AMHERST – Dwayne Killings stood near the visitors bench when the Albany men’s basketball team visited UMass on Monday, but make no mistake, he was at home in the Mullins Center. The Amherst Regional graduate spent two years as a Minuteman under Bruiser Flint in the early 2000s.
“This place is home. I mean, I went to school here, I went to daycare here. And I’ve always dreamed of being a head coach,” said Killings after Monday’s 87-73 defeat. “I watched all these games here… Coach Cal coach and against Kansas, Temple all that stuff. I dreamed to one day roam the sidelines, and to get chance to do it here is awesome.”
It meant more to do it in front of family and friends. Killings’ parents Sam and Thelma have lived in Amherst for more than 40 years and are longtime season ticket holders for the Minutemen. Sam was wearing Great Danes purple and gold Monday supporting his son, though. The Albany team had dinner at the Killings house before the game.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to have a moment like this, but once the game starts, honestly, you forget about all that and you’re just trying to find a way to win,” Killings said. “I’m very thankful for having the opportunity to coach here.”
Killings is in his second season leading the great Danes. He began coaching immediately after graduating from Hampton University, where he transferred after two years at UMass. His path started as a special assistant with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets in 2003, and Killings spent time as an assistant at Boston University, Temple, UConn and Marquette.
Albany went 13-18 last season and is off to a 3-7 start in 2022. He’s drawn on lessons learned as a ball boy on the UMass sidelines during John Calipari’s first season in Amherst in 1988.
“I told them about John Calipari. It wasn’t pretty at the beginning. Everybody thinks about the end, but it’s the process,” Killings said. “We’re in the process, and it’s really hard. We’re gonna put up a trophy for this program. I promise you that, but we’re in the process.”
Seeing people he didn’t expect meant as much to Killings as having his family there. Amherst Regional boys basketball coach Jamahl Jackson, who ran a longtime camp in town, saw the game.
“He kind of taught me to how to play basketball,” Killings said.
There are season ticket holders that still sit in the same seats from when Killings played. Scoreboard operator Liz Skelton used to babysit him and gave him a hug. He last saw equipment manager Tim Musante when he returned his jerseys but recognized him from two decades ago.
“There’s people that are part of the fabric of this place,” Killings said. “It’s a special place.”
Killings brought some of it with him when the Great Danes departed. He had Antonio’s buffalo chicken pizza waiting on the bus for the ride back to Albany.
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.