Jeff Ruland doesn't shrink from adversity, and he'll get it at probation-saddled UDC

Ruland's ferocious style of play made him a force underneath the basket. No. 43 didn't just want to get to the rim; he wanted to hurt people on his way there. He played five seasons in Washington, leading the team in rebounding and field goal percentage each season. He was selected to the 1981-82 all-rookie team and appeared in the 1984 All-Star Game.

But years of playing on asphalt courts and the pounding he endured and delivered underneath the basket eventually took its toll. After missing only 10 games his first three seasons in the NBA, Ruland was plagued with knee, shoulder, ankle and Achilles' tendon injuries, ailments that eventually pushed him out of the league at age 28.

Ruland had few options, especially because he didn't have a college degree. He decided to return to Iona and, in a year and a half, completed 70 credits toward a degree in communications. Ruland, who at best could be described as an indifferent student during his first stint at Iona, was a much more dedicated scholar the second time around and made the dean's list.

Degree in hand, Ruland joined the Iona men's basketball team as an assistant coach and then became head coach in 1998 when Tim Welsh left for Providence. For the first few years, everything went well. The Gaels won three Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference titles and appeared in three NCAA tournaments.

The good times didn't last, however. Ruland enjoyed just two winning seasons in his last six years at Iona, going 81-99 during that span.

After a season that began 0-22 and ended 2-28, Ruland and Iona parted ways in 2007. As far as Ruland is concerned, the bitter rift with his alma mater hasn't healed.

"I got fired when I was on a cruise, and (his agent, Rob Ades) was the one who called me," Ruland said. "I have not spoken to anyone from Iona since."

The next move

Ruland spent last season as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, but was not retained when the team hired Eddie Jordan as its new coach in May. Soon after that, he met a longtime friend, Linda Bruno, for lunch in Atlantic City. The former Atlantic 10 Conference commissioner had worked in Iona's athletic department during Ruland's playing days. The two had kept in touch over the years.

Ruland told her how much he wanted to get back into college coaching. Right away, Bruno thought of UDC Athletic Director Pat Thomas, whom she knew from Thomas's time at Georgetown. Thomas had told her she was looking for a men's basketball coach. Bruno called Thomas and put the two in touch.

"When Linda suggested Jeff Ruland, my initial reaction was: 'You're kidding. You're kidding, of course,' " Thomas said. "I knew who he was. I had followed his career. I was instantly intrigued by his interest."

Having felt betrayed by Iona's administration, Ruland wanted to make sure UDC would be a good fit for him. He met with Thomas and UDC President Allen Sessoms and was immediately won over by their visions for the program. Sessoms wants to move the school's athletic programs from Division II to Division I. After meeting them, it didn't take long for Ruland to agree to become UDC's next coach, signing a five-year deal with a base salary of $190,000 per year.