March 3, 2007
HATS OFF
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Jim Hatfield didn’t expect the clock to run out like this. Thirty-eight years after coaching his first game at Lyman High School in Orlando, Hatfield put down his clipboard for good following Saturday night’s regular-season finale for Gulf Coast Community College. His retirement from coaching men’s basketball came on his own terms, something he never expected. Earlier this season, the 63-year-old said he’d probably die on the court, coaching and teaching as he had for the past four decades. Health concerns led Hatfield to decide this season would be his last. Whatever optimism he had about continuing, pragmatism erased. “I’m just exhausted,” Hatfield said. “This job is a very demanding job, and I have just reached the point where — I know what you got to do. I know what you got to do to be successful in this program, to be successful in any program. When you know what you got to do and you can’t do those things, then you look at yourself. “You can’t look at anybody else. You look at yourself and you say, ‘Well I’m not doing the job that I know that I need to do.’ It’s time. It’s time to step down.”

Hatfield is suffering from trigeminal neuralgia, a painful nerve disorder that extends from the top of his head to the chin. He also had two arterial stents to prevent blockage put in last season, making seven that have been inserted over the years. Citing his health and the rigors of coaching, Hatfield said retiring was the easiest decision he’s ever made. Colleagues, opposing coaches and former players haven’t been shy about expressing their sadness in his leaving. They said the game is losing an ambassador and shared one common message: Hatfield was one of the good guys in coaching. “I knew that basketball was going to lose an outstanding person and coach,” former Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall said. “Jim has been good for the game. He’s been someone that loved it and worked hard to protect it. And it’s always a disappointment when someone with his ability and his love for the game gets out. I hate to see him hang it up.”

That love for basketball started in the third grade and never faded. Hatfield was part of what many consider the old guard of college basketball. He was an assistant to Hall, recruited the same states as Texas Tech coach Bob Knight when Knight was at Indiana, and scoured the country recruiting with former Louisville assistant Jerry Jones. Even after leaving coaching in the mid-1980s to work as a consultant for Athletic Management Group, his basketball friendships remained solid. Hatfield’s career wasn’t limited to American hardwoods as he spent three years as head coach at the University of Virgin Islands. His network of international contacts was evident on this year’s Gulf Coast squad, which had three players from Europe and Australia in its starting lineup. One of his assistants at Gulf Coast, Jackson Dolor, played for Hatfield at UVI. But it didn’t matter where Hatfield was, he maintained a charisma indigenous to the region that was instilled in him while growing up in Tennessee. “He really cared about his players,” said Kermit Davis, head coach at Middle Tennessee State and a player on Hatfield’s 1980-81 Mississippi State team. “He was a real fair coach. I learned a lot. I really enjoyed my year for coach Hatfield.”

Davis, who’s father also coached at Mississippi State, credited Hatfield with helping him become a Division I coach. Even after a career short on regrets, Hatfield admitted he still thinks about never winning a national championship as a head coach. Although he’ll never achieve that goal, Hatfield talked about the most glamorous prize in college basketball like a child realizing he didn’t get a coveted birthday present: Vacantly disappointed, but eternally hopeful. Even during his second straight losing season at Gulf Coast, Hatfield never dwelled on negatives. That attitude helped him become one of the best recruiters of his time. “I think he was a very hard worker,” Knight said. “I think he was a very good judge of talent.”

Hall saw that ability in Hatfield when he gave the 29-year-old his first Division I coaching job as an assistant in 1973. That was the first of two stints with the Wildcats. Hatfield returned to Kentucky for Hall’s last two years, 1983-84 and 84-85, before a 13-year hiatus from Division I. Better known for following Adolph Rupp at Kentucky than for winning the 1978 national championship, Hall said he learned more from Hatfield than he thought Hatfield learned from him. Hall said Hatfield’s positive attitude rubbed off the most. But it was his ability to recruit high school standouts in the early 1970s that fast-tracked Hatfield’s career. One of the most coveted recruits was Rick Robey from Louisiana, who Hatfield helped lure to Kentucky. He then added Jack Givens, Mike Phillips and James Lee to that 1974-75 freshmen class which as seniors won the ’78 NCAA title. It was the recruitment of Robey that landed Hatfield his first head coaching job. In 1975, during the second year of death penalty probation, the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, was impressed by Hatfield and courted him to rejuvenate a decimated men’s basketball program.

At 31, Jim Hatfield was one of the youngest head coaches in college basketball history. “Not many people were interested in that job because of starting over with no players, no schedule, no recruiting,” Hatfield said. “I took that job, and I found in taking that job that probably the best kind of job to take is one where there’s nothing there and what you do establishes what you expect and what you want done in the future.” Hatfield soon landed prized recruit Andrew Toney and within four years the Ragin’ Cajuns won the Southland Conference title with Hatfield named conference coach of the year. Mississippi State swooped in and lured Hatfield away during a three-day span. Hatfield proved his initial success at USL wasn’t a fluke when he had the Bulldogs ranked No. 13 by UPI and they were invited to a postseason tournament for the first time in 20 years. While in Starkville, he coached future NBA players Jeff Malone, Ricky Brown and Wylie Peck. Hatfield returned to Division I in 1998 as an assistant coach for Murray State before taking the Gulf Coast job in 2003.

Overall, 18 of Hatfield’s players went on to professional basketball, with a handful currently playing in the college ranks. Six former players are college coaches and one former student-assistant was part of Hatfield’s final staff. Jay Powell began his coaching career as a student-assistant at Murray State, where Hatfield was the top assistant under Tevester Anderson. Instead of using Powell as a gofer, Hatfield taught Powell the intricacies of recruiting, scheduling and scouting. “He’s one of the men that kind of got coaching a respectable, proud profession many years ago,” Powell said. “His relationship with me and the way he taught me was one of equality. He knew better than I did but he didn’t act like he was better. I really appreciated that.”

Just as his pupils got their start watching Hatfield walk the sidelines, Hatfield got his first taste of Division I coaching working next to a legend. While at Kentucky the first time, Hatfield shared an office with Adolph Rupp. Once a week Rupp came in to pick up his mail and would fascinate an impressionable assistant with stories. But now, as Hatfield has realized and Rupp before him, the game will move on without him. “Things are a lot different, but I enjoyed that,” Hatfield said. “I was a basketball junkie and I enjoyed that. “I guess that’s what I see now. I see how I used to be so excited and energetic and put the time in to do those things, and I’m not able to do those things anymore which tells me it’s time.”
News Herald Article

February 28, 2007
GULF COAST MEN NET TWO ON CONFERENCE SQUAD
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Two Gulf Coast Commodores were named to the All-Panhandle Conference men’s basketball team selected by league coaches and announced Tuesday. Freshman Darryl McGhee was named to the 12-player first team and sophomore Marcus Nicks to the 12-player second team. Since GCCC coach Jim Hatfield inserted McGhee into the starting lineup, the 6-foot-7 forward led the Commodores in scoring with 10.4 points per game. He also averaged 4.6 rebounds. Nicks, a transfer point guard, directed the Commodores’ offense in his only season of junior college basketball. He averaged a team-high 5.3 assists and was second in scoring with 10.2 ppg. Gulf Coast finished the season 7-23 overall and 1-11 in the conference. Chipola’s Jamarcus Ellis was named Panhandle Conference player of the year. Chipola’s Michael Vogler, a Bay High graduate, made the second team. The Indiana-bound sophomore averaged 15.6 ppg. The Indians led the conference with eight overall selections — five on the first team and three on the second. Tallahassee was next with three on each team, including preseason national player of the year Dustin Scott. Okaloosa-Walton had five total and Pensacola had three players named to the second team.

First-Team Chipola: Jamarcus Ellis, DeAndre Thomas, Victor Dubovitsky, Ed Berrios, Johnnie Harris Tallahassee: Dustin Scott, Jermaine Dixon, Andre McMillan OWC: Josh Hunter, Tay Waller, Keith Ramsey Gulf Coast: Darryl McGhee Second-Team OWC: Lashun Watson, Jeremy Dunbar Tallahassee: Antwon Lawrence, Andy Buechert, Shamar Coombs Chipola: Mario Little, Mario Edwards, Michael Vogler Pensacola: Vernon Carr, Lasha Parghalava, Myles Taylor Gulf Coast: Marcus Nicks

February 25, 2007
HATFIELD'S REIGN ENDS
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - If Jim Hatfield thought the past 38 years were a ride, he didn’t know what was coming against Okaloosa-Walton. Far out of contention for a state tournament berth, and further away from a run at the Panhandle Conference championship, Gulf Coast (7-23, 1-11 PC) came into Saturday night’s game with two thoughts: Honor the sophomores and send Hatfield out with a win. They were nearly able to do both in an 88-75 loss to OWC (23-5, 8-4 PC) at Billy Harrison Field House on Sophomore Night. Late Friday, the Commodores head coach announced he would retire from basketball because of health issues. With Hatfield’s family looking on and his son Jimmy sitting on the bench next to him, the fourth-year coach started four of the five sophomores, and nearly ended his career with an upset. “That’s what happens when you give effort,” Hatfield said. “You never know what’s going to happen.” The Commodores wouldn’t let the Raiders run away with the game early on. They took a 9-7 lead off a Rob Blei 3-pointer with 16:39 left in the first half. After the fourth tie, at 26-26 with just under 9 minutes left, Gulf Coast extended its lead to as many as eight before OWC came back to tie the game again at 35. Gulf Coast kept the upset talk alive at halftime, trailing by one. But OWC was too strong in the second half, and Tay Waller was too hot. The freshman guard hit one of his 10 3-pointers with 16:27 left in the game to put the Raiders ahead for good. He finished with 39 points. “What a performance,” Hatfield said. After OWC took the lead, Gulf Coast stayed within single digits until Waller hit another 3-pointer with 8:34 left put the OWC lead at 10. Gulf Coast’s Jerome Ellis, missed Saturday’s game due to academic issues. Nicks led the Commodores with 19 points including five 3-pointers and McGhee scored 16. Payne added 12. Both teams ended their season on Saturday. After the game, an emotional Hatfield reflected on his coaching career, “I’m proud of my family. I’m proud of Gulf Coast,” Hatfield said. “Thank you for the ride.”
News Herald Article

February 24, 2007
GCCC'S HATFIELD TO RETIRE
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast men’s basketball coach Jim Hatfield will retire after more than 38 years in coaching, athletic director Gregg Wolfe announced Friday afternoon. Tonight’s game against Okaloosa-Walton will be Hatfield’s last. Heading into tonight, Hatfield has a 48-66 record in four years at Gulf Coast. Before he came to the Panhandle, he was an assistant coach at Murray State and later at Kentucky, under coach Joe B. Hall. He also was a head coach at Southwestern Louisiana and Mississippi State. “He’s always taken great pride in his teams’ academics and athletic successes,” Wolfe said. “We will miss his leadership on and off the court.” This season the Commodores are 7-22, and have just one Panhandle Conference victory. Hatfield’s last two seasons have been marred by injury. Last year, he coached a six-man squad for the latter half of the conference season. In 2005, Hatfield went 19-10, his best season at Gulf Coast.
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February 22, 2007
COMMODORES BEAT AT THE BUZZER
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - A Pensacola buzzer-beater kept Gulf Coast from winning its second Panhandle Conference game Wednesday night. With 11.9 seconds left, Gulf Coast freshman Darryl McGhee hit a putback to tie the game at 73. As hopes of overtime started becoming realistic, Pensacola’s Tyler Cannon hit a high-arcing 3-pointer from the corner as time expired for a 76-73 win. Ben Vega led the Commodores with 25 points. Jeremy Payne scored 14 and Jadranko Jusufagic had 13. Gulf Coast replaced PJC in last place in the league at 1-10 and 7-22 overall. The Pirates are 2-10, 11-18. “It was a heck of a game from start to finish,” said Gulf Coast head coach Jim Hatfield said. “He just makes a desperation 3 from deep in the corner. The guys played really hard.”
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February 18, 2007
TALLAHASSEE DEFEATS GULF COAST MEN
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Tallahassee built a 29-14 lead and wasn’t threatened as the Gulf Coast men’s team fell to 1-9, 7-21. The Commodores trailed 37-23 at halftime. Marcus Nicks had a game-high 20 points to pace Gulf Coast with Darryl McGhee adding 14. The Eagles improved to 9-2 in the Panhandle Conference and clinched a berth in next month’s FCCAA state tournament with the triumph.
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February 15, 2007
CHIPOLA HOLDS OFF GULF COAST
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - The basketball cupid missed Gulf Coast on Valentine’s Day. And Gulf Coast missed its shot to knock off No. 3 Chipola at Billy Harrison Field House, 68-56. With under 6 minutes left in the game, Gulf Coast started to chip away at Chipola’s lead, but every time, the Indians repelled the Commodores. The Commodores pulled within 10 points with 2:33 left in the game, but couldn’t get any closer despite a run of 3-pointers by Jeremy Payne and Arian Maliqi. “Our guys made a run,” coach Jim Hatfield said. “I think our kids played well. They fought. They really fought.” Payne led the Commodores with 15 points, all on 3-pointers. Freshman Darryl McGhee added 14 points and five rebounds. Maliqi, who finished with eight points, had seven rebounds. Gulf Coast was without freshman center Jadranko Jusufagic. The Australian was suspended for Wednesday night’s game because of academic issues, Hatfield said. He didn’t comment on when Jusufagic would return. Gulf Coast is 7-20 overall and 1-8 in the Panhandle Conference, while Chipola remains in first place at 26-1 and 9-1. Gulf Coast plays at Tallahassee on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CST.
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February 8, 2007
GC MEN LOOSE TO RAIDERS
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast lost its second straight game on Wednesday night at Okaloosa-Walton. This loss starts another streak for the Commodores, who ended a two-game winning streak on Saturday. Those wins snapped a 13-game losing streak. The Commodores were led by freshman Darryl McGhee, who scored 21 points on 10 for 19 shooting and had seven rebounds. Ben Vega added 14 points and Marcus Nicks had 12. Gulf Coast dropped to 1-7 in the Panhandle Conference and is 7-19 overall. OWC is now 5-3 PC and 20-4 overall. Leading OWC was Tay Waller with 20 points. Jeremy Dunbar had 16 and Lashun Watson added 15. Josh Hunter had 12 rebounds and nine points.
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February 4, 2007
MENS STREAK ENDS - COMMODORES FALL TO TALLAHASSEE
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast’s bid for a three-game winning streak ended Saturday night in a 93-68 Panhandle Conference loss to Tallahassee in men’s basketball at Billy Harrison Field House. It wasn’t until midway through the second half that the Eagles begin to run away with the win, but in the end they made it look easy. Despite a halftime buzzerbeater by Tallahassee’s Shamar Coombs that put the Eagles (21-4, 6-1) ahead by six, Gulf Coast’s (7-18, 1-6) home crowd was murmuring at halftime about the possibility of an upset. Considering that the Commodores built a modest two game winning streak against a club team from North Florida and Pensacola Junior College, there was reason for hope. Tallahassee quieted that talk by taking a 12-point lead three minutes into the second half. From there, Gulf Coast struggled to stay within striking distance and finished the game looking like the team that had a recent 13-game losing streak. “You can’t come out that way to start the second half,” Gulf Coast coach Jim Hatfield said. “That’s tough like that.” What started the talk of an upset was a first half that saw Gulf Coast take three leads and stay within a possession of the lead until shortly before halftime. The Commodores went up 4-2, 13-11 and 16-15 before Coombs made a basket with 11:19 left in the first half to put Tallahassee ahead for good. Four Commodores scored in double figures, led by point guard Marcus Nicks. The sophomore scored 19 points with three 3-pointers. Ben Vega scored 13 points and Darryl McGhee added 12. Jerome Ellis had 10.
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February 1, 2007
COMMODORES DOWN PIRATES FOR CONFERENCE WIN
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast went from one streak to another on Wednesday night. After losing 13 in a row, the Commodores won their second consecutive game, 70-53 against Pensacola at the Billy Harrison Field House. “It’s been a long time,” coach Jim Hatfield said. More importantly for the Commodores, it was their first conference win. Saturday’s 100-62 win over North Florida’s club team was recorded as an overall win but not a league victory. With the win, Gulf Coast improved to 7-17 overall, 1-5 in the Panhandle Conference, and traded spots in the standings with Pensacola, which fell to last place in the conference at 1-6 in the league and 10-14 overall. The offense was spread around eight Commodores, including four who scored in double figures.
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January 28, 2007
COMMODORES END STREAK WITH WIN OVER NORTH FLORIDA
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Gulf Coast’s men’s team did not play a conference game Saturday because North Florida doesn’t have a men’s program. It defeated a club team from the Madison school 100-62 as Jeremy Payne scored 25 points. The Commodores improved to 6-17 and play Pensacola next at home January 31 @ 7:30 PM.
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January 24, 2007
CHIPOLA DEFEATS COMMODORES
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - For 19 minutes of the first half, Gulf Coast was leading the nation’s third-ranked team. The Commodores had Chipola on its heels until a late basket gave the Indians a 32-30 lead at halftime. Then, reminiscent of its second half start against Okaloosa-Walton, Gulf Coast coughed up four turnovers in its first five possessions. Arian Maliqi scored 17 points and Ben Vega added 15 in the Commodores’ 12th straight loss. Freshman Darryl McGhee added 13. Gulf Coast fell to 5-17 overall and 0-5 in the Panhandle Conference. Chipola improved to 21-1 and 4-1 in league play. For the rest of the second half the Commodores were able to keep the Indians within reach, trailing by less than 15 points. But a late surge by Chipola capped the spread at 20.
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January 21, 2007
COMMODORES FALL TO OWC
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Everything about Saturday night’s Gulf Coast and Okaloosa-Walton men’s basketball game was supposed to be lopsided. But the only thing tilted in their Panhandle Conference matchup was the foul differential. Gulf Coast overcame a 31-12 disadvantage in freethrow attempts to come within nine points with just more than 5 minutes left, only to fall 93-82 to No. 6 OWC at Billy Harrison Field House. For the first 10 minutes of the game and the last 10, Gulf Coast’s performance belied its 12-game losing streak. It wasn’t until the 8:20 mark of the first half that OWC took a double-digit lead, and by the last few minutes Gulf Coast again pulled within nine.
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January 18, 2007
COMMODORES DEFEATED BY PIRATES
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Life isn’t getting any easier for the Commodores. Three games into the Panhandle Conference season and Gulf Coast can’t seem to find a way to win. Gulf Coast lost its 11th straight game, 93-68 to Pensacola Junior College at the Louis A. Ross Health and Sports Center. The loss dropped the Commodores not only to 5-15 overall and 0-3 in conference play, but to the last place in the Panhandle Conference.
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January 14, 2007
TALLAHASSEE DOWNS COMMODORES
NEWS HERALD - Tallahassee Community College used a record-setting effort from its defense to win its 12th straight game, beating Gulf Coast Community College, 86-39, at the Eagledome on Saturday evening. The 39 points set a mark for the fewest the Eagles have ever allowed in a Panhandle Conference game.
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January 11, 2007
CHIPOLA DOWNS COMMODORES
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Of all the weapons top-ranked Chipola has, a local may have stolen the show Wednesday night. Bay High School graduate Michael Vogler had seven steals and seven points in the Indians’ 88-63 win over Gulf Coast at Billy Harrison Field House. For 39 of the 40 minutes, Vogler had the local spotlight to himself. With the outcome long since decided, Gulf Coast coach Jim Hatfield looked to another former Bay standout, Rodney Hayes. As time ran out, Hayes guarded Vogler with a smile on his face as their former coach, Matt Anderson, looked on from the stands. Vogler’s seven steals were important, but didn’t break the game open for the Indians.
News Herald Article

January 10, 2007
COMMODORES OPEN CONFERENCE SLATE WITH CHIPOLA
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - There might not be much discussion this year as to who will win the two Panhandle spots in the state tournament. The Chipola Indians and Okaloosa-Walton Raiders have dominated conversations during the pre-conference season, leaving little to wonder about the favorites. But Tallahassee is coming off a national runner-up performance and is out to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. “Chipola is really good,” Gulf Coast coach Jim Hatfield said. “OW is really good. I think Tallahassee has been up and down. PJC has struggled. You could be looking at a team with four or five losses making it to the tournament.” Although the talent level may be up with two teams ranked in the Top 13 nationally, the difference between top to bottom appears drastic. Gulf Coast: Jim Hatfield’s fourth season as coach of the Commodores started like his third ended: injuries, injuries and more injuries. Even though only one, Mirnes Islamovic’s torn ACL, was season-ending, the other injuries slowed the progression of a young Gulf Coast squad. Heading into conference play, the Commodores’ eight freshmen have logged minutes usually reserved for sophomores, but because of the injuries, they were forced to grow up fast. After a rocky start, Gulf Coast, which is anchored by an international front line of Dmitry Pirshin, Jadranko Jusufagic and Arian Maliqi, won five of six. Since then the Commodores (5-12) have dropped their last eight heading into the Panhandle Conference opener. Jeremy Payne has provided the scoring for the Commodores, and with the return of Jerome Ellis from wrist surgery, the Commodores could pack a scoring punch. “Once conference play starts everything is different,” Hatfield said. “Just one game at a time. Nobody will go through the league undefeated. We’ll see what happens. I like our chances with this lineup.” That lineup features four freshmen, the three big men and wing Darryl McGhee, and is led by Marcus Nicks who leads the state in steals.

December 31, 2006
JAGS TURN BACK COMMODORE BID
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - During this weekend Gulf Coast men’s basketball coach Jim Hatfield learned one thing about his team: It can play with anyone in the country. He also learned it can’t beat them. For the second straight night the Commodores had a top team on its heels but failed to pull out the win. Ahead 53-48 with 8 minutes, 8 seconds left, Gulf Coast let No. 11 Georgia Perimeter regain the lead and eventually fell 69-59 in the Vision Bank Classic at Billy Harrison Field House. A slew of turnovers and poor freethrow shooting prohibited the Commodores from pulling away, and aided a late 11-0 run by Jaguars.
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December 30, 2006
COMMODORES TAKING STEPS TO IMPROVE
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - It wasn’t a win, but Friday afternoon’s loss to Three Rivers (Poplar Bluffs, Mo.) was a step in the right direction for the Gulf Coast men’s basketball team. The Commodores fell 72-70 in the first game of the Vision Bank Classic at the Billy Harrison Field House, extending their losing streak to six games. But that doesn’t bother coach Jim Hatfield at the moment. “Honestly, this sounds stupid, but we’re not concerned” about winning, he said. “We want to win. But we want to get better. And get healthy. I like where we are.” Hatfield shuffled his starting lineup, inserting freshman Darryl McGhee for sophomore Jeremy Payne. Other freshmen also helped carry the Commodores (5-10).
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December 18, 2006
COMMODORES DEFEATED BY VIKINGS
NEWS HERALD (Eric Jorgensen ) - Gulf Coast put the defensive clamps on St. Johns River’s starting lineup Sunday afternoon. If only the Commodores could have done the same to the Vikings’ bench players. St. Johns River reserves scored 49 points as the Vikings beat the Commodores 92-74 on Sunday in the final day of the Central Florida Shootout. Dexter Clark scored 16 points in less than 17 minutes off the bench for St. Johns River, and Gerald Kohn added 14 in 16 minutes. Another reserve, Mark Marlar, added 12 points.
News Herald Article

December 17, 2006
COMMODORES DROP 4TH STRAIGHT
NEWS HERALD (Eric Jorgensen ) - Ben Vega scored 19 points, despite playing only 23 minutes with foul trouble, but it wasn’t enough as Gulf Coast lost to Seminole 79-67 on Saturday, the first day of the Central Florida Shootout. Marcus Nicks and Jerome Ellis each added 12 points for the Commodores, who struggled shooting, hitting only 29 percent of their shots in the first half and 41 percent for the game. Gulf Coast was even worse from 3-point range, hitting just 6 of 25. Nicks had four of the six 3-pointers. The Commodores, despite a cold first half, trailed only 33-29 at halftime. It helped that Seminole was nearly as cold in the first half, hitting just 34 percent of its shots.
News Herald Article

December 8, 2006
COMMODORES TO FACE CENTRAL FLORIDA
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - There’s two ways to look at the recent stretch for Gulf Coast’s men’s basketball team. It’s either lost three of its last four or won five of its last eight. On Saturday at 4 p.m. the Commodores will look to get back on track against Central Florida Community College at Billy Harrison Field House in Gulf Coast’s first single game of the season. Last weekend, Gulf Coast fell to Alabama Southern and ABAC in Marianna. The young Commodores (5-6) feature four double-figure scorers, three of which make up their front line. Jadranko Jusufagic is averaging 15 points per game and 7.6 rebounds, while Jeremy Payne scores 12.3 a night and Arian Maliqi adds 10.6. Running the Commodores offense for coach Jim Hatfield is Marcus Nicks, who is averaging 5.1 assists per game and 11.8 points. For the Patriots (5-3), De’Andre Duncan is averaging 13.5 points off the bench and Eli Crawford adds 9.9 points off the pine as well. Ed Keyes leads Central Florida with 6.6 rebounds per game. After Saturday’s contest, the Commodores have a week off before a tournament in Ocala.

December 3, 2006
ABAC DEFEATS GULF COAST
NEWS HERALD (Eric Jorgensen ) - Ben Vega scored 20 points, and Jeremy Payne and Darryl McGhee each added 10, as the Commodores fell to the ABAC Stallions 89-64 in the Panhandle Classic at Chipola College in Marianna. Only three other players scored for Gulf Coast, which fell to 5-6 for the season. Dmitry Pirshin had eight rebounds for the Commodores. Arian Maliqi led with four assists Abraham Baldwin had five players score in double figures, led by Jerrenda Wheeler’s 19 points. The Stallions raced to a 51-36 halftime lead and never looked back. Gulf Coast plays its next game at 4 p.m. on Saturday at home against Central Florida.
News Herald Article

December 2, 2006
COMMODORES FALL TO ALABAMA SOUTHERN
NEWS HERALD (Brad Milner) - The Commodores fell to Alabama Southern 67-63 in the Chipola College Panhandle Classic in Marianna. The Commodores squandered a sevenpoint halftime lead, going cold from the field in the final 20 minutes. Gulf Coast was 8 of 26 and 2 of 9 from 3-point range in the second half. It was 14 of 37 and 5 of 17 on 3-pointers in the first half. The victory was Alabama Southern’s first in six tries this season under head coach Rob Williams, who formerly coached at Bay and Chipola. Gulf Coast dipped to 5-5. Jeremy Payne hit five 3-pointers to lead the Commodores with 18 points. Arian Maliqi added 10 points and six rebounds and Jadranko Jusufagic chipped in 10 points and four rebounds. Alabama Southern’s Daryl Davis led all scorers with 21 points and eight rebounds. Ken Mitchell scored 16 and Cortez Lundy 14 for Alabama Southern. Gulf Coast plays Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (8-2), which defeated Pensacola 89-81 on Friday, at noon today. Alabama Southern plays Pensacola at 2 p.m.
News Herald Article

December 1, 2006
COMMODORES TO PARTICIPATE IN CHIPOLA PANHANDLE CLASSIC
The Gulf Coast Community College Commodore Mens Basketball team will participate in the Chipola Panhandle Classic this weekend (Dec 1-2). The Commodores will open up with Alabama Southern on Friday (12/1) at 2:00 pm and ABAC on Saturday (12/2) at 12:00 noon. All games will be played at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center on the campus of Chipola College in Marianna, Florida.

November 26, 2006
GULF COAST DEFEAT WALTERS STATE IN A THRILLER
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - There’s no better education then getting thrown into the fire. That’s what the Gulf Coast freshmen learned Saturday night against Walters State. In a 73-68 thriller, two freshmen hit four free throws with less than 14 seconds left to secure the Commodores’ victory. Jadranko Jusufagic hit both ends of a 1 and 1 to put the Commodores ahead 71-68. After a Senators’ miss, Arian Maliqi hit his two 1 and 1 free throws to seal the 5-point win. In the last game of the Panama City Toyota Classic at Billy Harrison Field House, the Commodores continued their tear through the last six games, of which they’ve won five. But this last win could have been the tightest of the year. “Obviously we would feel a lot better if we blew them out,” said freshman Marcus Nicks. “It’s a test to know where we are, where we stand as a team.” Nicks finished with 13 points and seven assists. Heading into Saturday night, Gulf Coast coaches knew Walters State (6-5), a 2006 national tourney team, would challenge the young Commodores squad (5-4). But Gulf Coast’s big men passed the test. “We’re going to play exciting, aggressive basketball,” said coach Jim Hatfield. Hatfield isn’t looking at Saturday’s win as an upset. He just sees it as getting better one game at a time. Down 8 at halftime, the Commodores came back with solid shooting behind the arc, including four straight 3-pointers to start the second half. Two of which came off the hands of Jeremy Payne, who scored 15 points on five 3-pointers, and added eight assists. With 7:30 left in the game, freshman Darryl McGhee hit a layup to put Gulf Coast ahead for good 57-56. Nicks then hit three consecutive 3-pointers to give the Commodores a 66-60 lead with 2:46 left. “It was close. They played zone and we just worked the ball in the crease of the defense,” Nicks said. “I had confidence and I just let it go.” Jusufagic scored 12 points on 4 for 9 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds, spending quality minutes on the perimeter. This season he’s been averaging about 36 minutes per game. The third piece of Hatfield’s front line, Dmitry Pirshin, added 12 points. Hatfield wasn’t sure which Commodores team would show up Saturday night, after losing its first game in five tries on Friday. “With this team,” he said, “you never know.”
News Herald Article

November 25, 2006
GULF COAST MEN FALL TO SNEAD STATE
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Once Gulf Coast was down Friday night, it couldn’t get back up against Snead State. In the nightcap of the Panama City Toyota Classic at Billy Harrison Field House, the Commodores struggled offensively and fell to the Parsons 82-69. “I gotta give credit to Snead’s defensive play,” Gulf Coast coach Jim Hatfield said. Just as crucial was four Commodores fouling out as a total of 64 personals were called. Snead State (5-0) had 33 and Gulf Coast (4-4) 31. Hatfield did not blame the officiating, which drew less than stellar reviews from the vocal crowd, but said the timing of the calls didn’t suit the play. “There was no rhythm to the game,” Hatfield said. “Didn’t know what was going to be a foul.” The Commodores lost freshman Dmitry Pirshin early, the Russian scoring four points. Darryl McGhee followed, then Ben Vega. The last Commodore to join Hatfield on the bench was of Jadranko Jusufagic. With 4:15 left in the game, Jusufagic, better known as J.J., received a technical which resulted in his fifth personal. He finished with a team-high 17 points. Arian Maliqi scored 15 points, but the next highest Commodore was William Christian with nine. The Parsons clamped down on defense from the opening tip to end Gulf Coast’s four-game winning streak. Snead State bolted to a 17-1 lead and increased the margin to 33-11 with 6:15 left in the first half. From there, freshman Christian five of his nine points to help cut Snead’s lead to 43-26 at halftime. Midway through the second half, Gulf Coast was able to rally within 51-43, but the closest the Commodores could come was 57-50. Jeremy Payne helped spark the comeback by taking two charges. Gulf Coast also diminished its comeback chances shooting 17 for 34 from the free-throw line. In the earlier men’s game Friday, Seminole defeated Walters State 57-52. The Commodores entertain Walters State this evening at 7 p.m. Seminole will meet Snead State at 3 p.m.
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November 22, 2006
COMMODORES HOST TOYOTA CLASSIC
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - Taking on stiff competition early in a season can be a confidence bruiser for some inexperienced squads. But three early losses against some of junior college’s elite programs has been a blessing thus far for the Gulf Coast men’s basketball team. After suffering a threegame sweep in their first tournament of the season, the Commodores rattled off four straight wins to enter this weekend’s Panama City Toyota Classic at Billy Harrison Field House 4-3. “Playing really good people out in Missouri when we started the season helped us get better and we made progress,” Commodores coach Jim Hatfield said. “Like we’ve said, we have so many new guys it’s a work in progress.”

The Commodores slowly are developing into the squad last year’s team wasn’t — a healthy one. Injuries to key players before the season started hampered early progress. But with the return of Arian Maliqi from an ankle sprain and Jerome Ellis nearly back from lacerating tendons in his left wrist, Gulf Coast is nearing full capacity. Hatfield said Ellis has been practicing without a protective glove on his wrist and had a doctor’s appointment Monday. It’s possible Ellis could see the floor Friday night, Hatfield said. The Commodores look to extend their four-game winning streak against Snead State from Alabama at 7 p.m. Friday and Walters State from Tennessee 7 p.m. Saturday.
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November 19, 2006
GULF COAST EARNS ROAD VICTORY
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - The Gulf Coast men’s basketball team won its fourth-straight game Saturday after an 0-3 start. The Commodores, led by Jadranko Jusufagic with 17 points, downed Lurleen B. Wallace 74-64 in the Coca-Cola Classic at Okaloosa-Walton Junior College. Arian Meliqi added 13 points and Ben Vega had 12. “We are proud to win four in a row,” Gulf Coast coach Jim Hatfield said. “We are very young team, and we need to keep improving.” The Commodores led 35-26 at halftime. “In the first half we just couldn’t make the shots,” Hatfield said. “William Christian came off the bench and had eight points at key times in the second half.” Gulf Coast will host Snead State on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Panama City Toyota Classic at the Billy Harrison Field House.
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November 12, 2006
COMMODORES DEFEAT DAYTONA BEACH
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - The Gulf Coast men’s basketball team won its second-straight game on Saturday after starting the season with three losses. The Commodores made 14 3-pointers in an 87-62 victory over Daytona Beach CC at the Billy Harrison Field House. Jadranko Jusufagic scored 21 points, Jeremy Payne had 19 and Marcus Nicks had 14. “They are starting to play together and play smart basketball,” Gulf Coast coach Jim Hatfield said. “We are a work in progress, and we had a good weekend. Now we have to keep getting better.” Freshman forward Dmitry Pirshin was key factor for the Commodores. “Pirshin came up real big on the boards. He did an outstanding job today,” Hatfield added. “Our guards controlled the tempo of the game.” The Commodores beat Alabama Southern 96-73 on Friday night in Panama City. Marcus Nicks had seven 3-pointers and a game-high 29 points to lead the Commodres, who led 45-35 at halftime. Arian Maliqi added 13 points for GCCC, Jusufagic had 10 and Ben Vega nine. Gulf Coast plays Daytona Beach again on Friday at 5 p.m. in a tournament in Niceville.
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November 10, 2006
COMMODORES - HOME OPENER
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - In search of its first win, the Gulf Coast Commodores men’s basketball team returns home to Billy Harrison Field House tonight for the Gulf Coast Tournament. The two-day event features Daytona Beach CC, Alabama Southern CC and Tallahassee, the top-ranked team in Florida. In Gulf Coast’s first game of the tournament, but second game tonight, the Commodores (0-3) take on Alabama Southern at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Gulf Coast plays Daytona Beach at 3 p.m. Badgered by injuries, the Commodores get back Arian Maliqi, who was hobbled by a sprained ankle and missed Gulf Coast’s first tournament last week in Missouri.
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November 5, 2006
COMMODORES FINISH TOURNEY 0-3
Missing two starters, the Gulf Coast men’s basketball team capped a winless weekend with an 86-76 loss to Technical Career Institute in New York on Saturday. Three Commodores scored in double figures, led by sophomore Jeremy Payne with 18 points. Gulf Coast coach Jim Hatfield said his squad pulled within four points at one stage and made two strong runs at TCI, but didn’t have the experience to pull ahead. “They’re a very experienced team, and we’re a very inexperienced team,” he said. Gulf Coast (0-3) missed starters Jerome Ellis and Arian Maliqi all weekend. Both are out with injuries and expected back in the coming weeks. Freshmen Darryl McGhee scored 17 points and added six rebounds, and William Christian had 16 in 27 minutes. Ben Vega led the Commodores with five assists and six rebounds, Gulf Coast fell to Missouri State-West Plains 102-85 on Friday night. Marcus Nicks led the Commodores with 25 points, Vega had 18, Jadranko Jusufagic 15 and Dmitry Pirshin 11.
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November 3, 2006
GC MEN FALL TO DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
Five players from defending national junior college champion Arkansas-Fort Smith scored in double figures in defeating Gulf Coast Community College 85-65 on Thursday in the Commodores’ season opener. Gulf Coast never got out of first gear in the first half, making only 27 percent of its shots and falling behind 44-28. Arkansas-Fort Smith, meanwhile, hit 53 percent of its first-half shots. The defending champs kept up the pace in the second half, hitting 57 percent from the field, as Gulf Coast improved to 47 percent. Jadranko Jusufagic, a 6-foot-10 freshman from Australia, led the Commodores with 15 points. He was limited to 21 minutes because of foul trouble. Dmitry Pirshin, a freshman from Russia, scored 10 points for Gulf Coast — the only other Commodore to score in double figures.
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November 2, 2006
MAKING NO EXCUSES
NEWS HERALD (Josh Weinfuss) - This year already is looking a lot like last year for the Gulf Coast men’s basketball team. And that’s not a good thing. Trying to move on from an injury-plagued 2005-2006 season, the Commodores received their first setback earlier this week when Mirnes Islamovic had season-ending surgery Monday to repair an ACL and meniscus injury he suffered Oct. 14 during a scrimmage. Continuing the theme, sophomore Jerome Ellis will be out until mid-November rehabilitating two surgically repaired tendons and a nerve in his left wrist he injured when a picture shattered on his hand in September. That isn’t how coach Jim Hatfield hoped to start out, considering his squad was reduced to six healthy players at the end of last season while finishing 10-17.
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February 23, 2006
GCCC MEN DEFEAT PENSACOLA
Mirnes Islamovic played like he was 9 feet tall. Assistant coach Norris Harvey led chants of “Defense” from the Gulf Coast sideline. Raye Bailey ignored the lactic acid pooling in his muscles and capped his final home game with clutch free throws that secured a victory that Gulf Coast couldn’t ever be sure would come. Certainly, this game meant far more than the Panhandle Conference standings could indicate. Bailey fired in a game-high 23 points, and the Commodores snapped a 10-game losing streak with their first conference win in a 76-67 victory over Pensacola Wednesday night at the Billy Harrison Field House.
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February 21, 2006
GCCC MEN FALL TO TALLAHASSEE
Tallahassee (24-3, 9-2 conference) clinched the Panhandle Conference’s second seed at state. Gulf Coast fell to 9-17 and 0-10. OK, perhaps Rizvic’s verbal commitment and impending trek to Texas Tech University is a little less Indiana Jones and a lot more James Caan from Misery. Rizvic watched Gulf Coast’s 83-57 loss to Tallahassee from the sidelines Monday night, hobbled by a fractured bone in his leg that ended his season weeks ago.
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February 19, 2006
INDIANS DEFEAT COMMODORES 97-65
Gulf Coast (9-16, 0-9 conference) led 40-36 at halftime after making 16 of 26 shots from the floor in the first 20 minutes. The Indians locked down GCCC in the second half, however, and outscored the Commodores 61-25 to turn the game into a rout.
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February 12, 2006
VISITING RAIDERS DEFEAT COMMODORES
Sitting down rarely has felt so good. Even in defeat. Gulf Coast’s weary legs were no match for über-athlete Ralph Jennings Saturday night as Okaloosa-Walton steamrolled a fatigued Commodore basketball team 97-72 in a Panhandle Conference game at the Billy Harrison Field House.
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February 5, 2006
COMMODORES LOSE TO TALLAHASSEE
Tallahassee’s quest for a Panhandle Conference title continues. Gulf Coast’s path grows more dark and foreboding with every passing day. Competing with only six players, Gulf Coast couldn’t keep pace with the Eagles in an 86-72 loss in a men’s Panhandle Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at the Eagledome.
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February 2, 2006
GC MEN FALL TO 0-5
The losses pile on top of one another, but Jim Hatfield’s optimism never wanes. Gulf Coast battled back from a 24-point deficit and made the game close before falling 95-84 to second-ranked Chipola in a Panhandle Conference men’s basketball game at the Billy Harrison Field House Wednesday night.
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January 26, 2006
OWC DEFEATS GCCC MEN IN OVERTIME
Gulf Coast fell to Okaloosa-Walton in overtime after starting the second half with a 13-3 run to close to within three points. The Commodores briefly led the game later in the second half on a Raye Bailey 3-pointer. The game was tied at 60-all at the end of regulation. O-W’s O’Darien Bassett hit two 3-pointers within the first 1:20 of overtime, sealing the game for the Raiders.
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January 22, 2006
COMMODORES FALL TO PENSACOLA
Gulf Coast fell a game under .500 at 9-10, but more importantly dropped to 0-3 in Panhandle Conference play. Meanwhile, the Pirates picked up their first conference victory of the season in four games and moved to 10-11.
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January 19, 2006
TALLAHASSEE CLIPS GCCC
The numbers game again caught up with Gulf Coast Wednesday night, and the Commodores were unable to keep pace in with Tallahassee in the waning minutes in a 63-53 loss at the Billy Harrison Field House.
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January 18, 2006
COMMODORES HOST TALLAHASSEE
The Gulf Coast women’s and men’s basketball teams host Tallahassee tonight in Panhandle Conference contests at the Billy Harrison Field House. The Women play at 5:30 pm and the Men play at 7:30 pm. Both games will be broadcast on WKGC-FM/AM.
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January 15, 2006
SECOND RANKED INDIANS SLIP PAST COMMODORES
Short-handed Gulf Coast suffered yet another grueling defeat against the Indians, this time wilting down the stretch of an 81-74 loss in a Panhandle Conference game at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center.
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January 11, 2006
PANHANDLE SHOOTOUT EXPECTED
The Panhandle Conference men’s and women’s schedules begin tonight. Gulf Coast hosts North Florida in a women’s game at 5:30 p.m. Chipola’s men’s and women’s teams travel to Pensacola, and Tallahassee’s teams are headed to Okaloosa-Walton.
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December 21, 2005
GULF COAST CENTERS STANDING TALL
Jim Hatfield doesn’t need new toys. The refurbished ones are just fine. The Gulf Coast men’s basketball team is as healthy as it’s been all season, and the results predictably have been favorable. The Commodores are 8-5 following a pair of victories in Daytona Beach last weekend, and Hatfield hopes that success continues into the new year.
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