A series of events over the past year has changed the life of men’s basketball Coach John Becker. Many of them, like being named head coach and then becoming the winningest first-year coach in school history, came as surprises to Becker. But to those who know the passionate, hard-working coach and the arduous journey he took to land his "dream job," his recent string of success isn’t unexpected.

Try telling that to Becker 20 years ago when he was in middle of an unfulfilling, three-year stint as a data entry worker at the Optical Society of America; or when he was working as a computer support specialist by day and then driving to Gallaudet University to learn sign language as an assistant coach at the nation’s only four-year school exclusively for the deaf; or when he moved with his wife and two kids to Vermont five years ago to take a job as director of basketball operations for $10,000 a year.

“There were times that I thought about hanging it up,” says Becker, whose 20-11 Catamounts head to this weekend’s America East Conference Championships in Hartford as the No. 2 seed and a legitimate shot at taking UVM to its fifth NCAA Tournament. “Moving here was a real gamble. Thank God my wife Kelly is who she is and said, 'You know what? This is a real opportunity that you should go for.’ We’d decided to give it two years, and fortunately an assistant coaching position opened up just in time.”

Mike Lonergan, UVM’s head coach at the time and former teammate of Becker at Catholic University, says he was concerned about bringing his friend to Burlington because he didn’t know if he could support his family on $10,000 year.

“At first, I tried to discourage him from taking the position,” says Lonergan, who left UVM to take the head coaching job at George Washington University after six years and the highest winning percentage in school history. “He had a family, and I wanted to make sure he was sure he knew what he was getting into. John and Kelly made some huge sacrifices and moved to Burlington, not knowing their gamble would pay off. Well, it certainly has. It is a special program and will remain that way under John's leadership. I will always be a UVM basketball fan and a John Becker fan.”

An emotional announcement

Some were surprised when Robert Corran, associate vice president and director of athletics, chose Becker over a talented field of candidates. Becker’s resume included two years as an assistant at Catholic and two years as the second "hearing" coach ever at Gallaudet, where he coached against Lonergan, who was at Catholic. But his vitae meandered in and out of coaching and included private sector work as director of IT at an internet startup after graduating from George Washington with a master’s degree in information systems technology, as well as a weekend gig as a color analyst for D3hoops.com.

“There were some impressive assistant coaches from major programs and some head coaches in the pool who brought a lot to the table,” says Corran. “But when we looked at John and took into consideration everything we knew about him, we felt like we already had someone who fit with our values and principles and could sustain and grow the program. Vermont is a unique place, and if there isn’t the right fit, ultimately it won’t work. We knew that John was a great X’s and O’s coach, could recruit and was well respected by his players, but the key was that he shared the same values that we hold most dear, and we knew he’d not only accept, but embrace them.”

Becker was understandably emotional when introduced by Corran as UVM’s head coach at a press conference in May of 2011. “I broke down and cried at the press conference because there was a lot of stuff behind my getting to this point that made it so emotional,” he says. “I mean my parents had to lend me money at times, and my wife and kids had to leave their home. When you get a Division I coaching job at a place you really believe in and love, you just can’t believe it’s happening to you.”

Becker jumped right into his new job by meeting with players and hitting the recruiting trail. Lonergan didn’t leave the cupboard bare, but top 10 all-time UVM scorers Marqus Blakely ‘10 (now in the NBA D-League) and Mike Trimboli ’09 were gone, and the roster was sprinkled with players who weren’t heavily recruited or even offered Division I scholarships. With minimal star power, Becker instituted a 10-man rotation that included five sophomores and freshman Four McGlynn who leads the team in scoring along with senior Matt Glass at 11.9 points apiece.

The result was a 6-8 non-conference record to start the season, followed by a spotty 3-2 start to league play before ripping off 10 straight wins and capturing 11 of their final 12 league games for a 13-3 conference record. “I’m surprised we won 20 games because we had a ridiculous non-conference schedule. I gambled by playing 10 guys – some with no experience – and suffered through some growing pains. But after our non-conference schedule it started to pay off. I want them to focus on the process, not the result. Win or lose a game, I want them to think about how we can get better. We want to be playing our best basketball next Saturday.”

During the process, Becker maintained the respect of his players, according to Junior Ben Crenca, who calls his coach a natural leader who instills confidence in his players that in turn yields positive results. “No one should be surprised in the success he has had in his first season at the helm.” Glass, a local product who transferred home last year from UMass, says players want to work hard for Becker every time they step on the court. “His work ethic is contagious, and the passion and energy he brings to every practice and every game helps this team. He is the definition of a winner, and he's going to continue to bring winning basketball to the University of Vermont for a long time.”

Carrying the torch

Regardless of the outcome of the America East Championships, the future looks bright. The Catamounts lose just two seniors and return a starting lineup that currently includes three sophomores and McGlynn. Add to that a recruiting class that includes two highly regarded prep stars and transfer Candon Rusin who led Marist College in scoring as a freshman and scored over 2,000 points in high school at Twin Valley High in Wilmington, Vt., and at Topsail High School Hampstead, N.C., where he transferred his senior year.

“The fact that we were able to win 20 games this year speaks to where our program was when I inherited it, and where it is right now,” says Becker. “Coach (Tom) Brennan got this thing going. His teams and his personality captured the nation’s attention and really made Vermont a folky, feel good national story. Then Mike took it over and did a great of building on that, and now the torch has been passed to me.”