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St. Louis • Standing in front of the Saint Louis University bench, coach Rick Majerus could not dodge the player diving after a loose ball. SLU's Paul Eckerle upended Majerus, who toppled into the scorer's table, gashing his knee.
The wound became infected, sidelining him for two weeks in just another episode during what's sure to become the first losing season of his career.
"I'll tell you the truth, though: This is the best coaching job I've ever done," said Majerus, who coached the University of Utah to the NCAA championship game in 1998.
Seven years removed from the Utes, Majerus in many ways is the same as ever. While he has built a house in his hometown of Milwaukee, where his mother resides, Majerus lives during the season in St. Louis as he did in Salt Lake City: in a hotel suite.
He appears more trim, thanks partly to the all-black attire he wears during games, replacing the white sweaters from Utah. As he approaches his 63rd birthday Thursday, his health is good — although food poisoning and his unusual injury meant he finished only one game during SLU's six-game losing streak, the longest of his career.
Any interview, including his recent 45-minute session with The Tribune after a practice session (having initially promised five minutes before departing for a road game), is the usual rambling tour.
No longer the national figure who brought major publicity to Utah's program with what resembled a comedy routine, he's still a good storyteller. Tears welled in his eyes as he related responses from families of patients who have occupied the hospital room he sponsors in his parents' honor at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Majerus also was direct and mildly defiant, citing the "politics" of religious schools such as SLU and stopping just short of taking pleasure in the Utes' struggles that have followed a one-year surge after he left and the next coach inherited his players.
Reflecting on those 15 years in Utah, where the tremendous success of his teams on the court and in the classroom was tempered by reports of his mistreating some players, Majerus mostly told stories of ongoing relationships with selected players, basketball office staff members and friends of the program. He marveled about returning last summer to speak at a friend's funeral and having a coffee shop server remember his favorite dessert, burnt almond fudge ice cream.
Other ties to Utah are visible in his hotel suite, where two doors are covered with photos that families have sent from the Huntsman Cancer Institute, thanking him. After being injured on New Year's Day, he received hundreds of cards from Utah, a response he described as "overwhelming."
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'My legacy is my legacy' • In a season when the Billikens (8-16) have lost four games by one or two points, Majerus is not concerned about personally being saddled with a losing record. In 1993-94, Keith Van Horn's freshman year, Utah went 14-14. "Look, I've won 400-and-some games," said Majerus, whose career record is 487-205 at four schools. "My legacy is my legacy."
Amid the team's struggles, a seasoned SLU fan finds evidence of Majerus' ability. "It is really fun to see him use inferior players and win — or almost win — most games," Tim Fleming said.
In the spring of 2007, three years removed from Utah and having worked as an ESPN analyst, Majerus returned to coaching. Father Lawrence Biondi, SLU's longtime president, fired the previous coach after a 20-win season.
Majerus was a recognizable name and seemingly a good fit, having attended and coached at Marquette, another Catholic school. And with just a little imagination, Majerus resembles SLU's mascot, the elf-like Billiken.
SLU backers (everyone pronounces the acronym as "Slew") expected Majerus to do in St. Louis what he did in Salt Lake City: make the basketball program prominent locally and nationally. Preparing to open the 10,600-seat Chaifetz Arena on campus, the school "wanted to make a big splash" by hiring Majerus, said St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts, SLU's former landlord in the Scottrade Center downtown.
The hoped-for breakthrough under Majerus has not happened, although many fans believe it will take place next season. Among SLU's challenges is competing for attention in a city dominated by major-league baseball, football and hockey franchises. The University of Missouri, 125 miles away in Columbia, also has a strong presence.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch assigns a full-time, traveling reporter to the Billikens basketball beat. Yet columnist Bryan Burwell said he has not covered a game this season, indicating where SLU fits into the landscape during a down year.
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Off to a rough start • This season was supposed to play out differently. But two days before practice started in mid-October, the school suspended guard Kwamain Mitchell and center Willie Reed, stemming from the investigation of an alleged sexual assault in May. No charges were filed, but a university review board cited violations of the student code of conduct.
Majerus was left with the nation's sixth-youngest team: no seniors and two scholarship juniors.
"You take Jimmer Burdette or whatever his name is away from BYU, and the next guy …" Majerus said, describing his challenge.
Majerus and his staff, which includes former Ute star Alex Jensen, manage to joke about their plight: "The two go-to guys we had aren't here to go to."
Mitchell and Reed were reinstated in school for the second semester in mid-January. Mitchell was allowed to rejoin the program; Reed's return remains conditional. Majerus could have activated Mitchell in the interest of winning a few more games but advised him to focus on academics this season, leaving him two full years of eligibility.
"I've always done what was best for the player," Majerus said.
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Looking ahead to 2011-12 • Majerus is convinced SLU will be very good in 2011-12, his fifth season at the school. He makes Utah analogies to his current team, imagining if former Ute role players such as Craig Rydalch, M'Kay McGrath and Drew Hansen were asked to become big scorers.
The job is difficult, even under ordinary circumstances. SLU is demanding academically and is the only A-10 school in the Central Time Zone, requiring long trips. Majerus has complained about the league affiliation, suggesting SLU belongs in the Missouri Valley Conference. Administrators prefer the A-10, with several other Catholic schools.
Some fans have tired of Majerus' complaints and his failure to connect with them. "I believe that he truly doesn't care about the PR side," said Denny Gonzales, a fan for more than 40 years.
Majerus makes regular radio appearances — but no longer stages his own weekly show — and said he participates in booster events whenever he's asked.
As for how much longer he will work, Majerus said, "If you told me I had to coach five more years, I'd be depressed. If you told me I couldn't coach five more years, I'd be depressed."
Andre Miller, a former Ute star who remains close to Majerus, describes coaching as "his sanity," adding, "I'm sure he gets frustrated sometimes, but he understands what he's working with, and he just continues to teach."
When a mistake occurs on the court, Majerus often turns and instructs the players on the bench.
"He always tells us he's not going to quit coaching, and that's what he does," said junior guard Kyle Cassity, who leads the team with a 9.8-point average. "It doesn't matter if we're up, down, winning, losing, he coaches, coaches, coaches. He never stops."
That's true, even — or especially — during the only losing season of his career.
Majerus at Saint Louis
Season Overall Conference
2007-08 16-15 7-9
2008-09 18-14 8-8
2009-10 23-13 11-5
2010-11 8-16 3-8
Total 65-58 29-30 —
Saint Louis University
Location • Midtown, St. Louis, Mo.
Undergraduate enrollment • 8,100
Religious affiliation • Catholic, Jesuit
Conference membership • Atlantic 10 Conference (14 schools)
Basketball history • Six NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently in 2000, resulting in a first-round loss to Utah
Home • Chaifetz Arena (10,600), built on campus in 2008
2010-11 average attendance • 6,142 —
Rick Majerus' career record
School Years W-L Pct.
Marquette 1983-86 56-35 .615
Ball State 1987-89 43-17 .716
Utah 1989-2004 323-95 .772
Saint Louis 2007-11 65-58 .528
Total 487-205 .703