Coach-Player More Like 'Father-Son'

Virginia's Leitao, Singletary Have A Special Bond

CHARLOTTE, March 12 -- Sean Singletary walked into his new coach's office for the first time nearly four years ago, unsure of what to think. His freshman year had recently ended, and he vowed not to let the tumult of the change from Pete Gillen to Dave Leitao affect his Virginia basketball career. Just play basketball, he thought.

So when Singletary met Leitao, he expected little more than a quick chat. As they talked -- about basketball, about their childhoods, about life -- it became something more than a conversation. Singletary stayed in the office for two hours.

"There was so much emotion," Singletary said. "We laughed together, cried together. It was like a storybook type of thing. It was just great for us. We talked about family, youth, mistakes that we made. Things like that. How he was when he was young. At points, we talked about our past and our family. It was emotional."

Their relationship as player and coach may end Thursday night, when 10th-seeded Virginia plays in the first round of the ACC tournament against Georgia Tech. But the bond Singletary and Leitao forged during that first meeting, they both said, will endure beyond Singletary's magnificent college career.

"It was a start of a life-long relationship that the two of us have and will continue to have," Leitao said. "We were able to share each other and be revealing to one another. I don't know that I could be any more thankful and blessed to be presented with a young man like him."

Neither Leitao nor Singletary shared details of their two-hour meeting, preferring to keep them private. Both are introverts who express themselves through competitive spirits. Singletary grew up in Philadelphia, Leitao in New Bedford, Mass. Singletary's father worked as a police detective, Leitao's on a merchant marine ship.

"The bottom line to that is there's a commonality between us," Leitao said. "There's many times that we've shared that commonality with each other. We're both competitive. We're both focused."

Singletary and Leitao speak or text message at least three times a week about topics not related to basketball. Freshman forward Mike Scott said he walked into Leitao's office several times this season to speak with Leitao, only to find Singletary already there.

"It's more than a player-coach relationship," Scott said. "It's like a father-son relationship. It's something I want to have with Coach Leitao."

On the court, Singletary barks plays and communicates in the same manner as Leitao, teammates said. As his career wore on, Singletary began mimicking Leitao in small ways -- his facial expressions, the way he stood, how he moved his hands as he instructed a teammate in practice.

"Coach Leitao is like Sean's dad in a way," forward Adrian Joseph said. "The relationship they have is indescribable. Words don't say it. It shows on the court. He plays the same way Coach Leitao coaches."

Sometimes, that means clashing with Leitao. Once during a game, Singletary kept the ball rather than passing to a teammate curling around a screen as the play demanded. Leitao forcefully asked why Singletary didn't pass.

"He wasn't open," Singletary yelled across the court.

"He was open," Leitao screamed back.

"I didn't want to turn the ball over," Singletary replied.

Leitao accepted Singletary's explanation, but still believed he was right.

"Even if they disagree with something, you can tell the respect is there," guard Calvin Baker said. "That was real helpful to the team, because Coach Leitao likes when players go back at him."

Said Singletary: "Even though during the season he yells at us, we understand each other. I'm an extension of him. You probably hear that a lot when it comes point guards and coaches. But it's really true with him."

Leitao and Singletary needed their mutual understanding this season more than any other. The Cavaliers, expected to finish near the top of the ACC standings, spiraled downward after a series of injuries and shortcomings by role players. Virginia lost 10 of 11 games and seven straight at its lowest point.

Singletary returned for his senior season after withdrawing his name from the NBA draft, but he struggled through a nagging hip injury as his team sank. Leitao faced more criticism from fans than he ever had at Virginia.

"We can kind of go hand in hand through a lot of these things," Leitao said. "It comes from the knowledge of one another. I can look to him and he can look to me in times of need."

Leitao also relied on Singletary to maintain the Cavaliers' fragile morale. Even as Virginia searched for answers, the team never frayed and Singletary never took out his concerns on teammates, Leitao said.

"He rarely, if ever, got frustrated," Leitao said. "If he ever got frustrated, it was from a basketball standpoint. He's a special, special individual."

Singletary has enjoyed a singular career at Virginia. He's already surpassed 2,000 points, and his name hangs from the rafters at John Paul Jones Arena, after his jersey was retired during the Cavaliers' last home game. He returned for this season primarily to earn his college degree, and after completing 12 credit hours this semester, he will.

But perhaps most of all, Singletary will cherish his time with Leitao. At the start, he decided he would not allow the coaching change to alter his career. In the end, he could not have been more pleased that it did.

"Coach is so much like me," Singletary said. "I think it was a change for the better."