There was a well-documented and memorable turning point in Xavier University's men's basketball history, and that turning point was largely orchestrated by Bob Staak.
What Staak did as the head coach of the Musketeers from 1979-85 isn't lost on Xavier fans some four decades later.
Staak, who's now working as a scout for the Miami Heat, will return to Cincinnati on June 2 to be honored by the Musketeer Club and he'll bring some stories with him from maybe the most critical juncture in Xavier's basketball history, joining the Midwestern City Conference and reaching the NCAA Tournament in 1983.
When Staak, a 1990 Xavier Hall of Fame inductee, was approached by the Musketeer Club to come back, he had no problem saying yes.
"I have kind of a special feeling for the Musketeer Club because when I was at Xavier, my dad passed away during the season," said Staak. "As a matter of fact, it was the day we played at Loyola, and I had to coach the game. After that season, they instituted an award in my father's name. Which they still, to my knowledge, present to a player at the end of each year. So that's special to me."
It means a lot to Staak that Xavier still holds him in such high regard after all these years.
"It's a special place to me and it always has been," he said. "And, truth be told, I never should have left, but, you know, that's 2020 hindsight. It was a special place because the program was not anything to speak of, and then we were able to get it to a point where now it's been carried on through the years to be one of the better programs in the league they participate in, which is the Big East now. It's obviously a very good basketball league. And they've had success at the NCAA level, so I'm happy about that. And I'm happy that I was able to be a part of it from the beginning."
A number of Staak's former players will be in attendance at the Hofbrauhaus in Newport, Kentucky, on June 2.
The event is open to the public, but there are limited seats available. It's $15 for non-Musketeer Club members and $10 for members. The event starts at 5 p.m. with dinner scheduled for 6 p.m.
Staak will be introduced by fellow Xavier Hall of Famer Joe Sunderman at 6:45 p.m.
Reservations can be made with Paul Fellinger at (513) 518-7184.
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