Lightning Leader Lauded
Daleo Awarded
CBA Coach of the Year
Boise, Idaho - 03.11.03 - After
leading the Rockford Lightning to the 2nd best record in franchise history,
Chris Daleo has been named the 2002-03 Continental Basketball Association
Coach of the Year.
In his
first year as Bolts bench boss, Daleo led the Lightning to first place
in the American Conference and becomes just the second Lightning head
coach to earn the coach of the year award.
The
Chicago native led Rockford to a league best 32-16 (.667) record and the
league's second highest quarter point total (208.5; 4.3 quarter point
average).
Daleo's
.667 winning percentage ranks fourth among CBA coaches with 25-or-more
games under their belts.
That
list includes current Milwaukee Bucks head coach George Karl (176-66,
.727), current Golden State Warriors head coach Eric Musselman (270-122,
.689), and his father, CBA legend Bill Musselman (188-86, .689).
Under
Daleo's guidance, the Lightning recorded the league's only winning road
record (14-10).
His
team nabbed 630 steals during the 48-game season, for a 13.1 steals-per-game
average.
Their
steals-per-game mark bests the 12.3 average of the 1990-91 Quad City Thunder,
who hold the CBA season record total of 687, set in a 56-game schedule.
Rockford's
128.3 points per game was 5.3 points shy of the Rochester Zeniths' CBA
record of 133.5 ppg, set in 1980-81.
Daleo's
team showed a consistency unparalleled in Lightning history.
This
year's squad was the first in the 17-year history in Rockford to finish
at least 3 games above .500 for each of the first 4 months of the season.
In his
first month at the helm of a CBA team, Daleo guided the Lightning to a
conference best 4.4 quarter point average (35.0) in eight November games
(6-2), earning his first CBA honor as American Conference Coach of the
Month.
In January,
Daleo earned his second straight Coach of the Month award after leading
the Lightning to a conference best 13-6 record and 4.4 quarter point average
(83.5 total).
The Lightning
remained hot late in the season, posting a 9-2 record in February. They
also owned a 10-game home winning streak, from January 29th through March
8th.
In two
seasons (2000-02) as head coach at Barat College (Lake Forest, Ill.),
Daleo compiled a 57-25 record. He led the Bulldogs to a NAIA Division
One Final Four appearance in 2002.
Personal
accolades aside, Daleo has his sights set on a championship this year.
The American
Conference Champion Rockford Lightning will open up their CBA record 10th
straight post season apperance against the Grand Rapids Hoops, in a best-of-five
series.
Although
neither the Hoops nor the Lightning have ever won the CBA Title, the winner
of this series might be considered to have the inside track.
In each
of the last 5 post seasons the Lightning have been eliminated from the
playoffs by the eventual CBA champions.
