Last Tuesday Cleveland State beat Green Bay 73-61 in the Horizon tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Vikings won 14 games in 2021 and 21 games in 2022 but are 30-4 this year and clinched the school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid since 2010. Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Cleveland State coach Chris Kielsmeier about his history of success.
You were born/raised in Iowa and went to Iowa State: how big is the Cyclone-Hawkeye rivalry? It is a big deal in that state because more than likely you are from 1 school or the other.
You spent almost a decade as coach at D-3 Howard Payne University, where you became the all-time winningest coach in school history: what is the biggest difference between D-3 and D-1? 1 of the biggest differences as I have worked my way up through the ranks is that a D-1 staff is much bigger and has more resources available to do more things. It was a challenge for me at 1st since I did not have a lot of experience with it. On the court the game is the game so I am comfortable with that part of it.
In 2008 you went 33-0 and won the national title: how on earth were you able to go undefeated? The same way that you win games in general: great staff/players and a supportive administration. We had an All-American and the national POY who helped create our culture. We were 27-1 the previous year entering the postseason before getting upset in the Sweet 16 because we just could not put the ball in the basket. That really motivated our returning seniors because they knew we were better than that. You also need a little luck: there are a lot of factors that go into it.
You were also named WBCA national COY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was really a reflection of our team. Individual accolades are significant but any COY award equates to team success. The key to me winning that award is that our team went 33-0! It was really about the players.
You spent 10 years as coach at Wayne State College, where you became the all-time winningest coach in school history: do you think that anyone will ever break your record? All records are meant to be broken! It will take someone staying there quite a while but if the right coach comes along then I am sure it will be broken someday…although it will be tough.
You were hired at Cleveland State back in 2018: why did you take the job? It was a new challenge after being at Wayne State for 10 years and having a lot of success. We pushed that program a long way even though we did not win a national title but were really relevant on the national scene. I want to constantly push myself to get better both as a coach and in life. Leading a staff has helped me grow as a person. I wanted to go to a place that was committed to success at the highest level and could consistently compete for championships. It is a unique place that I have really embraced.
In 2021 you won 3 games in 3 days to clinch the WBI title: what did your team learn from that experience that you think will help them this time around? We have played 15 postseason games during the past 3 years so our team is battle-tested. It is really just about the moment so we have to show that we can play great on someone else’s court and hit some shots. Our focus this week is to be at our best.
Last Tuesday in the Horizon tourney title game Gabriella Smith scored 19 PTS in a win over Green Bay: what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It was a surreal feeling for everybody. Gabby played her best game of the year: we knew that we would have to hit some threes and she made a lot of big shots in that game. After the game it hit everybody that we had just accomplished what we had been working hard for all year long. Everyone just wanted to smile/laugh/cry and all of the great things that basketball can teach you from an emotional standpoint. We were proud of ourselves for accomplishing that, especially the folks who have been in this program for the past 5 years.
You only have 2 freshmen on the roster: how crucial has all of that experience been to your team’s success? It makes things easier. Experience does not give you extra points at the start of the game but it makes everything calmer. Our 2 freshmen have really not acted like freshmen all year because they knew they really could not do so on our senior-laden team. It is hard to establish yourself at an elite program at a young age but they both have made it look easy.
How do you feel about being a 13 seed, and what do you know about Villanova? We are extremely excited to keep playing in the NCAA tourney. Villanova has been in the top-20 all year long and won a lot of big games/close games. They are really tough-minded and really good at what they do, which is a recipe we model ourselves after.