Garden City, N.Y. - On Wednesday, the Adelphi University Department of Athletics hosted the second installment of its all-new virtual speaker series, titled 'Adelphi Reflections', with former men's basketball head coach and current head coach of the NBA's Orlando Magic, Steve Clifford, as the featured guest.

The event was supported by the Panther Club, an organization dedicated to the support of the Adelphi Department of Athletics. It is an avenue for Adelphi alumni, parents, and friends to support our student-athletes on the fields of play, in the community and in the classroom.

Clifford led the Panthers to an NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen berth during the final year (1998-99) of his four-year stint, amassing a total record of 86-36 along the way, with four NCAA Tournament appearances and four 20-win seasons.

While one of his longest coaching stops on the collegiate circuit occurred at Adelphi, Clifford also served as an assistant coach at the Division I level between the mid-1980's and late-1990's. He had many fond memories while reflecting with the attendees on what those experiences provided in his journey to the top of the proverbial mountain, the National Basketball Association.

"I never had planned on being an NBA coach, that was not my end goal, it just worked out that way. I love to coach. I've coached in high school, I've coached in college and this will be my 21st year in the NBA. I've loved all of it," said Clifford. "To me, it's more about the people than the X's and O's. I like to have genuine relationships with people, that's what I value most…."

Clifford looked back on his time at Adelphi and was appreciative of the players and coaches he was able to share that experience with.

"Adelphi for me, was an incredibly special place. I am very proud of what we did and Bob Hartwell was a big part of it; he taught me a lot. Anything I can ever do for the University, for that community, I will...It's very important to me."

Among the over 225 guests in attendance were head men's basketball coach Dave Duke and current men's basketball student-athlete, Chris Coalmon, who looks at Clifford as a model of how he envisions his future.

"Tonight was a great night, I really enjoyed hearing Steve Clifford talk about his coaching experiences at different levels," said Coalmon. "As a person who wants to get into coaching in the future, he provided me with good insight on what it takes to be a good coach and how to understand a player's strengths and weaknesses. It was humbling for him to be on the highest level of talent and say that he wants to help youth players hone their skills, help them understand the game of basketball better. Ultimately, (coaching) is something I aspire to do in the future."

"We are incredibly appreciative of Coach Clifford for joining us this evening," said Duke. "(Coach Clifford) has a wealth of coaching knowledge and leadership experience; everybody on the call is better for having had the opportunity to soak some of it up."

The Adelphi Department of Athletics plans to host more installments of the 'Adelphi Reflections' virtual speaker series. To stay up-to-date with future webinar information, please visit AUPanthers.com.