With every beginning comes an inherent sense of uncertainty and perhaps even doubt. At the U, students and faculty are no strangers to new beginnings. Urban Meyer was selected as the new head football coach last year to replace Ron McBride. It is clear that the U community has responded well to this new adjustment.

Another beginning in the works is the hiring of a new university president, one to replace an arguably successful president, Bernie Machen, whose six-year tenure at the U exceeded the national average for university presidents.

The retirement of Rick Majerus as U men’s head basketball coach brought about another sense of beginning and an opportunity for change. If today’s unscientific online poll in this section is any indication of how the majority of the U community feels about Majerus’ replacement-Ray Giacoletti from Eastern Washington University-then most either approve of the decision or have no opinion on the matter.

But all signs show that this “new beginning” for the basketball team will indeed be a good one. One of the main concerns ardent U basketball fans had when Majerus decided to leave was that some of his players might also take the high road. With any hope, each of the players will remain and give Giacoletti a chance-especially Andrew Bogut, who came to the U mainly because of Majerus.

It is definitely a good sign that former U guard Marc Jackson has re-signed with the team. It’s a change of pace for a team with a high player turnover under Majerus. When a former player wants to return and give a new beginning under a different coach a shot-and when the rest of the team is willing to take him back and see what they can accomplish again together-this is a good beginning.

Some fans and players were surprised at Giacoletti’s recent announcement that he would not rehire Kerry Rupp as assistant coach, but would, instead, bring in his own crew-including Mike Score from Eastern Washington and Randy Rahe from Utah State University.

But that may also be a crucial part of a new beginning-of letting go of the past and trying something new. Giacoletti was forthright with a questioning community and quickly responded to questions as to why Rupp would not be back. This openness and willingness to speak with the media is one of Giacoletti’s salient characteristics and a crucial part of starting off on the right foot.

U basketball fans have reason to celebrate and fill the stands this coming season in what promises to be a good start to a new beginning.