J. Horton Coach Quotations

Pacific has really impressed us. When Quincy Noble was there, they played what I thought was a pretty soft schedule. They would come into league with a glittering record and then not do so well. Coach Sprague has scheduled some really good teams, and they've fared very well, so I think Pacific looks like one of the most improved teams in the conference.

You almost have to be in the room to see the respect they have for him, the love. I have never been around anything like that. These guys will do anything for Coach LeBeau. It's not tough love. It's soft love. He says: 'I'm going to show you that I care about you. I'm going to ask what I want. I don't have to beat it out of you. I expect it.' It's different, but it shows you can treat (players) like men, if you have the right group.

Coach called a play for me at the end and I was ready to knock it down.

Coach asked me to be our best worker and best player a long time ago. I've done my best to try and be that. These guys have really bought into practicing hard every day. That's not something we've always done.

I wanted to be aggressive. I have talked with (assistant) coach ( Mike ) Jackson about being aggressive for 40 minutes. And that's what I tried to do.

I wanted to take the shot but coach is always preaching to me about making a play. I just wanted to do whatever it takes to win.

I'm going to play hard for coach Melvin like it's coach Q. But it's tough. It's definitely an adjustment we've got to make.

I'm in shock. I'm in awe. These guys I've been honored to coach have kept surprising me and surprising me and surprising me. This is the greatest turnaround in Cal State Fullerton history.

I know coach Q. I know him personally as a man and as a coach, and he's just not that type of person to give up on us. ... I know he didn't quit on us. I know he's not that type of person. He doesn't have that type of character.

If he was at a Midwest junior college... he would have ended up at a top 10 program. He wanted a coach that would let him lead. He hasn't lost in about two years. It's not in his DNA.