(CNN) -- Andy Enfield would be on the phone talking with a recruit's parents.
The new head coach wouldn't be explaining what offense his team ran or how much playing time was available.
He'd have to explain where exactly Florida Gulf Coast University is -- and what kind of school it was.
"They'd think we were the Gulf Coast Community College in the panhandle," he said recently as his basketball team prepared for its first NCAA tournament game. "I would to keep saying, 'No, we are a Division I school. We are in Fort Myers.'
.cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px}
Tyler Thornton of the Duke Blue Devils shoots a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer against the Creighton Bluejays on March 24 in Philadelphia. Duke won 66-50. Check out the action from the third round of the 2013 NCAA tournament and look back at the NCAA tournament Round of 64. Jahenns Manigat of Creighton shoots over Seth Curry of Duke on March 24. Grant Gibbs of Creighton dribbles the ball past Quinn Cook of Duke on March 24. Quinn Cook of Duke goes up for a shot on March 24. Creighton and Duke players battle for a loose ball in the first half on March 24. Seth Curry of Duke, left, is fouled by Jahenns Manigat of Creighton on March 24. Kenny Kadji of the Miami Hurricanes tries to save a loose ball while teammate Julian Gamble looks on in the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini on March 24 in Austin, Texas. Miami won 63-59. Kenny Kadji of Miami leaps over D.J. Richardson of Illinois on March 24. Tracy Abrams of Illinois shoots over Shane Larkin of Miami on March 24. Durand Scott of Miami shoots against Joseph Bertrand of Illinois on March 24. Murphy Holloway of the Ole Miss Rebels drives against D.J. Peterson of the La Salle Explorers on March 24 in Kansas City, Missouri. La Salle won 76-74. Ramon Galloway of La Salle shoots over against Ladarius White, left, and Reginald Buckner of Ole Miss on March 24. Murphy Holloway of Ole Miss and Ramon Galloway of La Salle chase down the ball on March 24. Nick Williams of Ole Miss attempts a shot against D.J. Peterson of La Salle on March 24. Eric McKnight, left, of the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles celebrates in the second half while taking on the San Diego State Aztecs on March 24 in Philadelphia. Florida Gulf Coast won 81-71. Skylar Spencer of San Diego State passes the ball past Chase Fieler of Florida Gulf Coast on March 24. James Rahon of San Diego State shoots over Florida Gulf Coast players on March 24. Eddie Murray of Florida Gulf Coast takes the ball from Jamaal Franklin of San Diego State on March 24. Skylar Spencer of San Diego State shoots over Eric McKnight of Florida Gulf Coast on March 24. P.J. Hairston of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives for a shot attempt against Jeff Withey of the Kansas Jayhawks on March 24 in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas defeated UNC 70-58. Perry Ellis of Kansas attempts a shot on March 24. Head coach Bill Self of Kansas yells at a referee in the first half on March 24. Reggie Bullock of North Carolina attempts a shot against Travis Releford of Kansas on March 24. Mike Rosario of Florida, left, drives against Joe Coleman of Minnesota on March 24 in Austin, Texas. Florida defeated Minnesota 78-64. Casey Prather of Florida drives past Maurice Walker of Minnesota on March 24. Mike Rosario of Florida, left, goes up against Trevor Mbakwe of Minnesota on March 24. Rodney Williams of Minnesota goes up for a shot on March 24. Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Hoosiers, center, defends the inbound pass of T.J. DiLeo of the Temple Owls on March 24 in Dayton, Ohio. Indiana won 58-52. Cody Zeller of Indiana lunges for the ball on March 24. Khalif Wyatt of Temple drives to the basket against Indiana on March 24. Victor Oladipo of Indiana drives to the basket against Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, left, and Khalif Wyatt of Temple on March 24. Aaron Craft of the Ohio State Buckeyes handles the ball against the Iowa State Cyclones on March 24 in Dayton, Ohio. The Buckeyes won 78-75. LaQuinton Ross of Ohio State drives to the basket against Korie Lucious, bottom center, of Iowa State on March 24. Lenzelle Smith Jr. of Ohio State handles the ball against Will Clyburn of Iowa State on March 24. Will Clyburn of Iowa State goes up for a dunk against Sam Thompson of Ohio State on March 24. Michael Carter-Williams of the Syracuse Orange, center, goes up over Robert Thurman, left of center, of the California Golden Bears on March 23 in San Jose. Syracuse won 66-60. Ricky Kreklow of California, right, drives against Brandon Triche, left, of Syracuse on March 23. Rakeem Christmas of Syracuse, right, defends against Robert Thurman, center, of California on March 23. C.J. Fair of Syracuse, right, goes up against Richard Solomon, left, of California on March 23. Cleanthony Early of the Wichita State Shockers celebrates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs 76-70 on March 23 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Carl Hall of Wichita State dunks while taking on the Gonzaga Bulldogs on March 23. Cleanthony Early of Wichita State, left, celebrates after making a three-pointer against Gonzaga on March 23. Kelly Olynyk of Gonzaga, left, has his shot blocked by Ron Baker, right, of Wichita State on March 23. Kelly Olynyk of Gonzaga goes up for a shot against Cleanthony Early, second from left, and Ehimen Orukpe, right, of Wichita State on March 23. Carl Hall of Wichita State, right, catches a pass in front of Kelly Olynyk, left, of Gonzaga on March 23. Marquette defeated Butler 74-72. Chris Otule of the Marquette Golden Eagles, second from right, handles the ball against Erik Fromm, second from left, and Kameron Woods, right, of the Butler Bulldogs on March 23 in Lexington, Kentucky. Head coach Brad Stevens of Butler reacts after a crucial basket is reversed and a foul is called against Marquette on March 23. Vander Blue of Marquette, center, reacts after stealing the ball and making a dunk against Butler on March 23. Rotnei Clarke of Butler, left, shoots over Jamil Wilson, right, of Marquette on March 23. Arsalan Kazemi of the Oregon Ducks, right, drives against Cody Ellis, left, of the Saint Louis Billikens on March 23 in San Jose. Oregon won 74-57. Dwayne Evans of Saint Louis, front, drives on Waverly Austin, back, of Oregon on March 23. The Oregon bench reacts in the first half against Saint Louis on March 23. Tony Woods of Oregon goes up for a shot over Rob Loe of Saint Louis on March 23. Daniel Bejarano of the Colorado State Rams, right, and Kevin Ware, second from right, of the Louisville Cardinals go up for a rebound on March 23 in Lexington, Kentucky. The Cardinals won 82-56. Kevin Ware of Louisville defends against Wes Eikmeier of Colorado State on March 23. Peyton Siva of Louisville Cardinals, left, steals the ball from Greg Smith of Colorado State on March 23. Colorado State head coach Larry Eustachy talks to his players during a timeout in the first half against Louisville on March 23. Kaleb Tarczewski, left, and Solomon Hill, right, of the Arizona Wildcats go after a loose ball against Kenyatta Smith of the Harvard Crimson on March 23 in Salt Lake City. The Wildcats won 74-51. Arizona's Solomon dunks over Harvard's Laurent Rivard on March 23. Mark Lyons of Arizona drives on Harvard's Jonah Travis March 23. Arizona's Mark Lyons goes after a loose ball against Siyani Chambers, left, and Laurent Rivard, right, of Harvard on March 23. Adreian Payne of the Michigan State Spartans, right, looks to pass as he drives against the Memphis Tigers on March 23 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Spartans won 70-48. Travis Trice of Michigan State attempts to save the ball from going out of bounds while Joe Jackson of Memphis gives pursuit on March 23. Memphis coach Josh Pastner watches. Joe Jackson of Memphis drives for a shot against Adreian Payne of Michigan State on March 23. Gary Harris of Michigan State, left, battles Geron Johnson of Memphis for the ball on March 23. Trey Burke of the Michigan Wolverines, left, looks to pass against Juvonte Reddic of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams on March 23 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Wolverines won 78-53. Rob Brandenberg of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams, center, drives for a shot against the Michigan Wolverines on March 23. Glenn Robinson III of the Michigan Wolverines dunks against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams on March 23. Robinson's jersey was ripped during play. Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines reacts to a play on March 23. NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 HIDE CAPTION << < 
Jahenns Manigat of Creighton shoots over Seth Curry of Duke on March 24. 
Grant Gibbs of Creighton dribbles the ball past Quinn Cook of Duke on March 24. 
Quinn Cook of Duke goes up for a shot on March 24. 
Creighton and Duke players battle for a loose ball in the first half on March 24. 
Seth Curry of Duke, left, is fouled by Jahenns Manigat of Creighton on March 24. 
Kenny Kadji of the Miami Hurricanes tries to save a loose ball while teammate Julian Gamble looks on in the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini on March 24 in Austin, Texas. Miami won 63-59. 
Kenny Kadji of Miami leaps over D.J. Richardson of Illinois on March 24. 
Tracy Abrams of Illinois shoots over Shane Larkin of Miami on March 24. 
Durand Scott of Miami shoots against Joseph Bertrand of Illinois on March 24. 
Murphy Holloway of the Ole Miss Rebels drives against D.J. Peterson of the La Salle Explorers on March 24 in Kansas City, Missouri. La Salle won 76-74. 
Ramon Galloway of La Salle shoots over against Ladarius White, left, and Reginald Buckner of Ole Miss on March 24. 
Murphy Holloway of Ole Miss and Ramon Galloway of La Salle chase down the ball on March 24. 
Nick Williams of Ole Miss attempts a shot against D.J. Peterson of La Salle on March 24. 
Eric McKnight, left, of the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles celebrates in the second half while taking on the San Diego State Aztecs on March 24 in Philadelphia. Florida Gulf Coast won 81-71. 
Skylar Spencer of San Diego State passes the ball past Chase Fieler of Florida Gulf Coast on March 24. 
James Rahon of San Diego State shoots over Florida Gulf Coast players on March 24. 
Eddie Murray of Florida Gulf Coast takes the ball from Jamaal Franklin of San Diego State on March 24. 
Skylar Spencer of San Diego State shoots over Eric McKnight of Florida Gulf Coast on March 24. 
P.J. Hairston of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives for a shot attempt against Jeff Withey of the Kansas Jayhawks on March 24 in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas defeated UNC 70-58. 
Perry Ellis of Kansas attempts a shot on March 24. 
Head coach Bill Self of Kansas yells at a referee in the first half on March 24. 
Reggie Bullock of North Carolina attempts a shot against Travis Releford of Kansas on March 24. 
Mike Rosario of Florida, left, drives against Joe Coleman of Minnesota on March 24 in Austin, Texas. Florida defeated Minnesota 78-64. 
Casey Prather of Florida drives past Maurice Walker of Minnesota on March 24. 
Mike Rosario of Florida, left, goes up against Trevor Mbakwe of Minnesota on March 24. 
Rodney Williams of Minnesota goes up for a shot on March 24. 
Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Hoosiers, center, defends the inbound pass of T.J. DiLeo of the Temple Owls on March 24 in Dayton, Ohio. Indiana won 58-52. 
Cody Zeller of Indiana lunges for the ball on March 24. 
Khalif Wyatt of Temple drives to the basket against Indiana on March 24. 
Victor Oladipo of Indiana drives to the basket against Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, left, and Khalif Wyatt of Temple on March 24. 
Aaron Craft of the Ohio State Buckeyes handles the ball against the Iowa State Cyclones on March 24 in Dayton, Ohio. The Buckeyes won 78-75. 
LaQuinton Ross of Ohio State drives to the basket against Korie Lucious, bottom center, of Iowa State on March 24. 
Lenzelle Smith Jr. of Ohio State handles the ball against Will Clyburn of Iowa State on March 24. 
Will Clyburn of Iowa State goes up for a dunk against Sam Thompson of Ohio State on March 24. 
Michael Carter-Williams of the Syracuse Orange, center, goes up over Robert Thurman, left of center, of the California Golden Bears on March 23 in San Jose. Syracuse won 66-60. 
Ricky Kreklow of California, right, drives against Brandon Triche, left, of Syracuse on March 23. 
Rakeem Christmas of Syracuse, right, defends against Robert Thurman, center, of California on March 23. 
C.J. Fair of Syracuse, right, goes up against Richard Solomon, left, of California on March 23. 
Cleanthony Early of the Wichita State Shockers celebrates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs 76-70 on March 23 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 
Carl Hall of Wichita State dunks while taking on the Gonzaga Bulldogs on March 23. 
Cleanthony Early of Wichita State, left, celebrates after making a three-pointer against Gonzaga on March 23. 
Kelly Olynyk of Gonzaga, left, has his shot blocked by Ron Baker, right, of Wichita State on March 23. 
Kelly Olynyk of Gonzaga goes up for a shot against Cleanthony Early, second from left, and Ehimen Orukpe, right, of Wichita State on March 23. 
Carl Hall of Wichita State, right, catches a pass in front of Kelly Olynyk, left, of Gonzaga on March 23. Marquette defeated Butler 74-72. 
Chris Otule of the Marquette Golden Eagles, second from right, handles the ball against Erik Fromm, second from left, and Kameron Woods, right, of the Butler Bulldogs on March 23 in Lexington, Kentucky. 
Head coach Brad Stevens of Butler reacts after a crucial basket is reversed and a foul is called against Marquette on March 23. 
Vander Blue of Marquette, center, reacts after stealing the ball and making a dunk against Butler on March 23. 
Rotnei Clarke of Butler, left, shoots over Jamil Wilson, right, of Marquette on March 23. 
Arsalan Kazemi of the Oregon Ducks, right, drives against Cody Ellis, left, of the Saint Louis Billikens on March 23 in San Jose. Oregon won 74-57. 
Dwayne Evans of Saint Louis, front, drives on Waverly Austin, back, of Oregon on March 23. 
The Oregon bench reacts in the first half against Saint Louis on March 23. 
Tony Woods of Oregon goes up for a shot over Rob Loe of Saint Louis on March 23. 
Daniel Bejarano of the Colorado State Rams, right, and Kevin Ware, second from right, of the Louisville Cardinals go up for a rebound on March 23 in Lexington, Kentucky. The Cardinals won 82-56. 
Kevin Ware of Louisville defends against Wes Eikmeier of Colorado State on March 23. 
Peyton Siva of Louisville Cardinals, left, steals the ball from Greg Smith of Colorado State on March 23. 
Colorado State head coach Larry Eustachy talks to his players during a timeout in the first half against Louisville on March 23. 
Kaleb Tarczewski, left, and Solomon Hill, right, of the Arizona Wildcats go after a loose ball against Kenyatta Smith of the Harvard Crimson on March 23 in Salt Lake City. The Wildcats won 74-51. 
Arizona's Solomon dunks over Harvard's Laurent Rivard on March 23. 
Mark Lyons of Arizona drives on Harvard's Jonah Travis March 23. 
Arizona's Mark Lyons goes after a loose ball against Siyani Chambers, left, and Laurent Rivard, right, of Harvard on March 23. 
Adreian Payne of the Michigan State Spartans, right, looks to pass as he drives against the Memphis Tigers on March 23 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Spartans won 70-48. 
Travis Trice of Michigan State attempts to save the ball from going out of bounds while Joe Jackson of Memphis gives pursuit on March 23. Memphis coach Josh Pastner watches. 
Joe Jackson of Memphis drives for a shot against Adreian Payne of Michigan State on March 23. 
Gary Harris of Michigan State, left, battles Geron Johnson of Memphis for the ball on March 23. 
Trey Burke of the Michigan Wolverines, left, looks to pass against Juvonte Reddic of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams on March 23 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Wolverines won 78-53. 
Rob Brandenberg of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams, center, drives for a shot against the Michigan Wolverines on March 23. 
Glenn Robinson III of the Michigan Wolverines dunks against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams on March 23. Robinson's jersey was ripped during play. 
Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines reacts to a play on March 23. NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 NCAA tournament Round of 32 HIDE CAPTION << < 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
58 
59 
60 
61 
62 
63 
64 
65 
66 
67 
68 
69 > >> Photos: NCAA tournament Round of 32 
Cisco lets workers enjoy March Madness 
CNN Explains: March Madness "It just wouldn't register because they had never heard of us."
Well, that sure has changed.
After becoming the first No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA tournament, the Eagles are getting fewer requests for directions and more requests to do TV interviews.
The requests poured in Monday. Too many to count, says Patrick Pierson, who manages communications for the basketball team.
Florida Gulf Coast stuns Georgetown in shocking upset
It's been a quick rise to prominence for a school that didn't even exist 16 years ago and only started its sports program in 2002.
The hoops team, which only became Division I two years ago, was coming off a 10-20 season when Enfield, now 43, was hired away from his assistant position at Florida State.
It was a tough start. Three team leaders transferred. He had to recruit players while his wife was in the hospital having their third child. (Well, he didn't HAVE to, but he did)
The coach recalls telling his staff that they had two goals: quickly recruit talent and make the players that were recruiting better.
"We had no time goal for when we could win the league, when we could go to the NCAA tournament or the (National Invitation Tournament)," he said. "We just showed up every day, saying let's make this a better place."
But it's not like Enfield isn't used to success. He was valedictorian in high school. As a college guard, he set the NCAA Division III record in 1991 for career free throw percentage at 92.5%. He parlayed his reputation as a great shooter into a job as a consultant to NBA teams where he helped players improve their form.
Two of those gigs turned into full-time positions as an assistant coach, one with the Boston Celtics. While Enfield taught good shooting technique, he also learned about coaching from Rick Pitino, who is now the head coach of No. 1 seed Louisville.
Enfield, who majored in economics at Johns Hopkins and received an MBA from Maryland, left coaching in 2000 to co-found Chattanooga, Tennessee-based TractManager, a contract management company in the health care industry.
Sports Illustrated reported that the privately held company is worth at least $100 million.
"I retain a part of company, but I'm not involved any way in management,'' Enfield told the magazine this week.
His partner, Tom Rizk, said he asked Enfield to be one of the initial investors because he saw some genius in him.
"One of his very significant talents was to be a leader," Rizk told the News-Press of Fort Myers. "People were following him. He is a special guy. He's smart. He's articulate. He's very positive. If there's a guy that could turn a program around like yours, it's him."
March Madness A to Z
While he was working in New York for the company, he was set to drive to Boston to watch the NCAA tournament. A friend said her girlfriend had tickets too. They were going to fly, but Enfield offered them a ride so they could save the $500.
The girlfriend was Amanda Marcum, a model who had appeared on the covers of magazines such Maxim and Vogue and did runway work in Europe.
"I didn't know her at the time," Enfield said, "but I knew as soon as she got in the car, I knew it would be a great trip to Boston."
For the future Mrs. Enfield, it wasn't exactly love at first four-hour trip.
"No. No. But it worked out after a while," the ardent Oklahoma State fan told the Oklahoman newspaper. "We got engaged pretty quickly after we started dating, and that happened fast, but, no (immediate attraction)."
So Amanda modeled and Andy continued to work as an entrepreneur (he also had a basketball shooting technique video and company). She traveled the world and he watched his company grow.
He wanted to go back to coaching and thought it would be better to raise a family in a college environment. He got an offer from Florida State in 2006, joining the staff of a middling team in the powerhouse Atlantic Coast Conference.
Andy Enfield grew into a highly respected recruiter and his wife became a mother of three and, for the most part, gave up modeling. The Seminoles became known for their defense and made the NCAA tournament.
When the Florida Gulf Coast job opened up, Enfield e-mailed about it. Like so many people, he only had seen their scores on the TV ticker and had never been to the campus.
"I didn't know much about the school when I took the job," he said, adding that Athletics Director Ken Kavanagh sold him on the idea of quickly making it place to build a tradition. "I wanted that opportunity, so that's why I took it."
Enfield signed a five-year contract (which may not stop larger schools from looking to Fort Myers for a coach this off-season) and quickly built a program almost from scratch.
There are just two seniors and two juniors on this year's roster. He recruited four high school seniors and one transfer.
The young Eagles are exciting to watch, and their high-flying offense and highlight reel jams have given Fort Myers a new nickname -- Dunk City.
"I'm pretty confident that we can run with anybody," said Eddie Murray, a 6-foot-8 senior forward. "We don't have the typical big body guys. We have the long, athletic guys who want to run." They also play tough defense, just like Florida State.
Enfield knows that when it comes to recruiting, he's necessarily not going to get guys ready for Division I. Those players go to Kentucky or Duke or other top schools, he said. He gets players who have some talent -- and some flaws, he said.
"We have some of the most improved players in the country on our team this year. They've made huge jumps, and I think that's big in selling that recruiting," he said.
Besides good technique, there is one other thing he teaches them.
"The biggest thing he's given me has just been confidence," Murray said.
The Eagles are confident they can keep pulling off upsets like the ones they sprung on Georgetown (a No. 2 seed) and San Diego State (a No. 7).
On Friday they face Florida in a game scheduled to begin just after 10 p.m. ET. Florida began the tournament as the 12th-ranked team in the country. Oddsmakers have the Gators as heavy favorites.
But two years ago, just before he took the Florida Gulf Coast job, Enfield went to the Sweet Sixteen with Florida State. They lost to an underdog, to a Cinderella team. That gives him confidence that Florida Gulf Coast can pull another surprise.
Whether Enfield's Eagles pull a similar upset, one thing is for sure: Recruiting will be a whole lot easier when he has to call those prospects' parents this off-season.
{ 0 comments... read them below or add one }
Post a Comment