CHARLOTTE — The Date was January 14, 1999. The 49ers hosted the then #2 nationally ranked Cincinatti Bearcats in front of a sold out crowd at Halton Arena for what was the hottest ticket in town. Bearcats coach Bobby Huggins, along with future NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin, came to town with a 15-0 record and looked unstoppable. With a national television audience watching on ESPN, the 49ers , led by future NBA 2nd round pick Demarco Johnson, squeezed out the win in dramatic fashion, 62-60. This was a big deal.
In a city begging for elite college basketball again, the 49ers are long overdue to be competitive again. The Charlotte Light Rail system to the University area is complete. I-485 is also complete. Access to the 1,000 acre campus is easier than it has ever been before.
In comes Ron Sanchez. Born and bred in New York which is considered by many as the capital of basketball nation, Sanchez played collegiate basketball at the State University of New York – Oneonta. Sanchez became an assistant coach with his alma-mater the next season in 1998. Thus began his journey of being an assistant for 19 years with stop at Indiana University and Washington State before landing on University City Blvd to run the Charlotte program.
Having coached in arguably the toughest conference in basketball in the Atlantic Coast Conference, against hall of fame caliber coaches is no easy task. Sanchez brings the competitive experience the 49ers need in order to improve and the pedigree needed for players to buy in to his system.
With this hire, Charlotte has found the coach it desperately needs, to provide Charlotte fans with the kind team it desperately wants.
