The members of the women’s basketball team at Division II Indianapolis can be forgiven if they occasionally develop sore necks. It’s expected of players who have to stare nearly straight up in order to receive orders from a 7-foot-3 head coach.
Constantin Popa — “believed to be the tallest coach in NCAA history,” according to his bio on the Indianapolis athletics website — is in his second year leading the Greyhounds, who are 17–8 in 2012–2013 entering Thursday’s regular season finale against St. Joseph’s (IN) College. Popa was previously an Indianapolis women’s assistant coach for four seasons (2007–2011) before taking over prior to the 2011-2012 campaign.
As a player, Popa was a rare bright spot for a Miami (FL) program during the early-to-mid 1990s. The Bucharest, Romania native was a two-time Third Team All-Big East performer (1993 and 1995) and still holds the school record for career blocks (263) nearly 20 years later.
Popa’s alma mater, ranked No. 5, hosts Virginia Tech on Wednesday. Constantin Popa profile
