E&H's Russo Follows In Steps Of Johnson

EMORY, Va. – Paul Russo accepted a challenge when he decided to play point guard for demanding Emory & Henry head basketball coach Bob Johnson.

Russo, a 2003 E&H graduate, flourished in the role as a three-year starter for the Wasps. Then he tackled an even bigger challenge last spring.

After Johnson decided to leave the bench in October because of an ongoing struggle with cancer of the kidney, the 27-year-old Russo stepped in as the interim head coach of the Wasps. He was appointed to replace his mentor on a permanent basis last April.

“Last year was wild, but our players hung in there with me and were fantastic to work with,” Russo said.

“With our coach being sick and eventually stepping down, it’s been an emotional year for all of us. Coach Johnson has been like a father to me and so many kids.”

The Wasps faced a transition period on and off the court last season en route to a 7-18 record. In addition to the coaching change, Russo gradually altered the playing style of his team.

The streamlined approach, which puts a greater emphasis on intelligent shot selection and sound defense, has been evident this season.

“We’re still going to play fast. It fits our personnel to go up and down the floor, but our pace just isn’t as fast as it used to be,” Russo said.

Relying on a hybrid style dubbed “The Fun n’ Gun,” the Wasps established scoring records in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

According to Russo, the fast-paced strategy of the Wasps was originally structured around pressure defense, instead of the barrage of 3-point goals and 100-point scoring outbursts that the Wasps because famous for around the NCAA Division III landscape.

“Nobody ever understood that,” Russo said. “Everybody liked to say it was a just a Fun-N-Gun style.

“Offensively it looked like it was a lot of fun, and it was sure a lot of gun, but really it was a system based on defense and on playing really hard.”

Johnson now serves as E&H’s athletic director, and still consults closely with Russo.

Whether the conversations center around the essentials of help-side defense or dog grooming, the bond is strong between Russo and his mentor.

“Coach Johnson and I used to walk on the campus golf course early in the morning with our dogs before the sun came up,” Russo said. “He told me what it was like, and shared the things he went through when he got started in coaching. That was so valuable to hear.”

Russo said he’s delighted that Johnson has kept his old office, which is jammed with books on combat, positive mental approaches and inspirational tales.

“Having Coach Johnson next door has been really good for me,” Russo said. “I can bounce ideas off him and just think out loud.”

Russo said he outlined in detail to Johnson how he planned to retool the game plan of the Wasps without tinkering with the core.

A former Ranger platoon leader in the Vietnam War, Johnson took great pride in the discipline, endurance and aggression of his players.

“That emphasis hasn’t changed,” Russo said. “We still want terms like relentless and scrappy to be associated with our program.

“In fact, our goal is to be hardest-working team in America.”

Russo retained one key element of the Johnson strategy, with 6 a.m. practice sessions in the preseason.

Senior guard and team leader Camillo Weinz said the shared commitment on the E&H team has led to a strong bond that the players can draw upon during trying times.

“Last year was pretty rough for all for everybody,” Weinz said. “It hurt to see Coach Johnson with his illness and it was tough for a young coach to come into that situation.

“We only had two seniors on the team, so we all tried to help Coach Russo. We had a lot more time to prepare this season.”

Entering Saturday’s home game against ODAC rival Hampden-Sydney, the Wasps (7-8, 1-5) led the conference in scoring, averaging more than 89 points a game.

“I’m real comfortable with what we’re doing,” Russo said. “We’ve still got a long way to go with the changes we’re making, but our kids have really been getting after it.

“Emory kids are tough, and they’ve been able to get through some really adverse times.”

Johnson guided the Wasps to the NCAA Division III national tournament five times, including two trips to the final 16, during his nearly three decade run at the King Center.

The former coach feels his ace pupil has the qualities for leadership and success. “Paul knows what it takes to succeed at Emory & Henry,” Johnson said.

Though the once-frantic tempo might slow just a little, Russo plans to stick to the fundamentals employed by his former coach.

“Everybody changes, but Emory & Henry teams have always been known for playing hard,” Russo said. “Coach Johnson and I are different people, but we’re headed in the right direction if we can keep that one constant: effort.”

As for the pressure and the sudden sprinkling of gray hair around his temples, Russo said it comes with the territory.

“At least my hair is still there,’’ Russo said. “That’s what my dad keeps telling me. I’m having fun.”