QUOTES FROM BUTCH ESTES' HIRING ANNOUNCEMENT
May 18, 1999 - Founders Hall, Guilford College, Greensboro, NC
Guilford College President Don McNemar:
"We're excited and pleased that Butch Estes has agreed to join us and we look forward to working together for many years. Guilford College has a long and proud tradition in our basketball program, dating back to our NAIA national championship team in 1973. We want to continue that tradition here today."
"We're really pleased that he brings not only a lot of expertise and experience in leading programs at Presbyterian and at Furman, but also a real commitment to winning, to a quality program, to sportsmanship and success. I'm confident that he'll work with the Guilford team and the students that he recruits to Guilford in good ways, both on the court and in the community."
Guilford College Men's Basketball Coach Butch Estes:
"This was a chance for me to come back home and that was really big in this decision. As I looked at Guilford and having grown up here, going back to what Coach (Jack) Jensen has done, I recognize that this is the end of an era. That tradition is something you build on."
"I appreciate and am comfortable in this type of academic environment where you have to look a little bit longer and a little bit harder to find the right kids. I enjoy coaching that type of player."
"As I looked at the conference (the Old Dominion Athletic Conference), it's Division III, but its pretty good basketball. I was fortunate in working with Fox over the last four years, that I've done the Division III National Championship game on television, and I shared the ODAC enthusiasm, got to meet everybody and it's a great conference. As you know, Hampden-Sydney played for the national championship last year. From my way of thinking, if you get to the top of this league, you can compete for a national championship, and that's special no matter what level you play at."
"If you've been out of coaching for four years, you're either glad you're out and go on with your life, or you miss it like heck, and I'm one of those guys who was born to coach. This is a great opportunity for me."
"I think we've got a good base to build on. I look forward to giving each one of those young guys an opportunity to develop here and to working with them. Of course we will expand our recruiting and try to do the best we can with that."
