At the University of Minnesota-Morris, the women's and men's basketball teams almost always play doubleheaders, one after the other. They see plenty of each other, sharing gyms and travel plans, so it's a good thing the head coaches get along so well.
Of course, if brothers Tim Grove (women's coach) and Paul Grove (men's coach) weren't so close, there would be problems extending beyond basketball.
"If we didn't, it would be miserable," Tim joked.
The Groves -- who each have three children -- live across the street from each other in Morris, a town of about 5,000 located about 150 miles mostly west and a little north of the Twin Cities. They share a similar coaching philosophy, one that was forged when Paul was the head men's coach at Mayville (N.D.) State and Tim was an assistant there.
Perhaps most important to the bottom line, they are also sharing in success this season. The women's squad is 10-0 in Division III's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and can clinch its second consecutive conference title with two victories this weekend. The men's squad is 8-2 in the UMAC. A victory vs. Crown College on Friday would set up a Saturday showdown at Northwestern in Roseville with first place on the line.
"The only rough part is that I have a much more vested interest in their team now," Paul said. "I can't relax watching their game before our game."
Paul was the first to arrive at Morris, taking over as head coach during the 2002-03 season -- the squad's last season in Division II, during which UMM won only two games. Rough transition, huh?
"That's a gentle way to put it," Paul said. "We belong in Division III. We fit in great, and this area is loaded with great Division III talent. That was a huge advantage for us. Division II talent is a little harder to find in our area."
