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Of all the new coaches in the Euroleague, perhaps none has come so far so fast as Fred Sarre, who took over this summer at Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez. Although he had spent time in the mid-1990's as an assistant at Pau, until now Sarre had not been head coach of any first division team anywhere. Nonetheless, Sarre currently has Pau with a solid 3-3 record in Group A of the Euroleague, not to mention alone and undefeated in the French League. A two-point loss in its last road game at Berlin is all that separates Pau from a share of second place in Group A. Five remaining home games give Sarre lots of hope, even though he admits that facing the likes of Barcelona and Benetton can be daunting. "For us, each game is like Everest," Sarre said. "We have to fight constantly to stay alive. I knew from the start it would be tough, and that is why just getting to the second round would be great for us."
First, tell us what it feels like to be a new coach in the Euroleague at a time when European basketball is more popular and respected than ever. How do you feel being part of it all?
"For me, it's a great pleasure to be part of the best competition in Europe. In fact, I think this year might be the highest level ever seen in a European competition. To have our team there and to be coaching against the best is just great, in my opinion."
What have been your first impressions of European basketball at its highest club level, the Euroleague?
"My first impression was that all the teams this year, with 24 of them as compared to 32 last season, are indeed the strongest they can possibly be. All 24 teams have big, big players, at least one or two each. We are always impressed when we do scouting of the different teams. The equality and the intensity of the basketball is incredible. For me as a coach, it is very important to try to bring my team to the same level, both in terms of basketball knowledge and physical intensity. The more games we play, the more intensity we have seen. Ability and strength are everywhere in this league."
You are coaching a first-division team for the first time ever, and also in the Euroleague? Were you at all nervous about making such a big jump from the French second division?
"As I said one time to French journalists, the first pressure is the pressure you put on your own shoulers. When you are in a lower division, your put pressure on yourself to do your best to move up. That is self-pressure. Here, at this level, with more press and media, there is added pressure. But if you are conscientious and always trying to do a good job, then you have always the pressure you put on yourself to start with."
Your team is now undefeated in France and 3-3 in a tough Euroleague group: what have been the important parts of that success so far?
"I think we have built a team with a lot of good French players and that gives us a deep bench. We have a lot of rotations, and that gives us good rhythm during all our games. Rod Sellers and Dragan Lukovski add good experience at a high level. So even if we are young on the wings, we can play games with lot of intensity, just by running. For france, we have enough talent to play and win like that. In the Euroleague, it is also necessary for us to have 'density' on defense all the time. For example, in our last game, in Berlin, we started well, but when the defense of Berlin got tough, we proved to be too inexperienced to handle it. We have to work on that, to raise our defensive level and our level of game control."
Everyone talks about the young, talented players at Pau. Is yours a team of the future, a team for today, or some combination of the two?
"For me, I hope that this team is for the future. If we can work with our young players, just with a little more experience they will be ready. But we are in a world where everyone knows all the players and sometimes they have an opportunity to leave, to bigger European clubs or to the NBA. If we are able to keep them here, just one more year, it will be better for the future of the team. But our philosophy is to not destroy a player's careers plans. So we have to win now, too, and for me, most important is to win at home in the Euroleague. Our goal at the start of season is to make the second round. To do that, we have to fight a lot at home. With those home games and maybe one more road win, hopefully we can get to the second round. And that, for us, would be a big victory."
Have you put a style on Pau or is it your philosophy to coach to the style of the players on the roster?
"I have my own philosophy, but I also have to take care of continuity. With seven players still with us from last year, continuity is something we try to take advantage of. We don't run the same defense or set offense. I bring my philosophy, a different one in terms of defense. But Pau as a club has a philosophy that it uses from the young teams on up, so that is part of the system, too."
Let's talk about Group A: What is your assessment, having seen every team but Efes Pilsen so far?
"To me, when I first saw it, this was the worst group to be in. Benetton, Barcelona, Efes, Alba, AEK, Skipper, plus Cibona with it's great past: When we saw that draw I thought, 'Damn!' Here were five different teams that won their domestic titles, two others who were finalists. Barcelona has built a great team to get to the Final Four and try to win it in front of their home fans. Treviso got a great new coach, Messina, so they have great defense to go with their special style of three-point shooting by all the players. There is just no easy team. For us, each game is like Everest. We have to fight constantly to stay alive. I knew from the start it would be tough, and that is why just getting to the second round would be great for us."
What has been the key game for your team in the Euroleague so far? Which result has influenced your team's chances the most?
"The most important game was against Alba in Berlin, but we lost. If we had taken the chance to win in Berlin, we would be 4-2 now, with a big chance to stay among the top teams. It was a shame to los that game, because it was so important for us. I think Treviso and Barcelona are too strong for us, so against the rest of the teams, we have to give ourselves a chance."
What will be the key for Pau in its drive to make the Top 16?
"Another road win. If we can continue to win all our games at home, we should have seven victories there. Having already won at AEK, with one more road win, there will be enough to advance. For us, the most important thing is to keep control and raise our level of defense when the games get tough. We have quickness and we are athletic. But when the other teams bring toughness and strength, we have to react. We have to match their intensity."
One last question: Your team is in the lockerroom in Istanbul or Barcelona or Athens or Berlin, what do you feel before going out on the floor for a Euroleague game?
"My feeling is: Let's go to the party. It's big pressure for me to coach in this competition, wherever we are. Coaches are always a little anxious. We never know what will happen with our team. So if I bring myself a little step back from the situation and the pressure it helps."
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