It's not surprising to hear a new coach taking over a program that has struggled for several years speaking optimistically about the situation he is inheriting. That's just part of the public relations game all coaches play from time to time.
But with Tavaras Hardy, recently hired as the 21st head coach of the Loyola University men's basketball team, you get a different feeling.
The 38-year-old Hardy doesn't come to Loyola as the hot young coaching commodity who was rumored to be in the running for every open job in America. He has paid his dues, having served as an assistant coach at Northwestern, Georgetown and Georgia Tech for 12 years, and speaks thoughtfully about the Greyhound program and his plans for turning it around.
