Hofstra players check out Welsh, like what they see and hear

Coaching changes always bring a level of uncertainty, especially in the minds of the players.

And it was no different for Hofstra as Tim Welsh was officially introduced as the new Pride coach at a news conference Thursday at David S. Mack Hall.

But Hofstra junior guard Charles Jenkins wasn't about to let the uncertainty consume him. In fact, Jenkins, the CAA player of the year, said he made it a point to become familiar with his new coach.

"The first thing I did was grab my computer and [check] Wikipedia," Jenkins said. "And I remember the first thing I saw was that he was born in 1960. So if anybody asks me who is he, I can say, I know, he coached Providence and he was born in 1960."

Outside of a scrimmage against Providence during his freshman year, Jenkins has never had any direct contact with Welsh.

Jenkins and several of his teammates met with Welsh shortly before the news conference. That brief meeting, coupled with Jenkins' research, left a lasting impression.

"The one thing I looked at was his record as a coach," Jenkins said. "You can't say anything about the record. It's there. He was 70-22 at Iona. He got them to a tournament. That's something I'm looking forward to."

Jenkins said team members were nervous. "We all had butterflies," he said. "Even though we heard a lot about him, it's different when you're looking at him on a computer or on TV than when he's actually in front of your face."

Junior forward Nathaniel Lester had some of the same feelings as Jenkins and felt better after talking with school officials.

"When they first said his name, I didn't know who he was," Lester said. "But when I talked to [athletic director Jack] Hayes and other players, I heard good things.''

Jenkins said after talking with several trusted confidants, he came away thinking Welsh is a "player's coach.''

"He coached Ryan Gomes, and coaching a pro means a lot. And [Welsh] told us he went to Gomes' wedding," Jenkins said. "When a former player can invite his old coach to his wedding, that means that he's also a good guy."