On the surface, Jeff Ruland and Bobby Gonzalez couldn't be more different.
Ruland is a 6-foot-10 behemoth, a gruff former NBA All-Star quietly casting an imposing shadow down the Iona bench. Gonzalez is a 6-foot firecracker, a high-strung fist-pumper who endlessly jumps and screams in a fancy suit on the Manhattan sideline.
But take a deeper look at the two most high-profile coaches in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and you'll realize they're not that different after all.
"They both carry the same cache," said Joe DelBalso, assistant commissioner of the MAAC. "They're the most recognizable guys we have. Jeff might be intimidating in stature, being 6-10 and as wide as two people, and Bobby has his sideline demeanor. But they're both so competitive and their styles work for their teams."
Success is the parallel between Ruland and Gonzalez. They've each won two MAAC championships, have elevated their programs to national prominence and established themselves among the top big-time coaching candidates in the country.
And, one month into the season, they find themselves in the position so many predicted they'd be in ? atop the MAAC standings. Iona, the preseason No. 1, is 8-2 following Tuesday's win at Fresno State, and Manhattan, ranked second, has rallied for six straight wins after an 0-4 start.
Iona and Manhattan are both 2-0 in the conference entering tonight's showdown at 7 at the Mulcahy Center that tips off the best rivalry the MAAC has seen in some time.
"I don't think it's a secret that Iona and Manhattan are the two signature programs in our conference," DelBalso said. "When those two teams are having success, we're having success as a conference. Not to put down any other team, but people know (the MAAC) because of Iona and Manhattan."
And these days, when people think of Iona and Manhattan, they think of Ruland and Gonzalez.
But talk to either one and each will tell you how much he's changed, how much he's grown up.
Ruland claims he's no longer the hard-edged general-type he was when he took over as Iona's coach in 1998. He yells less and has learned to communicate better with his team, which has come with experience and after making a conscious effort.
"I've mellowed. I've become more patient, and I think I've grown," he said. "I've learned to handle the guys a little bit better and take in a situation before I make a decision. ... Some guys came to me last year and spoke about a few things. I realized that if they're open to listening to me, I should be open to listening to them."
Ruland's adjustment was evident in his demeanor during a brutal 14-point road loss to Seton Hall on New Year's Eve. Even when Iona chucked up bad shots and piled up the turnovers, Ruland remained calm and let his senior-laden team figure itself out.
"He's calmer now than ever," said Ricky Soliver, one of Iona's four starting seniors. "Before he was 'Jeff Ruland the Yeller,' a Bobby Knight-type. But he's definitely changed."
Gonzalez insists he's different, too. A former assistant at Providence and Virginia, Gonzalez contends he's not the same cocky know-it-all he was labeled as when he arrived at Manhattan in 1999.
Back then, his charisma attracted media attention and his New York City ties brought in the recruits. But as his name was floated for just about every coaching vacancy in the country, he became an enemy in the conference.
"I've changed a lot, I've grown up," Gonzalez said. "When I first came on, I was very aggressive, overzealous and overintense. Sometimes that can rub people the wrong way. I looked like a guy who was cocky and had a chip on my shoulder. But I've settled down over the years. I've been humbled."
The relationship between Ruland and Gonzalez is an intriguing dynamic.
Ruland was the prominent personality in the conference after winning MAAC titles in 2000 and 2001, Gonzalez's first two seasons with the Jaspers. But Gonzalez stole Ruland's spotlight the next few seasons, winning consecutive conference championships of his own.
While their success matched, their personalities clashed.
"They definitely had a contentious relationship at first," DelBalso said. "When Bobby came in, Jeff was at the top of the heap and Bobby aspired to be there. But that's changed. They're closer now than they've ever been and they have mutual respect for each other and for their programs."
Chuckling, Ruland describes his relationship with Gonzalez this way: "I'm one of the only people in the league that actually talks to the guy."
The rivalry between Gonzalez and Ruland will likely extend into March. Iona and Manhattan were separated by one point in the preseason poll.
"I don't think we are where Iona is right now," Gonzalez said. "We're a good team, but they're better than us. We will have our chance at the end of the year. This thing is still unfolding."
Ruland is a 6-foot-10 behemoth, a gruff former NBA All-Star quietly casting an imposing shadow down the Iona bench. Gonzalez is a 6-foot firecracker, a high-strung fist-pumper who endlessly jumps and screams in a fancy suit on the Manhattan sideline.
But take a deeper look at the two most high-profile coaches in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and you'll realize they're not that different after all.
"They both carry the same cache," said Joe DelBalso, assistant commissioner of the MAAC. "They're the most recognizable guys we have. Jeff might be intimidating in stature, being 6-10 and as wide as two people, and Bobby has his sideline demeanor. But they're both so competitive and their styles work for their teams."
Success is the parallel between Ruland and Gonzalez. They've each won two MAAC championships, have elevated their programs to national prominence and established themselves among the top big-time coaching candidates in the country.
And, one month into the season, they find themselves in the position so many predicted they'd be in ? atop the MAAC standings. Iona, the preseason No. 1, is 8-2 following Tuesday's win at Fresno State, and Manhattan, ranked second, has rallied for six straight wins after an 0-4 start.
Iona and Manhattan are both 2-0 in the conference entering tonight's showdown at 7 at the Mulcahy Center that tips off the best rivalry the MAAC has seen in some time.
"I don't think it's a secret that Iona and Manhattan are the two signature programs in our conference," DelBalso said. "When those two teams are having success, we're having success as a conference. Not to put down any other team, but people know (the MAAC) because of Iona and Manhattan."
And these days, when people think of Iona and Manhattan, they think of Ruland and Gonzalez.
But talk to either one and each will tell you how much he's changed, how much he's grown up.
Ruland claims he's no longer the hard-edged general-type he was when he took over as Iona's coach in 1998. He yells less and has learned to communicate better with his team, which has come with experience and after making a conscious effort.
"I've mellowed. I've become more patient, and I think I've grown," he said. "I've learned to handle the guys a little bit better and take in a situation before I make a decision. ... Some guys came to me last year and spoke about a few things. I realized that if they're open to listening to me, I should be open to listening to them."
Ruland's adjustment was evident in his demeanor during a brutal 14-point road loss to Seton Hall on New Year's Eve. Even when Iona chucked up bad shots and piled up the turnovers, Ruland remained calm and let his senior-laden team figure itself out.
"He's calmer now than ever," said Ricky Soliver, one of Iona's four starting seniors. "Before he was 'Jeff Ruland the Yeller,' a Bobby Knight-type. But he's definitely changed."
Gonzalez insists he's different, too. A former assistant at Providence and Virginia, Gonzalez contends he's not the same cocky know-it-all he was labeled as when he arrived at Manhattan in 1999.
Back then, his charisma attracted media attention and his New York City ties brought in the recruits. But as his name was floated for just about every coaching vacancy in the country, he became an enemy in the conference.
"I've changed a lot, I've grown up," Gonzalez said. "When I first came on, I was very aggressive, overzealous and overintense. Sometimes that can rub people the wrong way. I looked like a guy who was cocky and had a chip on my shoulder. But I've settled down over the years. I've been humbled."
The relationship between Ruland and Gonzalez is an intriguing dynamic.
Ruland was the prominent personality in the conference after winning MAAC titles in 2000 and 2001, Gonzalez's first two seasons with the Jaspers. But Gonzalez stole Ruland's spotlight the next few seasons, winning consecutive conference championships of his own.
While their success matched, their personalities clashed.
"They definitely had a contentious relationship at first," DelBalso said. "When Bobby came in, Jeff was at the top of the heap and Bobby aspired to be there. But that's changed. They're closer now than they've ever been and they have mutual respect for each other and for their programs."
Chuckling, Ruland describes his relationship with Gonzalez this way: "I'm one of the only people in the league that actually talks to the guy."
The rivalry between Gonzalez and Ruland will likely extend into March. Iona and Manhattan were separated by one point in the preseason poll.
"I don't think we are where Iona is right now," Gonzalez said. "We're a good team, but they're better than us. We will have our chance at the end of the year. This thing is still unfolding."
