For years, former Arizona assistant Jim Rosborough was Lute Olson's right-hand man. With Olson leading the way, Rosborough had a hand in multiple Final Four appearances and, of course, the 1997 National Title.

Now in 2009, Rosborough is coaching in Tucson again; this time as associate head coach of Pima Community College. Rosborough brings tons of Division-I coaching experience to the JUCO level and hopes to elevate the prestige of the program.

GOAZCATS.com was able to catch up with coach Roz to talk about his new position and several other topics.

GOAZCATS.com: Coach, you had been out of coaching for a couple of years but now you have a job with Pima. What motivated you to take that position?

Jim Rosborough: The biggest motivating factor was, since the second I walked out on Lute a couple of years ago, I have wanted to get back out on the floor, practically everyday about 24/7. So, I've really wanted to get back into coaching. I miss that interaction with the kids.

When I was at McKale coaching, it wasn't just the basketball kids, but I was typically out and around and got to know a lot of the student-athletes in the weight room and just all over the place. So, I really missed that interaction but more importantly, I missed being out on the floor and teaching and trying to help youngsters and I think there is a great opportunity at Pima and they pursued me quite hard.

After giving it some consideration and being able to stay in our home and we like Tucson, but the biggest factor was just to get back on the floor.

GOAZCATS.com: Did your familiarity with Tucson and Pima play a significant role in you accepting the position?

Jim Rosborough: Absolutely. Jerry Stitt is the Associate AD out there and he's a former baseball coach and a good friend. I've known Edgar Soto for quite some time. So, yeah, being here and familiar, I don't know if there is a high school coach in the city or the surrounding areas that I haven't met through our camps or out team camp and coaches throughout the state.

The recruiting base needs to be here in Tucson. If we can branch out just a little bit, fine, but I think the familiarity with Tucson, the city and the high school coaches, with everything; that was really a big, big factor. That certainly helps. You don't come in cold at all so that was a huge factor.

GOAZCATS.com: Do you feel a difference of pressure coaching at Pima as opposed to coaching at UA?

Jim Rosborough: No, I don't think so. When you're coaching, about 85% of the pressure is self-imposed pressure. I've already been out there for one workout and we had a couple of open gyms last week. We had one solid workout with 10 kids where I just ran it like I did down at the U for so long.

You want to get your kids doing everything as well as they can. I am going to kind of watch the defensive side of the ball and play them as hard and as well as they can there. I think a lot of coaching is self-imposed pressure; even if you are coaching an eight-grade team. What do you want to do? You want to win.

I always felt that at the U that we were good enough to win – just by virtue of talent – 18 games. I always felt that way. The other 12-15 that you were involved in were going to be closer and that's where we really zeroed in. I think every time you step on the floor, there is going to be self-imposed pressure and you want to win, you're used to winning and want to give the kids the best chance to win.

I think it will probably be a very similar feeling. The crowds won't be quite as big, but I think anytime you are on the court you want to do the best you can. So, I think internally, it will be the same way.

GOAZCATS.com: What is the potential of the program at Pima? Can it develop into a program that consistently produces Division-I talent?

Jim Rosborough: Well, I am working with Karl Pieroway, who I think is a good coach and I think, over the years, I have done a good job on the floor both offensively and defensively. I have worked with both post and perimeter kids.

I look at it, and I don't know all of the other coaches in the league and I know it's a very, very good league and there are some very good coaches in the league, but I think we have the opportunity to give kids as good of an opportunity as anyone in this state or anywhere.

We're going to coach them; they are going to get better. Things that you pick up over the years – I have a wealth of experience that I bring out there – I think if I can pass on a percentage of that to the kids and they respond like we want them to and if I do my job to the best of my ability then yeah, these kids have a great chance to move on.

The biggest thing is that they are going to have to take care of their job in the classroom but you kind of get that stigma of being at a community college. Still, the academics are critical and kids need their associate's degree and then I think we can put them into a position to move on to Division-I. We're certainly going to sell that - the experience and everything we bring. So if they want a good basketball experience then that's a place they ought to want to go.

I think it really has an awful lot of potential and if you can get some good players and get them better. I would hope Pima has become just a little more attractive as my virtue of being out there and I say that modestly. I am going to work at it, but I would hope we're a little more attractive to kids now.

GOAZCATS.com: Do you think you'll ever have the desire to step back into coaching at the Division-I level?

Jim Rosborough: You know, I think that remains to be seen. I certainly wouldn't turn my back on it. I think if we can get this thing turned around – we got Iowa turned around when it was kind of down; I went to Tulsa for a year and got that thing turned around; went to Northern Illinois and got that thing turned around, although I didn't get to finish it; when I got down here, it was in good shape, but we certainly sustained it.

If we can get this one turned around and really be competitive in this league and get the kids into the tournament – it's the same old thing – I like Tucson; my wife's got a good job here. So maybe this is the place to go for three, four, five years and then call it a day. I wouldn't discount anything, but on the other hand, I think this has the opportunity to really be a good thing and you're back with helping kids.

If we can get it going, we're helping the city of Tucson; we're helping Pima quite a bit I would think. This will probably be the last stop I take but I wouldn't turn my back on anything.

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