June 10, 2015 11:13 am ET
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After going 58-34 in three seasons at DePaul, Leitao was 63-60 in four seasons at UVA. (Getty Images)
Dave Leitao is back at DePaul 10 years after leaving to take the Virginia job. CBS Sports Network and CBSSports.com's Jon Rothstein finds out how Leitao has evolved since his first DePaul run, playing in a new arena closer to campus and what he feels he's inheriting with his current team.
Jon Rothstein, CBSSports.com: What was your initial thoughts what you were first presented with the opportunity to come back and be the coach at DePaul?
Dave Leitao: The ironic thing is I didn't even really go through the process the way people normally go about the process nowadays. I wasn't pursuing this -- it came up during a conversation with a third party just by chance. So when I got the opportunity to talk to the administration about it, we talked about some other things and then the subject of whether or not I was interested in the job came up. That part was obviously great for me because I have a lot of affection for this place and a lot of great memories. I went full steam ahead from that period of time until the press conference.
CBSSports.com: This is your second tour of duty with the Blue Demons and you've had different coaching jobs since you left, including a head coaching position in the NBDL. What's the biggest difference in Dave Leitao as a coach between when he was at DePaul in 2005 and right now?
Leitao: I think everyone of us evolves. I think I've learned a tremendous amount from some of those experiences and even some mistakes I've made along the way. I think the biggest thing for me is that I'm more patient than I was before. I'd like to think I'm smarter too because I've learned from some of the mistakes I've made. I think I'm as competitive as I ever was, I just need to stay in the moment and understand kids evolve and they go through things too just like we do.
CBSSports.com: When you were at DePaul the first time, the school was in Conference USA and now it's in the new version of the Big East. Does the job feel any different in terms of the way it's viewed nationally?
Leitao: Yes, because the Big East for a lot of years has been known and respected. Obviously with all of this realignment people look at it a little differently, but the Big East is still the Big East with a strong tradition of teams that have been in it since 1979 when it started. I think at the time I was here last and I told people this, Conference USA didn't have the same ring to it as other leagues, but you had coaches that were legendary. John Calipari was at Memphis, Bob Huggins was at Cincinnati, Tom Crean was at Marquette -- you can go down the line. That's the guys we were competing with back then and it was anything but easy. It was one of the best basketball conferences in America, but it just didn't get looked at like the power five leagues. It was very, very challenging.
CBSSports.com: You will play your home games 22 miles away from campus, and then in another two years, you'll finally have something close in Lincoln Park. How much will that new area transcend this program?
Leitao: It's beyond tremendous. The history of playing in Rosemont is what it is and I think people have looked at it as a place that's less than ideal. But DePaul is a city school and having a place in the actual city that people can call their own is tremendously important. Obviously logistically -- for people to get there -- is a whole lot easier, so your demographics change and that will allow high school kids and coaches to come more often. It should also help our fan base, people who work downtown, and all the other DePaul alums that will be right around that area. It's beyond just changing venues. It means so much more to this city because people are so passionate about basketball here.
CBSSports.com: The team you inherited from last year was 11-9 overall and 5-2 in the Big East, but then proceeded to lose 11 of its final 12 games. From the inventory you've taken, what happened down the stretch and how do you amend those mistakes moving forward?
Leitao: I don't know all the answers and to be honest, I'm not quite sure I want to know all the answers as to what happened. The general philosophy that I've come away with is that winning begets winning, as does losing. So when you have adversity and you don't climb over it, it's much easier for that to keep happening. I think more or less that's what was going on. After a tough game or a tough loss, it's harder to keep trying to keep things going in a positive direction. I think psychologically when you have a job to do -- there's a lot on the returning guys in that area. Can they get more hardened and more resilient? More battle tested to take those negative times when they come your way? That's the big question with this group.
