Date Posted: 2/25/2008

Most basketball fans know the 7-2, 240-lb. "A-Train" as one of the greatest centers ever to play the game, a 12-time All-Star who played five seasons in the American Basketball Association before pounding the paint for 11 seasons for the Bulls and Spurs. Artis Gilmore scored a total of 15,579 points and grabbed 9,161 rebounds during his NBA career, and was the ABA's all-time block leader with 1,431 during his days with the Kentucky Colonels. His pro total of 24,941 points ranks first all-time among left-handers. The Basketball Hall of Fame stands as an illegitimate institution until such time as he is properly enshrined there.

But you may not know about some of his other distinctions. Gilmore, who set the NCAA career record with 22.7 rpg while at Jacksonville University, is the only player in history to have his number retired at two current Atlantic Sun schools (he started at Gardner-Webb when it was a junior college). In 1970, he and guard Rex Morgan -- nicknamed "Batman and Robin" by the national press -- led the 23-1 Dolphins on an improbable Final Four run. During the campaign, Jacksonville scored 100 or more points and toppled Iowa and Kentucky on the way to the national championship game, where they finally fell short against Lew Alcindor and the UCLA dynasty.

After the North Florida native spent years away from home in Texas, Gilmore was invited back to campus by an school eager to undo decades of relative neglect to its athletic department, one that was once the giant-killing pride of northern Florida. As of this January, Gilmore's giant presence is back in Jacksonville, where he's serving a role in the administration and calling games for JU's radio broadcasts. We caught up with him last Thursday after an A-Sun tilt with Mercer, and discussed his new role in the university, the program's future, and Jacksonville University then and now. We talked about his playing days -- the rough travel in that old "mid-major" pro league called the ABA, and of course, teenage idol deluxe Bob Costas.

TMM: So what are you doing back in Jacksonville, sir?

AG: I was living in San Antonio... I challenged George Gervin, I said, "This town is not big enough for the both of us." So he said, "Well, you gotta go."

I joke about that. But you know what, my hometown is not that far away from here. I made the choice to come back to Jacksonville, thinking in terms of business opportunities and the chance to be back in my home community.

TMM: You took on a role with the university at the start of the year, what do they have you doing?

AG: My title is "assistant to the president," and that's going to include a whole lot of things, many things. From representing the president at different events when he's unable to be there. Certainly I'm going to be involved in some fundraisers to generate income for the program, utilizing my awareness and national exposure for the good of the university.

TMM: This school is really the only college in this conference that has a rich athletic history to draw on, a lot of pride in past accomplishments, but that was lost for a while. Now it's reaching out to you, your team, and some of the icons of the teams from the Seventies. Have you found that there's been a difference in the level of commitment to athletics over time here?

AG: I think that at one time, there was less emphasis on success in athletics. There have been so many different personnel changes within the institution, as a result it's been difficult to create any kind of a supporting link between the program and the institution.

TMM: Do you think it's important for colleges to embrace athletic programs as Jacksonville is trying to do again now, do you have any deep-set feelings about the role of sports at a college?

AG: Absolutely. There's no question that academics and education are the primary goals of any institution, but athletics certainly enhances its ability to perform those functions. You can look at a comparison with the University of Florida. Much larger institution, but they won back-to-back championships... that certainly increased the support from the fans, from the alumni, and other willing sources of income. Athletics is a means of access to avenues of financial support.

TMM: How has this school changed since the early Seventies, in your opinion?

AG: There's a tremendous amount of growth on the campus. When there was the success back in the Seventies, it enabled the program to access funds from the national level, from television and the NCAA, that was not available before. Instantly, the school has able to develop from that, and that's continued to accelerate in academics. It's an incredible challenge being a private institution, but they have made terrific progress over time.

TMM: So what do you like about the basketball program nowadays? Great coach in Cliff Warren, came in from Georgia Tech a few years ago, and he's brought in wave after wave of good recruits. What's your opinion on the direction of the program?

AG: Ever since Coach Warren has been part of this program, we've observed significant positives. We just hope that we can continue to convince talented players to be a part of this program. We have not been able to maintain consistency, and to have a great, energized coach like Cliff Warren... he has a terrific rapport with his players. We're in second place [11-3 in the A-Sun], and we just need to complement that start with a strong finish. We feel confident that Cliff Warren is going to continue to elevate the program and make things happen.

By Kyle Welliston
MidMajority.com

Related Links:
 • Full Interview at MidMajority.com