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Peter Roby

Q: How would you characterize your four years at Dartmouth?

A: I was the first to finish college in my family. I had only had an older sister who had started college briefly but never finished. My mom and dad never went to any kind of college and didn't finish high school. So for me it was a whole new world and it was a terrific experience. I loved Hanover, I made great friends there - and I got a chance to play basketball. It was terrific.

Q: How did the Ivy League experience help you in your later endeavors -- in terms of both education and athletics?

A: It set the tempo for me in regards to finding a balance in life in general, and not getting too involved with one at the expense of the other. The idea that the athletic experience was meant to enhance the academic experience was something that never left me in terms of my attitude about the role that athletics can play in academics. That's a powerful message, one that I took with me when I started my coaching career. In the places that I ended up coaching that was always the theme - trying to find that balance.

Q: What is your fondest memory of Dartmouth basketball?

A: It's always been about the relationships I've made and the friendships I've made - and the fact that we still communicate with each other. There were certainly some nice wins along the way. I guess I'll never forget my last weekend as a college basketball player, as a co-captain - when it all kind of ended. I was sitting in the locker room, hugging my teammates, and crying like a baby, knowing that it was over. But I also knew that we had been through a lot and really gotten close, we had accomplished a lot.

Q: How was Gary Walters (current Princeton Athletic Director) as a coach?

A: Gary was the major reason why I went into coaching. I had great respect and admiration for Gary. I thought he was probably the best teacher that I had while I was at Dartmouth. It was because of my experience as a player for Gary -- watching him, the things that he emphasized, the way that he liked to play the game, and how he taught it. The things that he stressed were in regard to life, people, and relationships - not just with basketball. He was what inspired me to think seriously about coaching when the opportunity presented itself. Gary was a tremendous teacher and a tremendous competitor. We always felt that when we stepped on the court we were as prepared as we could be, and that was a good feeling.

Q: As African-Americans did you, or any of your teammates face any problems at Dartmouth?

A: We weren't in an environment that was heavily populated with people of color at the time. But I had a very positive experience there as an African-American student and made a lot of friends, both black and white. At the time, our team was very integrated. Probably half of our team was African-American. From a standpoint of feeling like you were supported and comfortable, we always felt that way. I can't necessarily speak for the others, but I think in general, people had positive experiences.

Q: How do you feel about having gone to school with Reggie Williams (now Vice President of Disney Sports Attractions), fellow basketballer Kery Davis '79 (now Senior Vice President for Sports Programming of Home Box Office), and track star Jimmie Lee Solomon '76 (now Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations of Major League Baseball), who were recently named to Sports Illustrated's list of '101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports'?

A: I certainly knew that all three of those guys were going to be successful because of the way that you came in contact with them. When you met them you saw how bright they were and how respected they were - that was an important part of it. Kery and I came in together. When you think about people as freshman, you think about how crazy and goofy we were. So I don't know if I ever thought Kery would be in Sports Illustrated as an influential minority in sports, but I knew that he was going to be successful in something because he's a bright guy. He was fun-loving and a guy who was easy to get to know, and people liked him. Reggie is kind of a no-brainer. The shadow he cast in terms of influence, respect, and authority, and how bright he was - made it pretty much a forgone conclusion. Jimmie Lee... I didn't know as well at school, but I knew enough about him and had met him enough times. Certainly after he got out of college I watched how career was going, and it wasn't surprising to see that people would hold him in that kind of regard. So I'm very proud to say that we have three guys from Dartmouth on that list.

Q: You were promoted to Head Coach of Harvard Men's Basketball in 1985. What was it like being the youngest Division I Head Coach at the time? Did you feel any pressure?

A: I really didn't feel that so much. I felt the pressure of being at Harvard and being the head coach. I had always set my heights on being a head coach before I was thirty. I was lucky enough that it had all kind of happened the way that I hoped it would. I felt more pressure trying to get my team ready to play Princeton and Penn on the road than I did about being the youngest in Division I.

Q: After Harvard, you moved on to work at Reebok in several capacities, including Vice President of U.S. Marketing. But did you ever think about making coaching a career?

A: I guess when I first started out I felt like this is what I always wanted to do. I think as I got into my career a little bit and became a head coach, all the pressures pull you in different directions, like having a family and all the other obligations. I started thinking, "Is this feasible to continue to do this for the rest of my career?" For me, the intensity of games and the amount of time spent away from family, just made it easier for me [when the opportunity came to start my business career] to say that I think I have gotten this out of my system. I really enjoyed it, but I was interested in trying something else.

Q: How are you still involved in playing and coaching basketball?

A: A bunch of us old-timers will get together in Newton (Mass.), where I live, and play some. I have been coaching my middle son's teams since he was in the fourth grade, and it has been fun for me to be a part of what he's doing, and help young kids learn how to play the game a little bit. It kind of satisfied that urge to want to continue teaching the game. I also teach a little bit of adult basketball for a friend of mine that used to work with me at Harvard, Steve Bzomowski, who was my assistant. He runs the Never Too Late basketball program for adults. So, that's been a lot of fun. I kind of get my fix, if you will, of being able to teach the game without the pressure of whose winning.

Q: Do you still follow Ivy League basketball?

A: I get a chance to go and watch some of the games in Cambridge. When Dartmouth comes into town, I try to see them. I saw Princeton play this past year, and I saw Dartmouth play Holy Cross. I get a chance to see some of the games and I try to read as much as I can either on the web or in the papers.

Q: What team do you think has the best chance at the Ivy League title this season?

A: Well, as someone that played in the league and coached in it - all roads lead through Penn and Princeton. I don't think that there is anything that happened last year that would make anybody feel any different. Every year, you start with those two. It sounds like Brown did a nice job last year, especially after getting off to a tough start. There is some change in the league with Columbia having a new coach, so it will be interesting. But you start every year with Penn and Fran Dunphy, and the job that he's done over the years, and his ability to put a quality team on the floor every year is amazing. They never really skip a beat. John (Thompson III) has done a terrific job at Princeton over the years and they're always hard to play. Given that they are the travel partner of each other and you have to prepare for two distinct styles in the same weekend, I think gives them an advantage anyway, coupled with the traditions that they both bring. The quality of the coaching and the quality of the players is a tough combination to overcome.

Q: You are currently Director of Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society. How did you first get involved in this organization?

A: Reebok had been a sponsor and still remains a sponsor of Sport in Society. So, while I was at Reebok I participated in some of their events and I've spoken at some of their events. I got to be personal friends with Richard Lapchick, the founder. From that friendship, I learned the values of Sport in Society and what their mission was about - and certainly felt a connection because sport had played such a powerful role in my own life. I had tried to do the same with my involvement with sports when I was coaching. So, it seemed really natural when the opportunity came to become the director. I had wanted to run my own organization after being the Vice President of Marketing at Reebok. I really believe in the mission of the institution here. Also, I was really excited about getting back on a college campus after having been away for ten and a half years. It was a wonderful opportunity for me.

Q: Which of the Sport in Society's programs do you find yourself most attached to?

A: I have great admiration and affection and respect for all the programs. I've spent a lot of time on and participated quite a bit in the Urban Youth Sports program. This is really at the heart of what we do - actually using sport to impact young people. We are either creating new sport opportunities or trying to support those opportunities in organizations that are already doing good things with kids. We're doing coaches education and training. We're trying to help link sports participation with health, nutrition and diet info. There is a lot that we can do there and it probably comes as close as any of the programs to living the mission on a daily basis.

Q: How does the Ivy League instill in its athletes the ideas promoted by your organization?

A: The Ivy league probably more so than any other league lives it on a daily basis. The whole mind/body approach, and not wanting the athletic pursuit to overshadow the things that are just as important or more important in life - which are the pursuit of an education and balance and equality in life. The thing that I'm proudest about in terms of my experience in the Ivy League is that the Ivy has been able to keep the whole sports and athletics thing in perspective and still be competitive, and still let people experience what it is like to compete. It also does not lose its way with regards to its overall mission of educating people. That is what we try to preach here in Sport in Society to the young people in programs that we might be able to impact. We definitely want you to enjoy yourself, have fun, and be competitive, but not at the expense of anybody else and not at the expense of other things that are more important like your health or your education; or being the best person that you could be.

Q: Is there anything you would like to share with Ivy fans that followed your career at Dartmouth and Harvard?

A: I'm a better shooter now then I was at Dartmouth, and some people would say that that's not a lie. And I have a lot less hair than I had when I was playing at Dartmouth.

Thanks for catching up with us Peter! Please visit the website for Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society at www.sportinsociety.org.

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