I’D LIKE TO THANK JUSTIN RAY WHO IS THE HEAD COACH FOR THOMAS MORE UNIVERSITY SAINTS IN CRESTVIEW HILLS, KENTUCKY IN THE MID-SOUTH CONFERENCE IN NAIA FOR SHARING ADVICE FOR YOUNG COACHES AND PLAYERS WITH THE CANNON NETWORK. HE SHARED, “THIS BUSINESS IS HARD TO GET INTO. I THINK THE HARDEST PART IS GETTING THAT FIRST OPPORTUNITY. BUT NOT AS DIFFICULT IF YOU’RE WILLING TO DO IT FOR FREE. COACHES WILL USUALLY TAKE FREE HELP. TO GET MY FOOT IN THE DOOR, I HAD TO VOLUNTEER FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE I GOT HIRED FOR MY FIRST PAID JOB (WHICH WAS AT A D3 FOR $25,000 & I HAD TO RECRUIT AND COACH THE TENNIS TEAM). WHEN YOU’RE A YOUNG COACH, YOU HAVE TO CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR. NO TASK CAN BE BENEATH YOU. YOUR HEAD COACH HAS TO KNOW YOU’RE WILLING TO DO ANY TASK YOU’RE ASKED TO DO. WHETHER IT’S DOING LAUNDRY, CLEANING FLOORS, PICKING UP GARBAGE IN THE STANDS, PLAYING DUMMY DEFENSE FOR HOURS, REBOUNDING HUNDREDS OF SHOTS ETC… YOU HAVE TO BE ALL IN. I THINK THAT’S HOW YOU EARN RESPECT AND TRUST. BE WILLING TO DO THE THINGS NO ONE ELSE WANTS TO DO. A LOT OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE BUSINESS THINK IT’S ALL BASKETBALL AND RECRUITING. THAT’S ABOUT 15% OF MY JOB AT THE SMALL COLLEGE LEVEL. THE OTHER 85% IS ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES, EQUIPMENT MANAGER, ACADEMIC ADVISOR, TRAVEL AGENT, FUND-RAISER,
ALUMNI RELATIONS, AND SO ON AND SO ON. I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT HELPED ME AS A YOUNG COACH WAS TO LEARN TO BE A “SPONGE”. ABSORB EVERYTHING THE MORE EXPERIENCED COACHES WERE DOING AND SAYING. NOT JUST X’S & O’S, BUT HOW THEY TALK TO PLAYERS, THEIR BODY LANGUAGE TOWARDS PLAYERS AND RECRUITS. I USED TO LISTEN TO THEM TALK ON THE PHONE TO RECRUITS TO SEE WHAT THEY WOULD TALK ABOUT. THE PROCESS OF RECRUITING. WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR WHEN EVALUATING PLAYERS. LISTEN AND ASK QUESTIONS. THE LAST PIECE OF ADVICE I WOULD GIVE TO YOUNGER PLAYERS IS SOMETHING I WAS TOLD FROM PAT KELSEY WHEN I WAS FIRST GETTING INTO COACHING. HE SAID, “KILL IT WHERE YOU ARE NOW”. IF YOU WANT TO MOVE UP IN THIS BUSINESS, YOU CAN’T WORRY ABOUT THE NEXT BEST JOB. DO A GREAT JOB WHERE YOU ARE CURRENTLY COACHING. YOU MAY WANT BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS IN THE FUTURE, BUT YOU WON’T GET THOSE OPPORTUNITIES IF YOU DON’T FOCUS ON BEING SUCCESSFUL WHERE YOU ARE AT THIS MOMENT. WORK HARD AND GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN.”