Seton Hall introduces Shaheen Holloway as new head men's basketball coach
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. -- Shaheen Holloway is arguably the biggest name in college basketball right now.
He's just a few days removed from leading the Cinderella Saint Peter's Peacocks to the Elite Eight at the NCAA tournament.
Thursday, he was introduced as the new head coach at Seton Hall University, his alma mater.
As CBS2's Otis Livingston reports, you can go home again. The NCAA tournament magic carpet ride brings the former Seton Hall point guard and Pirate assistant coach back to his old stomping grounds, where he's already in the hall of fame as a player.
He's determined to bring some of that Peacock magic to South Orange, New Jersey.
"Last time at Saint Peter's, I said 'Let's go Peacocks.' I'm not going to do that. Pirate nation, we here, let's go. Let's get it," Holloway said.
What a whirlwind it has been for Holloway. Two weeks ago, he led his Saint Peter's squad to the monumental upset over Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Thursday, he got a hero's welcome at his alma mater.
"Dreams do come true," Holloway said. "God is good."
Even though now he's a Seton Hall Pirate, he didn't forget to pay tribute to the Cinderella Saint Peter's squad, who were in attendance.
"First, I wouldn't be up here if it wasn't for those 15 young men right there," Holloway said. "I went to talk to the team yesterday, and I told them I was leaving to come here. I went into the locker room around 3:00, and we probably stayed in the locker room from 3:00 to around 6:00. And it made it so easy on me, because those 15 young men understood why I was making this decision. And it was so easy, because those guys changed my life. And I'm very grateful. Thank you guys, I appreciate it."
"He's a stand-up man. He wasn't looking at us like it's over. Past is past. He knows what we did for him, and what he's done for us," said Saint Peter's junior guard Daryl Banks III.
Holloway said it has been an emotional roller coaster the past week. He revealed Thursday that his grandmother passed away on Sunday, the same day Saint Peter's was eliminated from the tournament.
"She was the closest thing to God that I could know, so it's funny, because she said she wanted to be buried in Seton Hall blue," Holloway said.
As for his final message to Pirate nation?
"Just know I'm not going to mess this up. I can't mess it up. It's way too important to me," he said.
Holloway had nothing but love and admiration for his now former school Saint Peter's. He's expected to put the finishing touches on his time as a Peacock Friday at the parade, but he's already getting after it with his new squad. He told them they would have a team meeting right after Thursday's press conference.
Friday, Jersey City will hold a parade in celebration of the historic NCAA Tournament run by Saint Peter's. A number of local high school teams will also be recognized.
Watch live parade coverage on CBS News New York starting at 2 p.m. on Friday.
