At a camping trip, my friend mentioned that he heard the Men’s basketball team was looking for managers. I felt something shift inside of me. And I remember saying, “I’d kill to be able to do that.”
I didn’t kill anyone.
However, I did reach out and apply for a basketball student manager position, I interviewed (next time we talk remind me to tell you the story about Coach Fogler coming to the waiting room with a toy parrot on his shoulder), and I got the job.
Those last two and a half years as an undergraduate student at USC were heaven. I was around the game that I loved, people that I loved and it was new experience after new experience after new experience....and it was really fun. I was doing what I loved to do. I was meeting people. Working in the trenches with great folks. I was waking up early. I was filling up water bottles. I was wiping up sweat.
Yes, sweat.
And I loved every minute of it.
Because of that experience as a manager, I was able to get an opportunity as a graduate assistant two years later. I was living the dream again. Traveling, meeting people, working. It was another experience that I wouldn’t trade the world for.
During that time I worked with a fellow GA, Brett Carey. He came in my second year as a GA, and for that year I had a ball being around him and the rest of the crew. (Writing a book about all of the guys and experiences we had that year is long overdue. Trust me.)
Once I finished my time as a GA, I decided to pursue high school coaching. The following year when Brett’s time was up at USC, he went the college route and landed a job at his alma mater, UNC Asheville.
Most of the years during his time there I would make the drive up to watch a game and hang out for the weekend getting to be around the team, the coaches, the staff and even the team doctor (shoutout to Dr. Bob Boykin). I was having a blast. Those trips to Asheville were always life-giving and kept me around college basketball and all of the personalities that come with being around the game. Everyone I met at UNCA always made me feel welcome and cherish the times I had around their programs.
Brett then took a job at Indiana State in Terre Haute, Indiana four years ago. A quick peruse of this blog will show my love affair with Indiana, so needless to say my annual trips continued to visit with Brett.
I’m not sure I’ve ever felt more welcome at a place that is not my home than I do in Terre Haute. I’ve always loved the people of Indiana, but the people of Terre Haute have taken that love to a whole new level.
The coaches and staff members that I encountered during my time in Terre Haute welcomed me with open arms, and Greg Lansing (more on him later) treated me like I was one of their own.
Heck, even the Women’s Golf coach is the best. (G. Towne, I look forward to chatting with you more about growth and helping kids)
I even got to know some members of the community and they always me feel so welcomed.
And then there is Greg Lansing. Where do I begin with this one? What are a few of the words I would use to describe Coach Greg Lansing? Real. Honest. Caring. Engaging. Compassionate.
College basketball is an interesting landscape. I suspect it is similar to the landscapes of other industries. My experiences with coaches at the Division I level tells me that some of them are truly genuine souls that care deeply and that others of them are not. It’s a spectrum, and I’m not here to talk about other coaches. I’m here to talk about Greg Lansing. He is one-of-a-kind. Players love him. Coaches love him. The community loves him. And it’s easy to see why all of the above is true if you ever have the great pleasure to be around him.
I am incredibly grateful to him for the access he gave me to his program over the years. Being around him, his staff and his guys will forever be one of the greatest thrills of my journey throughout basketball. I am sad that his time in Terre Haute is over, however I am fully confident that the best is ahead of in life (with his wonderful wife Kristi) and his career because of who he is as a person.
So, basketball, thank you. Thank you for what you continue to provide this me through the relationships you have brought into my life.
BC, thanks for everything and for great times.
Let's Go Peay!
Yes, it's been over a year since I've posted to my blog. This past year has been a challenge. I love to travel, and the halt of the world because of The Great Pause and COVID-19, has certainly shown me how much I miss traveling. The above post was surrounding my trip to the 2021 Final Four in Indianapolis and the subsequent hanging out in Terre Haute, IN. Special people. Special place.
