnut Creek

Oakland Moose Club, 690 Hegenberger Road

Oaks Corner, 4099 San Pablo, Emeryville

Otaez Mexican Restaurant, 1619 Webster Street, Alameda

Pacific Coast Brewing Co., 906 Washington Street, Oakland

Pasta Pelican, 2455 Mariner Square Drive, Alameda

Pete's Place, 610A San Pablo Avenue, Pinole

Rancho Sports Bar, 3912 San Pablo Dam Road, El Sobrante

Ricky's Sports Grill, 15028 Hesperian Blvd., San Leandro

Sports Edition Bar, Hilton Oakland Airport, Oakland

Stadium Pub, 1420 Lincoln Avenue, Walnut Creek

Tierney's Sports Bar, 540 San Pablo Avenue, Albany

WPLJ's Dance Club, 2112 North Main Street, Walnut Creek

 

Brisbane

7 Mile House, 2800 Bayshore Blvd.

 

Burlingame 

The American Bull Bar & Grill, 1819 El Camino Real

Knuckles Historical Sports Bar, Hyatt Regency, Burlingame

 

Campbell 

Capers Eat & Drink, 1710 West Campbell   

 

Fair Oaks

Players Sports Pub, 4060 Sunrise Blvd.

 

Half Moon Bay 

Cameron's Restaurant Pub & Inn, 1410 South Cabrillo Hwy

Half Moon Bay Brewing Co., 390 Capistrano Road

 

Foster City 

The Club House Bistro, 1221 Chess Drive  

 

Palo Alto 

Sundance The Steakhouse, 1921 El Camino Real

 

Point Richmond

Up & Under, 2 West Richmond Avenue   

 

San Jose 

Bay 101 Casino, 1801 Bering Drive

Britannia Arms, 5027 Almaden Expressway

Britannia Arms, 173 West Santa Clara

Britannia Arms, 1087 De Anza Blvd.    

 

San Rafael 

Pete's 881, 721 Lincoln Avenue

 

Santa Clara

City Beach, 2911 Mead Avenue

 

Santa Cruz 

One Double Oh Seven Club, 1007 Soquel Avenue    

 

Vacaville 

Stars Recreation Center, 155 Browns Valley Parkway