UB linebacker Shaun Dolac, a West Seneca East graduate, discusses his work with Bulls coach Pete Lembo.
Pete Lembo's pop culture preferences and references
Five favorite movies
A Few Good Men (1992)
Heat (1995)
The Great Escape (1963)
The Guns of Navarone (1961)
The Godfather (1972)
Five favorite albums
Rumours, Fleetwood Mac (1977)
Synchronicity, The Police (1983)
L.A. Woman, The Doors (1971)
Who's Next, The Who (1971)
Bat Out of Hell, Meatloaf (1977)
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A cool hand and a New York groove: During Lembo's introduction as UB's coach in January, he referenced the 1967 movie "Cool Hand Luke," starring Paul Newman. Sometimes, he said, winning teams do things with a simple approach rather than a tremendous amount of flash.
"He says, 'Sometimes, nothing is a pretty cool hand,' " Lembo said, referencing a scene where Newman's character, Luke, wins a sizable pot in a game of poker with a hand that didn't amount to much, if anything.
He also dropped a title line from a 1976 Billy Joel hit.
"People would joke down in Columbia (South Carolina) that I was always the guy who was walking the fastest through the building, always kind of in a New York state of mind, with a purpose, to get from Point A to Point B," Lembo said.
It's not the years but the mileage: August marked the start of Lembo's 33rd preseason as a head or assistant coach, dating to his first job at Albany as a graduate assistant in 1992. Lembo sported a wide-brimmed hat reminiscent of the fedora Harrison Ford wore as the titular character in the "Indiana Jones" movie series.
He appreciated the reference a reporter made to the series, and admitted he didn't have a fear of snakes, unlike Indiana Jones.
Not the usual suspect: During an afternoon practice Aug. 13 at UB Stadium, Lembo raised his voice over the public address system and implored the Bulls defense to run from the north end of the field to the south end.
"Somebody had to do it," Lembo said. "Somebody shot JR."
Lembo didn't give away any spoilers to the pivotal moment in the 1979-80 season finale of the TV series "Dallas."
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College/high school sports enterprise reporter
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