The Washington Post reported today that the Wizards hired Ed Tapscott as director of player development/programs and Dave Hopla as assistant coach/player development.

I found the news particularly interesting since I know Dave Hopla from nearly 20 years ago, when he was an assistant coach at a community college in Baltimore, and I was a cub sports reporter at a tiny community newspaper that covered the college. Hopla had been the last guy cut from a CBA team that played in Baltimore a few years earlier, and even in the very early 90's, he was traveling around working as a shooting guru (his website makes clear that he still does).

I spent some time picking Dave's brain for insights on shooting (the only thing I was ever good at in hoops), and even wrote a feature story on his work as a vagabond instructor. His philosophy was fascinating, and since then, I've seen the tactics he told me about employed by numerous top players.

I'm not smart enough to know whether Dave will do a better job than Harvey Grant as the player development coach, but it was pretty cool for me to see that a guy I new way back when would be on the Wiz coaching staff.