CBS Sports Column
NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans men's basketball coach
Mark Slessinger was featured Friday in a CBSSports.com article penned by writer Gregg Doyel.
The article entitled "
Mark Slessinger a great coach, but his best work is as a foster parent" informs readers about the recently publicized foster parent situation facing the head coach and his wife. The story also gives the nation a glimpse into the coach that everyone at the University has become familiar with - a very visible, fun-loving individual that is not like many (if any) Division I head men's basketball coaches.
A national columnist for CBSSports.com, Doyel reached out to the UNO athletic department earlier in the week after reading Brian Allee-Walsh's story
“Hard to say goodbye” that ran in the Baton Rouge Advocate last Sunday.
Slessinger and wife, Toni shared with Allee-Walsh the story of their involvement with the foster care system through the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. The Slessingers will say goodbye on June 25 to their 17-month old foster child, who they have had in their care for nearly a year.
Earlier this week, the Slessingers had the
good fortune of receiving Baby N, who may soon become part of the family via adoption and the Safe Haven Law of Louisiana. Allee-Walsh once more penned the story on the rapid changes to the Slessinger household.
Slessinger recently completed his second season at the helm of the UNO program and has been working with his staff in preparation for the 2013-14 season, the Privateers' first in the Southland Conference.
No stranger to the Southland, Slessinger served for 11 years as an assistant on Mike McConathy's staff at Northwestern State before being formally announced as UNO head coach on June 28, 2011.
