George Washington University Athletics
GW's Karl Hobbs To Join USO Tour of Japan
8/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Aug. 7, 2006
ARLINGTON, VA -- George Washington University men's basketball coach Karl Hobbs will join six other college basketball coaches and sports personalities on a tour to Japan Aug. 23-31, as part of the USO and Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE) effort. During the tour, called "Operation Hardwood III," Hobbs will coach military players who will compete in a championship tournament. The tour also will include a visit to sailors aboard a ship in the region.
In addition to Hobbs, the tour participants include his former mentor, Jim Calhoun, from University of Connecticut, as well as former UConn assistant coach and current Virginia head coach, Dave Leitao.
Other tour participants include Ed Conroy, head coach at The Citadel; Steve Lavin, ABC/ESPN analyst and former UCLA head coach; John Thompson III, head coach at Georgetown; and Darrin Horn, Western Kentucky head coach.
This is the third installment of the "Operation Hardwood" series for the USO. The two previous tours brought coaches and sports personalities to Kuwait. It also continues the USO tradition of bringing professional athletes and sports-related events to troops serving far from home. Past USO tours this year include a visit to Iraq and Kuwait by college football coaching legend Lou Holtz and Louisiana State University head football coach Les Miles. NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul were among the NBA stars who recently completed a stateside USO tour of military bases.
Tours are sponsored by AT&T, Inc., the official telecommunications sponsor of USO entertainment tours. Equipment and uniforms for this tour are being provided by NIKE. For more than 65 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services.
Hobbs led George Washington to a 26-1 regular-season record, including a perfect 16-0 mark in the Atlantic 10. Hobbs became the first coach in school history to earn A-10 Coach of the Year honors. Hobbs was named as one of four finalists for the 2006 Naismith Award. The Colonials finished the year 27-3 after second-round loss to Duke Sunday in Greensboro, NC. Under Hobbs, GW set single-season records for most wins (27), longest winning streak (18 games) and earned the school's first Top-10 national ranking in 50 years.
