STOCKTON — On a sunny afternoon last March, before a gathering of supporters at Pacific's Vereschagin Alumni House, Damon Stoudamire was introduced as the Tigers' new head men's basketball coach.
The ceremony signaled the dawn of a new era. Stoudamire was a big-name hire, brimming with cache after a monstrous playing career in college and the NBA. Over the ensuing eight months, the former standout guard hired a staff, signed new players for the future, accompanied the team on an exhibition tour of Europe, and coached the Tigers in a scrimmage at Northern Arizona and a tune-up game at Spanos Center.