"We really only had one bad year at Weber State," Cravens said. "Heck, if we would've had another year like my last year, I should've been fired. I thought I deserved a chance to get it straightened out, and that I had certainly done enough to be treated differently than how it all happened."

He was admittedly hurt by how things were handled, and though he still lives in South Ogden, not wanting to uproot his family for other job opportunities elsewhere, he has subsequently separated himself from the school where he spent nine years of his life. He found out that many people who he thought were his faithful friends were simply fans who quickly turned their backs on him.

The only time he has set foot back in the Dee Events Center since his abrupt dismissal as coach was for his daughter Chelsie's high school graduation ceremony a few weeks ago.

Cravens was on the short list for the head-coaching job at Sacramento State this year, and he was also a finalist for an assistant coaching job at the U., where Chelsie will attend school this fall.

"As my dad used to say, being a runner-up in these coaching positions is like being a runner-up in a fistfight — there's not a whole lot of honor to either one of them," he said.

He has become very involved with his church, Community United Methodist Church in South Ogden. "There's so many good things going on with me and my family and my daughters," he said.

He has spent the past two college-hoop seasons working as an analyst for The mtn. television network, as well as doing color-commentary work on University of Utah radio broadcasts.

"We're very, very pleased with the progress that he's shown," said Steve Hurlbut, senior executive producer and director of programming for The mtn. "He has started to develop a real talent for this and is making real positive strides. The coaching part of him is coming out now.

"He's very open to suggestions and constructive criticism; he wants to get better at this, and he's willing to put in the time and effort it takes to get better at it.

"Coaches respect him and appreciate his sense of humor," Hurlbut said. "Coaches are more comfortable dealing with a former coach. Joe has that great 'Aw, shucks' personality, but he can be critical when it's warranted, and he gives an accurate assessment of the game without throwing somebody under the bus."

Indeed, his broadcasting duties have allowed Cravens to stay close to the game he loves — but not quite close enough.

"It's all I ever did," said Cravens. "I played college basketball, and then I coached for 30 years. It's what I've always done. That's who I've been for 30 years. It's all I ever imagined that I would be in this world. I mean, I always thought I would be a coach. I always thought that was my calling. I felt like I was doing what I was called to do.