Former Pitt C DeJuan Blair Considering Coaching Career

One of the best players in recent Pitt Panthers history is testing out coaching.

PITTSBURGH -- DeJuan Blair ended his playing career more than four years ago, 12 years after he played his first game for the Pitt Panthers. But he isn't abandoning the hardwood - just shifting his position on it. 

Blair has taken over coaching duties for the Zoo Crew - a group of former Pitt players that will compete this summer in The Basketball Tournament for a $1 million grand prize. This is a trial run for Blair as he explores what a career in coaching could be like. 

"I’m trying to see," Blair said. "It’s tough but at the same time, I’m having so much fun with it. I’m enjoying it a lot. So I think it is the start."

He's practiced all the basic roles of coaching as the leader of the Zoo Crew. Blair shouts advice from the sidelines during practices, calls out plays he drew up - all in the style of what he and the other former Panthers ran in college - and even did some recruiting before pulling the squad together for workouts this month. 

"I pulled a couple of favors to get Sam [Young] and Levance [Field] but we all are here for one goal and that’s to win, win the money."

There is still a lot about coaching that Blair, a rookie in the business, has to learn, so he's tapped current Pitt head coach Jeff Capel for advice while he conducts practices with the Zoo Crew at the Petersen Events Center. Capel's advice has been simple so far but Blair said he's grateful for whatever guidance he can soak in. 

"[He told me to] just be poised and to be free," Blair said. "Don’t think about it. Especially don’t think about the million dollars or whatever. Just have fun, don’t get hurt and have the outcome being on our side."

Blair has played alongside many of the stars of this team - including Young and Fields - and he trusts their talent. That, combined with the familiarity many of the players have with his plays and one another - has made his first coaching job relatively easy. 

Blair simply has to mix in some pointers while keeping everyone focused and pushing the right buttons on gameday. Still, he expects the Zoo Crew to be a largely self-sustaining entity. 

"The players on our team, we all know the Pitt system, so I think they match perfectly, round it out and we’re going to have a lot of fun," he said. "A lot of us ran the same plays together. So I wanted to put them in, make them as easy as possible - don’t think, just play basketball." 

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