1 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: Hey, well, I'm welcome in. I'm Doug gotlie This is 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: all ball. You're gonna love it. Um Nico Medbed, head 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: coach of Colorado State, will take us through his kind 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 1: of mercurial journey from a student manager of Minnesota to 5 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: be an assistant coach at Colorado State all the way 6 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: back to being the head coach at Colorado State and 7 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: they're picked to win the league. I really like his 8 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: team as well. I'll kind of go through some of 9 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: the things I see from his team. Uh, he'll take 10 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: you through it as well. I want to start and 11 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: and by the way, um uh this this pod has 12 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: been doing exceptionally well. I've gotten so many d m 13 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: s and messages on Instagram at Gottlieb Show or on 14 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: Twitter at Gottlieb Show that we continue to line up 15 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: these guests and knock him out. It's gonna be some 16 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: good ones in the upcoming days. Um well, let me 17 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: start with college basketball, because I was I attended the 18 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: Villanova U c L A game and it was a 19 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: good basketball game. It was a great crowd, especially for 20 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: U c L. A kind of a wine and cheese 21 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: crowd normally, and they were into it. The students were phenomenal, 22 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: and um, look U c l A maintains their their 23 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: number two ranking, they're gonna get a chance at number one. 24 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: They're a really good basketball club. And I think you know, 25 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: as as you know, the one freshman they have kind 26 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: of developed, he's the one guy who can really break 27 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: people down. But they're getting a lot out of their guys. 28 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: They defend incredibly well, and they're basically game plan was 29 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:31,960 Speaker 1: they weren't gonna double off of all the post ups 30 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: for Villanova, because that's where Villanova beat you. Right, They're 31 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 1: not Gonnay, don't have a blur, they don't have a 32 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: guy just breaks you down. And so the way in 33 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 1: which they get to the rim is they post you 34 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: and as soon as you double, now they space and 35 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: they can all really shoot. They can shoot, pass, handle, defend, rebound. 36 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: And the truth is at Villanova, Colin Gillespie had a 37 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: drive there with like two minutes to go, dead lay up, 38 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: missed it. They make two lay up, any of these 39 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: either those two layups with like a minute and a 40 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: half to go, they win the game. They don't, you 41 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: feel like, comes back and sends it to overtime. And 42 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: and I thought they got a favorable whistle there at 43 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: the end of regulation, and I thought they got found 44 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: in the last play, but they didn't call it. And uh, 45 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: you know they make all twelve free those and win 46 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: in overtime fairly handily, but the score not representative how 47 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: close the game is. There are two really, really good teams. 48 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 1: I guess my fear is with all of those teams, 49 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: and Jus gotta go into the second half and just 50 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: was rolling. My fear with you of those teams is, 51 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: though they have guys that will play in the NBA, 52 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: they don't have a hey, go get me a bucket 53 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: sort of guy. And I don't know. I mean, I 54 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: jus is that guy at the college level. But you 55 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 1: don't have the explosive first step guy that that can 56 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: give you give you real problems. That's what I think 57 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: is missing. But both of those teams and nobody is 58 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 1: not yet healthy in their front court with some of 59 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: their younger players, but both are big, strong, tremendous defensively, 60 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: and for an early season game, I thought that and 61 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: the Gonzaga Texas game was amazing. We'll get back to 62 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: that shortly. First, though, Let's catch up with the HEADCA 63 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: coach of Colorado State. Here's Nicole medvet Um. I usually 64 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 1: like to go total chronological order, UM, but I'm fasionated 65 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: by Tim Miles. He won his four game. I know 66 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: how close you guys are, And I mean, obviously now 67 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: you occupy a seat that he once occupied. And that's 68 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: one of the things that brought you back to FOLCO. 69 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: You first met Tim Miles where and when? So we 70 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: were both Upper Midwest guys. UM, when he was at 71 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: North Dakota State, UM, and I was kind of growing 72 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: up in the business. We had met, you know, through 73 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: a lot of circles that you meet in basketball and UM, 74 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: when I went down to Furman as an assistant, I 75 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: would still recruit the Upper Midwest a lot, and he 76 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: and I would, you know, being a lot of the 77 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: same gyms again, and talked a lot of hoops and 78 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: we'd go up to a high school game in Minneapolis 79 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: and hey, you got you're gonna be there tonight and yeah, 80 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: So we decided to go to a favorite watering hole 81 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: or whatever it was and have dinner before games or 82 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: get together after games, and so we developed a great relationship. 83 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: And UM, then when he got the job here at 84 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: at c s U, he called and asked if I 85 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: wanted to come with them, And so it's just kind 86 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: of a relationship that we had met throughout the years 87 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: coming up in the business, and then yeah, we got 88 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 1: fortunate enough to work together here at c s U. Um, 89 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: how did you decide to get in the business. What 90 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: was it that said, Hey, I want to be a 91 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: basketball coach. It's crazy. I played all these sports growing up. 92 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: I grew up in Minnesota and I started playing hockey, 93 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: and it was kind of a funny story like my parents, Um, 94 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 1: you know, I was in all the youth hockey programs 95 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 1: if you know anything about Minnesota. I mean I played 96 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: growing up with two guys that played in the NHL, 97 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: you know. And um, it was expensive, the travel was brutal. Um. 98 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: And when I was in eighth grade, UM, basically I 99 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: couldn't play hockey anymore for a variety of reasons. And 100 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: I went over and started playing basketball. I fell in 101 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: love with it. Um, and I knew right that I 102 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: wanted to coach. It's crazy, Doug. I mean, I never 103 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: wanted to do anything else. And um, that's how I 104 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: got into it. And I thought, Hey, if I could 105 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 1: ever be the high school coach and in my town. U. UM, 106 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: you know, growing up, that'd be the coolest job ever. 107 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: As I saw the impact these guys had just the 108 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 1: just I couldn't think of anything better being in the 109 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: gym coaching, game planning. UM. And then yeah, I kind 110 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 1: of evolved from there and UM, then I decided I 111 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: want to do it at the highest level. And at 112 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: that point in time, growing up, UM, there were no 113 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 1: other Division one schools in Minnesota, right the University Minnesota, 114 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: all those Dakotas at the time, North Dakota, North Dakota States, 115 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: South Dakota, they were all in the old n S 116 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: I C. They were all Division two. UM, and so 117 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: I wanted to do it at the highest level. My 118 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 1: dad grew up taking me to all the University of 119 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: Minnesota basketball games, and so I went and got involved 120 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,279 Speaker 1: that way as a as a manager. G A the 121 00:05:56,320 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 1: whole deal. Um with with Clem. Yeah, with Clem, and 122 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: I still keep in touch with Clem a little bit 123 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: uh today. Um. And Clem was awesome for me. I mean, 124 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 1: he got me in the Nike All American camps when 125 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: I was a younger, and UM, a lot of these 126 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: guys in the business here We're working those camps back 127 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 1: in the day, and it really just all kind of 128 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: evolved from there. And uh, here I am sitting here today. Okay, 129 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:23,840 Speaker 1: so you're at in Minnesota. What year is this? Um? So, 130 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 1: my last year was nineties six. It was the year 131 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: before they went to the Final four. But I was, 132 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: you know, I was there when you know, Bobby Jackson, 133 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: all those guys came in, and uh, Bobby Jackson's the 134 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 1: only guy does that. I remember? And a pick you 135 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: go to a pickup game, right, and all the guys 136 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: used to play at Clem's camps in the summer, and 137 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: the NBA guys whatever would come in. Bobby Jackson's the 138 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: only guy I ever saw who could pick up somebody 139 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: full court in a pickup game and they couldn't get 140 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: the ball over half court. The craziest thing I've ever seen. 141 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: He led the Big ten in rebounding that year as 142 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,479 Speaker 1: a point guard. I had no idea about that. Yeah, 143 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: I just you know, I played with Willie Burton. Really yeah, 144 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: I played with Willie, and first in the usb L 145 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: right out of right out of college, I played USBL. 146 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: We hadn unbelievable team. And then when I went to 147 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: Russia that same year they needed a big guy. They 148 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: need a three, a big wing, and they called me 149 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: in and they said, do you know Scott Burrell? I 150 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: was like, well, yeah, he played for the Bulls. Do 151 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: you know Billy Burton? I was like yeah, I played 152 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: with Willie. Like do you want? Which one do you want? 153 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: I was like, I want Willie because I know Willie. 154 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: So Willie, uh, I mean he I gotta get him 155 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: on the plot. He's got some interesting stories. But um, 156 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: he used to in the USBL he get the ball 157 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: at least once a game. He get it just off 158 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: the post, and he had these gigantic hands. He catched 159 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: the ball one hand. He goes a legal and everything. 160 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: It would have worked once a game and everybody's head 161 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: would turn and he'd spin and dump the basketball. So 162 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: we go to Russia, right, Remember there's no legal defense 163 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: and most people don't speak English. We're in perm Russia, 164 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: so we're not in Moscow, although we beat the Moscow 165 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: team here. Um, and I'll never forget. Like it's the 166 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: very first game. He's like yo yo, DGHI. He goes, 167 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: let you go. Everybody looks. He spits me dugs. I 168 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 1: was like Willie, how do you know that should work? 169 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: He's like, man, that's it's universal. D G. That's universal. 170 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 1: It was so funny. Uh, that's one of the guys 171 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 1: that I grew up when I was, you know, coming up, 172 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: and I'd go to all the Gopher games and Clemen 173 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: was getting that program, you know, cranking, and I mean 174 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:33,079 Speaker 1: Willie was. People forget how good he was so oh, 175 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: I mean just and he's the kind of guy that 176 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: that his his style of play would be even better 177 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: now than it was then because point guard anybody and 178 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: he could score. Uh, you know, he's one through four 179 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: defender and score. Um did you did you know all 180 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: that stuff was going on when you're in Minnesota? No, 181 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: I mean, it's just it's a it's such a bizarre thing. 182 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,679 Speaker 1: You know, as I reflect, you know, back on it, 183 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 1: and and uh, you learn a lot, you know. And 184 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:01,959 Speaker 1: he kind of bag saying, man, you know should knowing 185 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: this or knowing that. But it's also a great lesson 186 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: for us how all those things and these big organizations 187 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: can just can evolve, you know, without oversight, without really 188 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: understanding what's going on, um, what everybody's doing in your organization. 189 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: And it's really I mean, all of its tragic for 190 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: so many reasons. And you know, I know all these 191 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,559 Speaker 1: guys that played for Clem and that were there, um 192 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: still keep in touch with him today. And the way 193 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: that he impacted all these young men and what he 194 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: did for for them in that program. You know, it 195 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 1: just gets it gets tarnished, and and uh, it's too bad. 196 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: But but yeah, I think it's a great lesson for 197 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: all of us. You know, you're in these organizations and 198 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 1: you have to have an understanding of everything that's going on, 199 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: and don't take anything for granted because as you know, uh, 200 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: how easy it is for something to get torn down 201 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 1: and how hard it is to build. So you're at 202 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:53,559 Speaker 1: Minnesota and you're like, Okay, I want to do this thing. 203 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: What do you do next? So I, um, when I 204 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: left there, I went and I wanted to at my 205 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: master's degree because I thought, Hey, if I ever wanted 206 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: to coach at small college, a lot of times you 207 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: have to have a master's you know, if it was 208 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:09,560 Speaker 1: a D two, D three job, whatever it was. So 209 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 1: I went. I went to McAllister College and was the 210 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: associate head coach. Was right in the Twin Cities there. 211 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: So about fifteen minutes. Uh, they're in their Division three school. Um. 212 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: What I loved about is you have to do everything right. 213 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 1: You coach, recruit, schedule, clean the floors. I mean, you 214 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: name it, but I was what's that you love that? 215 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: It's I we just love being around it, you know. 216 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: And and then sow your how's your floor cleaning game? 217 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: Because I will tell you now, coaching a U basketball 218 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: like I'm a I'm a fanatic about the floor being cleaned. 219 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: I got to brought up my skills because you get soft, 220 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 1: you get to do everybody does everything you Now you 221 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 1: don't even know he's cleaning the floors. Okay, So are 222 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: you a dry mop or a wet mop kind of guy? 223 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: That's the whole thing. I think. You know, you're normally 224 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 1: a dry mop, but every once in a while you 225 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: gotta you gotta bust out the wet mop, you know, 226 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: to get the dust off. And um. But anyway, so 227 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:01,440 Speaker 1: I'm in the t in cities there and and again 228 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: for me the recruiting base, you're out high school games 229 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: every night, you're coaching. And then long story short, I 230 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: finished my master's. Larry Davis, who was an assistant at 231 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 1: the university Minnesota gets the head coaching job at Furman 232 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,679 Speaker 1: and he ends up hiring me, which was my break. 233 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:20,959 Speaker 1: That was the whole master plan, is to get somebody 234 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,080 Speaker 1: to give me a shot into Division one. And funny 235 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 1: story of things come full circle. I took Ryan Odam's job. 236 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 1: Ryan Odam was and that was back when they were 237 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: still had kind of the restricted earnings deal. Um. Ryan 238 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:34,199 Speaker 1: Odam left there to go take a job at u 239 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: NC Ashville. I took Ryan Odam's job, and now Ryan 240 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: and I are coaching together in the Mountain West. It's 241 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 1: just kind of crazy how things happen. Um, Okay, so 242 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: you're twenty three, yep, yep. But by the way, why 243 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: not coach hockey? You just I didn't, you know, it's 244 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 1: funny that's even Minnesota, Like who goes like basketball? Like, 245 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: why not coach hockey? But what's funny is basketball was 246 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 1: booming and like basketball, like, I mean, look how many 247 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 1: top players in the country are coming out of the 248 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: Twin Cities now. And I think it all started with 249 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: Minnesota basket with Clem Haskins and when that thing started 250 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: to turn and and they started winning and they went 251 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:16,320 Speaker 1: to the Sweet six team in the final eight. It's 252 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 1: funny that coincided, in my opinion, with with high school 253 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,719 Speaker 1: basketball starting to boom in that area. And so it's 254 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 1: just it all it was just timing right, uh um 255 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: for me. And but but yeah, it really was a 256 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:30,079 Speaker 1: no brainer. I mean basketball is the greatest team sport 257 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: there is. Um, you learned so much about yourself and 258 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,679 Speaker 1: others and it's such a beautiful game. And so that 259 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 1: was that was easy for me and um took to 260 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: want to do that. And yeah, so we go down 261 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 1: to Fermin and and that was my break into Division one. 262 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 1: And OK, so how how how do you I'm forty eight? 263 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: No no, no, no, no when you go to Fermint 264 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: how old are you kind of thinking? Like you said, Ben, 265 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: the years run together? I think I was twenty three. 266 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:57,960 Speaker 1: So there, Yeah, there's a different part of the country, 267 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: like Ferman is a beautiful crazy but like so Larry 268 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: calls you and says, and he calls you and offers 269 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:08,320 Speaker 1: you a job. Do you know where firm it is? 270 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: Do you haven't you know about the school? No? I 271 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 1: mean I mean other forget you know how you're making 272 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: and you're making what Whney five? I mean you know 273 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 1: where you live? I lived in a little apartment with 274 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: our g a UM down there, UM, just off campus, 275 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 1: a little two bedroom unit that they helped provide for you. 276 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: I mean, it was what you do. But you call, 277 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: they offer you the job, you take it in thirty seconds, 278 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: and you say, hey, I'm moving, and you pack up. 279 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: I had an old Honda Chord, I packed up everything 280 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 1: I owned, I got in the car, I had no 281 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: idea where I was going, and drove across the country 282 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:45,839 Speaker 1: and started a new job. I mean that's just kind 283 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: of what you do. So what was what was Larry 284 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:53,839 Speaker 1: like to work for? Larry was an unbelievable worker. UM. 285 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: I think he taught me about recruiting in this business. 286 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 1: I mean how hard you had to work, all the 287 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: angles and creating things that I never even thought about before. Um. 288 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 1: He was terrific at individual skill, inscribed this skill instruction. 289 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: He's an old five star guy back in the day, 290 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: you know, and he worked for for Dave Odom and UM, 291 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: so that he taught me that, and then you know, 292 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: he really gave me a lot of responsibility for a 293 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: young coach. And I was fortunate the guys that I 294 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 1: worked for, UM who did that for me? Who really 295 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 1: allowed me to to go out there to coach, to recruit, um, 296 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: to learn how to do it on the fly. Um, 297 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: so I I learned a ton from him that way. 298 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: I don't work in this business. So when you say 299 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: he taught me a lot about recruiting, like what what 300 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: what are the what are the I mean you can 301 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 1: give you don't have to give away all the secrets. 302 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: But like what's I think? I think? I mean number one? 303 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: I mean it's it sounds crazy, it's a clear you know, 304 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 1: how do you work? But but you know knowing how 305 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: to work? Um? Who to call um? Leaving no stone unturned? Um, 306 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: you know, and everybody will say that the champions of guys, 307 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: but just um really understand ending you know, the amount 308 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: of time you have to put it in understanding all 309 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: the angles. And I think the other thing about recruiting 310 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: is it's it's understanding who who can you actually get? 311 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: You know, who's good enough? Who can you get? And 312 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: who can you get that you want? Yeah, And and 313 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: a lot of people waste a lot of time. You know, 314 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: you work hard, and you waste a lot of time 315 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: when you can really identify early on. That's fine, Everyone's 316 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: going to tell you they like you, but we're not. 317 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: We're not getting this guy at the end of the day, 318 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: you know, And I think understanding all those angles, building relationships, UM, 319 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 1: understanding where you need to go and where you can 320 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: go to get talent. I mean, we're down at Ferman 321 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: and it's funny as we're in this beautiful area. We've 322 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: got players in our region. We needed to recruit in 323 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: our region, but we also understood with UM the way 324 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: people viewed the program, we had to go other places. 325 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: So we recruited the Midwest a lot at Ferman and 326 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 1: we had a lot of success UM and then now 327 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 1: obviously you know the rest of it. I came back 328 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: as the head coach. A program's turned now it's really 329 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: viewed as a great program, but it wasn't UM at 330 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 1: the time when we got there, So we had to 331 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:01,320 Speaker 1: turn over a lot of stones to recruit. Fox Sports 332 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. 333 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 1: Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot 334 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: com and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f 335 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: s R to listen live. So your first do you 336 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: remember what it was like? Your first there? You're at 337 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: Furman and program is not very good, Like how many 338 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 1: people in the stands. What was it like a couple 339 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: of hundred three, four hundred. You know, maybe we'd play 340 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: a conference game, you know, as somebody good down the road. 341 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: I mean, Davidson was in her league at that point 342 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: when I was an assistant. Um, you know, you might 343 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 1: have a good crowd for that, but but we were poor. Um, 344 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: and it just you know, I ended up leaving it. 345 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: In my career kind of kind of moved forward, and 346 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: then I came back as the head coach. And I 347 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: think when I was a head coach there, Doug, I 348 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: got the job. We were three thirty six out of 349 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: three fifty one in the r P I when I 350 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: got there, it was it was brutal, buddy, Okay, So 351 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: we'll get to that, okay, So, uh what led you 352 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: to leave? Um? Larry ended up taking the job with 353 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:04,719 Speaker 1: Mick at Cincinnati, you know, late in the in the 354 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 1: summer that year. And how many many years? How many 355 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:09,679 Speaker 1: years in did he take it? Oh? God? What was 356 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: I Doug? That's a great question. Was it six years in? 357 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: I think it was five or six? And and uh, Um, 358 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: you know we had just you know, a couple years 359 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: ago we had started to look like we were turning 360 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: the program and getting better. UM, but he offered Larry 361 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: the associate head coaching job at Cincinnati, and I think 362 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: Larry felt like, Gosh, in his mind, he had done 363 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 1: all he could do. Their UM. You know, I I 364 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: thought I maybe even had an opportunity to get the 365 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: head job at Looking back on you, kid me, I 366 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: wasn't ready for that. They weren't going to hire a 367 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: guy like me, and so UM, I ended up leaving 368 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 1: UM there and and I ended up at Minnesota actually 369 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: for years and assistant and then I went with Tim 370 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,359 Speaker 1: to Colorado State and kind of the rest is as 371 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,439 Speaker 1: transpired from there. But but that's what that's what had 372 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:53,920 Speaker 1: happened at that point in time. They hired They hired 373 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:57,360 Speaker 1: Jeff Jackson at at Furman after Larry had left, and UM, 374 00:17:57,359 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: it kind of it's kind of funny I ended up 375 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:01,919 Speaker 1: leaving ended up being the best thing that ever happened 376 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: to me, because sometimes you just need a fresh start 377 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: and a change each So what you went to Minnesota 378 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: for your was months there? Yeah, brokeer Dan. I don't 379 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,120 Speaker 1: know if you heard his part with me. He's hysterical, 380 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,400 Speaker 1: He's he's an amazing dude. He's one of the best 381 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 1: humans ever. Yes, yes, Um, what what year was? What? 382 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: How good? Because there was some years that they were good. 383 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,920 Speaker 1: There's some mercurial years. I remember the last year because 384 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: he took his son with him on every road trip 385 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:35,439 Speaker 1: because he knew it was his last year. What what 386 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:38,360 Speaker 1: year was? Just in his run? So again, the years kind, 387 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 1: but it was the year that Dan ended up getting 388 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 1: let go. Seven games into the year, we go down 389 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: to you know, we played poorly in the in the 390 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:48,920 Speaker 1: tournament down in Orlando. We come back, we get beat 391 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,400 Speaker 1: badly by Clemson at home, and they decided to make 392 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: a change. And then Jim Alinari took game. I did 393 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: the Clemson game. Were you there? Yes? I did the 394 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 1: clubs So that was yeah, that was his last game. 395 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 1: Um there and and you know it's just all in 396 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,239 Speaker 1: the pot. Here's how good his memory is. You did 397 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:08,679 Speaker 1: the pot. He's like, I'm not gonna get fired off 398 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 1: this pot. Jesus and I have no months forever right forever? Um, 399 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 1: So what's what's but? But honestly, what's that feeling like? 400 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: Where look at you? You're breaking this business. You get 401 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,680 Speaker 1: a job, your head coach leaves, and you go back 402 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: home and you're at the U and like, you know, 403 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:32,920 Speaker 1: for a kid who grows up in Minnesota and dreaming 404 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 1: Minnesota fasts Minster management, this is pretty cool. And then 405 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: seven games in and I'm sure you knew taking it 406 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:41,920 Speaker 1: like a lot of people are like last year, but 407 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,399 Speaker 1: I don't think you knew seven games in? What is that? 408 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: What is that experience like in terms of calling your 409 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: folks and your friends and what you're gonna do next. 410 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:53,480 Speaker 1: You know, it's it's funny, you know, you go through 411 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 1: that and some people are like, gosh, are you sure 412 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: you really want to do this? And I never considered 413 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 1: anything house I just this is It's really what I wanted. 414 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 1: And what's really funny is I look back on it 415 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: now it was such a weird time. But but I 416 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: remember um Mo ends up getting um you know the 417 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: name and the intern coach um, and then all of 418 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:16,680 Speaker 1: a sudden it's like, oh man, like you're really in 419 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 1: it now. It's like, you know, you start doing you're 420 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: two and almost all the scouts you're doing all that. 421 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: It's like you bump, you got bumped up. You're like, yeah, 422 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,439 Speaker 1: but you got bumped up. I mean I'm doing more now, 423 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: and it's like all of a sudden, it's like, Okay, 424 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 1: that's fine. Well, you know, we're gonna play. I think 425 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:33,919 Speaker 1: at that that year, right Ohio State in Wisconsin were 426 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: one and two in the country. They had Greg Oden, 427 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: you know, Orlando Tucker was kind and it's like we 428 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: have all these games coming up, and so you just 429 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 1: kind of put your head down and start working and like, 430 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna take this year to do whatever I can. 431 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:47,919 Speaker 1: And um, what's funny is I look back on it now, 432 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: that was one of the best years I had in 433 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,240 Speaker 1: coaching as far as I just had so much fun. 434 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 1: You just kind of let go. You know that there's 435 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:57,120 Speaker 1: gonna be a change at the end of the year. 436 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: But you know what, I'm gonna enjoy the heck out 437 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,639 Speaker 1: of this. I'm gonna coach, gonna develop relationships with these guys. Um, 438 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna enjoy every second of it. And that's what 439 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: I did. Okay, So, UM, a couple of things here. 440 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:11,119 Speaker 1: Months as a coach, what what is the what is 441 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 1: the skill of damn? Months? And as a coach, Um, 442 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:17,159 Speaker 1: he's unbelievable with people. He's the kind of guy that 443 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,240 Speaker 1: people just want to be around every day of the 444 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 1: staff players. Um, he sees things. He's got such unbelievable 445 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:27,360 Speaker 1: emotional intelligence about people. Um. And he's just a guy 446 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 1: you want to be around. I mean, and that sounds like, 447 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 1: you know, a big deal. That's a huge deal. Um. 448 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 1: People want to work for him, they want to be 449 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: in the foxhold for him. Um. He's just a tremendous 450 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 1: human being. His family is awesome. UM. So I I 451 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: think that's who he wasn't I wish I would have 452 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: got chance to work for him longer than I did. 453 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: But the one thing about him is, um, you know, 454 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: we go out and my first year back here, you know, 455 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 1: we got and we play at at Long Beach. Um, 456 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: and he's the first guy. What's before the game, Nico 457 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:57,480 Speaker 1: come on in, you know, and let's spend time with 458 00:21:57,680 --> 00:21:59,640 Speaker 1: him and before the game. And as you know, who 459 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: he is, evalues relationships so much in this business, and um, 460 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: you feel like even if you work for him for 461 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 1: a short period of time, that you've known him forever. 462 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: It is a little bit of a throwback of how 463 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 1: I think it used to be. Where it was it 464 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 1: was a lot more collegial. But just you know, it's 465 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: like we're trying to keep each other's ask in the court, 466 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: but you know, off the court, like we're kind of 467 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: all in this crazy business together. Um. Okay, So here's 468 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 1: the one you didn't know. My dad signed Jim Allinary 469 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: at Creighton. Are you serious? I just talked to him 470 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: this morning on the way into Yeah. So so coach 471 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 1: Mo is an all Teimer and uh and then I 472 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: think he left. My dad left. He left and he 473 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:43,680 Speaker 1: went to West Western Illinois, right, and he started kind 474 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: of transferred down a level. Um, so what was I 475 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: think I know the answer to this one. But Jim 476 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 1: allin Area is a coach which is um incredible defensive coach. 477 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: I mean just incredible the amount of detail intensity, um. 478 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:03,879 Speaker 1: And he's a brilliant person. Um, you know, Mo Mo 479 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:05,879 Speaker 1: can he's a little I don't know what the right 480 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: adjective I'm looking for, but he'll come up with these 481 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: nuggets that are just, um, you know, amazing. But as 482 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 1: far as basketball goes, he's an incredible defensive coach and 483 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:21,159 Speaker 1: and he learned so much around so in terms of 484 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 1: you know, in terms of defense, in terms of building defense, 485 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: and there's all different sorts of ways to do it. Philosophically, 486 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 1: how do you how do you do it? You know? 487 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:34,879 Speaker 1: I mean, like, look, I remember I got to when 488 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: I got to Oklahoma State, I played for John McLeod 489 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:40,399 Speaker 1: and I played for my dad. I played for guy him, 490 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 1: Andy Ground, who was outstanding high school coach, great junior 491 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,239 Speaker 1: college coach in southern California, and you know, we had 492 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 1: you had rules and placed your phone and I just remember, 493 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:51,920 Speaker 1: like Coach Sutton, we do one on one containment for court, 494 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 1: and then we do one on one and then we 495 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 1: basically you know, there's a lot of one on one defense. 496 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:00,680 Speaker 1: And I was like, Coach, we four and I was 497 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 1: like my second or third practice and I was like, coach, 498 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 1: we forced some basedline be force in middle. And He's like, 499 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,800 Speaker 1: excuse me. I was like, coach, are we forcing baseline? 500 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: Are we forcing? I was like, guard your man brother, right, Yeah, yeah, 501 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 1: we're not. We're not forcing him anywhere guards you like 502 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:20,760 Speaker 1: really really but but okay, where's the help coming from, Like, 503 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 1: don't worry about help, don't worry about guarding your man exactly. Help. Yeah, 504 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:31,560 Speaker 1: we did. We did help from the baseline side, and 505 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 1: we did post seal and we worked on the rotations 506 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: to it. Okay, and that was back in the hard 507 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:41,800 Speaker 1: hedge days of college basketball. So uh. In two thousand one, 508 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: Nico med bed how when you build your team, how 509 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: do you build it defensively? So it's a great question. 510 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 1: And you know, my biggest mentor in the business is 511 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: probably Dick Bennett. You know, he and I are are 512 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:56,159 Speaker 1: really close and um have formed a relationship, you know. 513 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: And I started out I was the pack line guy 514 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:01,119 Speaker 1: like everybody else. I think that, you know, as I 515 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,239 Speaker 1: look at the offensive side of the ball, I say, okay, well, 516 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:06,440 Speaker 1: what are the things that are difficult to go against? 517 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:09,119 Speaker 1: You know? For me, why aren't I incorporating more of 518 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,920 Speaker 1: those things? I think a few years back, after my 519 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:15,399 Speaker 1: first year here at c s U, I I started 520 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: to change a little bit more and look at more 521 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,959 Speaker 1: of the no middle um deal, you know, like Baylor 522 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: in Texas Tech. One of the things that for me 523 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 1: is I really like downing um the sideball screens. As 524 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 1: a band, you have to have different coverages. I really 525 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,880 Speaker 1: like that. I think it it keeps you out of rotation. 526 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 1: You also have to have it, and one of the 527 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 1: things you'll be able to have it at Colorado State 528 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: is you have to have athleticism that fits your defensive style, right, 529 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: That's exactly I always to this day. I mean, I 530 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,160 Speaker 1: don't know if this has ever been uttered on it's 531 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:49,239 Speaker 1: on broadcast TV, but like, I still feel feel bad 532 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:51,920 Speaker 1: for Greg Poulos. Greg Polish is at Duke. You know, 533 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,479 Speaker 1: Duke takes you out everything they want to do. They 534 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 1: want to pressure you, like he can't do it. You know, 535 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: I can't do it. He's not not built for it, 536 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 1: you know. And so you have the benefit. You know, 537 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 1: you've had the Carvaccio is various shot blocker, but you 538 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,159 Speaker 1: have those really athletic cards, so you can kind of 539 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 1: decide what we want to do. So does that go 540 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,159 Speaker 1: hand in hand with keeping it to a side or 541 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: is it simply a mentality to philosophy that you think 542 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 1: you want to live by. I think it's a little 543 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: bit of both. I mean, I think being able to 544 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,399 Speaker 1: do that, I think that you know, can you switch 545 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: places where you want to switch? I know, like you 546 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: know one of your guys, I think he's one of 547 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:29,639 Speaker 1: the best dudes ever. But Dutch, you know at San 548 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:32,520 Speaker 1: Diego State. I mean, he has the way he recruits 549 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: and the way he has his team. He has ability 550 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: to switch so many different actions and not really give 551 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 1: up anything. And like you said, maybe your personnel doesn't 552 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 1: allow you to do that. So you've got to be 553 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: a little bit more conscious about, you know, where you 554 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: give up a mismatch. But you know there's the old saying, right, 555 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: what beats you the mismatch or the open shot? Um, 556 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 1: and the open shot beats you? UM. But I think 557 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:56,399 Speaker 1: you're right, Like you look at your personnel and you 558 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: may have something that you like to do, but you 559 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,160 Speaker 1: have to look at your team him as well and say, okay, 560 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,360 Speaker 1: what can we execute? Um. But I think I've evolved 561 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:06,600 Speaker 1: more that way. And then it's funny your your initial point. 562 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:09,000 Speaker 1: I think that you know, you start to look at 563 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: offenses right now and you can say, well, no middle, um, 564 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 1: you know, no baseline. But ultimately, I think depending on 565 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: who you're playing, you've got to be able to level 566 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 1: off the dribble and figure out how you're going to 567 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 1: bring help. Um. You want to you know, eliminate easy 568 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 1: paint scores, um, easy catch and shoot threes. It's easier 569 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 1: said and done when more people can shoot threes at 570 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 1: every position on the court. And so I think as 571 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: offenses continue to evolve, you've got to continue to evolve defensively. 572 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: It's a great it's a great point. It's a great point. 573 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 1: It's like and and Dutch super example that you know 574 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 1: when they first got there, they post doubled, you know, 575 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:47,680 Speaker 1: but everybody played two posts and he said that inside 576 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: and the way in the post, and uh um, you 577 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:54,840 Speaker 1: know your or Roberts game, you know they doubled. They 578 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: doubled from the baseline, and you had two on the 579 00:27:57,359 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: week side, and you have one as a cutter. Okay, 580 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 1: he's of the help side. Guy takes the cutter left. 581 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,800 Speaker 1: They had got three after three, after three after three, right, 582 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:07,120 Speaker 1: So like it was a why do you need to doubt? 583 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:09,679 Speaker 1: I don't think you need to double the post because 584 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: if a guy takes a post shot, you know over 585 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:16,040 Speaker 1: a hand, great, right, you know you doze. That's not 586 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:17,840 Speaker 1: as good as shot as a step in three. I 587 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:19,719 Speaker 1: think I think that's right. And like we doubled from 588 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 1: the low side a couple of years, and as funny 589 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,399 Speaker 1: as I studied us in the offseason, I'm like, Okay, 590 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:25,239 Speaker 1: well that's great. We have to be able to at 591 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: some point do that. But maybe it started to hurt 592 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 1: us more. You know, you gotta double Kenny Lofton, you 593 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,680 Speaker 1: might have to double Orlando Robinson in our league some 594 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: or Nie masked to you know, but but maybe not 595 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 1: all the time. Um, but you're right. I think that 596 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: those things continue to evolve. And I agree, like we 597 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 1: we really hurt Oral Roberts when they doubled the post 598 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 1: and then in the second half they decided to adjust 599 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 1: to play one on one and that didn't work for 600 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: them other teams. It was one of those one of 601 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 1: those games. But you're right. You have to continue to 602 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: evolve with your personnel and with the way teams play offense. 603 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 1: And we played, you know, three games, and everybody now 604 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: has five guys who can shoot. Everybody's got these bigs 605 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:04,719 Speaker 1: who can shoot, and so well you better look at 606 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 1: what you're doing defensively to combat that. Okay, So you 607 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 1: so you're at Minnesota and UH and you're with MO 608 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: and it comes to an end. When did Tim Miles 609 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 1: call you about Colorado State? You know, before the season ended? Um, 610 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 1: and this is this is interesting called before the season 611 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: ended and all this stuff was going down, and UH 612 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: offered me the job, and I took it to media. 613 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 1: I was just I loved Tim and I couldn't. I 614 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: was like, man, are you kidding me? This a dream 615 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 1: which I want to ride down there with him and 616 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 1: let's go build this thing at Colorado State. UM. I 617 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:41,960 Speaker 1: loved Colorado. I'd never been to c s U, but 618 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 1: I was excited. Well, anyway, I have been working with 619 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 1: Joel Material was the a D at Minnesota. I've been 620 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 1: kind of working on our schedule. I've been managing the team. 621 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 1: I've been kind of doing all the day to day 622 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 1: stuff and had a great relationship with Joel. Well, Tim 623 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: had offered me the job. Literally about three days later, 624 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: Joel comes in my office and he says, Hey, Nico, 625 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:01,239 Speaker 1: can you get the team know together over there? At 626 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 1: one o'clock, he goes, I just hired Tubby Smith. He goes, 627 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: and I need you to keep it quiet. I'm getting 628 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: on a plane right now. We're going to pick him up. 629 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 1: And you remember at that tell me is that coach 630 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,200 Speaker 1: at Kentucky. It's like, what, like, how is that you 631 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: leave Kentucky to go to Minnesota. Um? And so anyway, 632 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 1: Tubby ended up taking the job. I met with Tubby 633 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:21,360 Speaker 1: after that and he asked what I was doing and 634 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: I didn't even I'm like not coach. I'm I'm going. 635 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 1: I don't know that you would have hired me anyway, 636 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: But I went and went with Tim, and so that 637 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 1: was already done. But you didn't say, like, I'm going 638 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 1: to him, but I'd stay here. I didn't even say that, 639 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:36,560 Speaker 1: And I didn't, you know, I didn't, I know, and 640 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: who knows what would have happened, But I just, Um, 641 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 1: I had been talking with Tim a good bit at 642 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:44,480 Speaker 1: that point in time, and um, and I was really 643 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 1: excited to go work for him, and and uh, I 644 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 1: don't know what would have happened at that point in time. 645 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: It just it just felt like the perfect move for 646 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 1: me to just get out of the my comfort zone 647 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 1: a little bit and go attack something new. And I 648 00:30:57,520 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 1: had so much respect for what Tim and what he 649 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: had done at n D s U and Southwest Minnesota 650 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 1: State and how he had built programs and what he 651 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 1: was as a coach, and so, um, that's what happened. 652 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 1: And so I just I took off and went to 653 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:11,640 Speaker 1: c s U. And the rest is you know the 654 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 1: rest of sort of history. Okay, so you're roll in 655 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:17,960 Speaker 1: two thousand seven. Okay, Now this is where I miss 656 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:21,240 Speaker 1: a long time ago considering how two twenty one to 657 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: the head coach and you've been there a couple of years, Okay, 658 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:28,360 Speaker 1: so you roll in. What was the program? Like I 659 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:31,560 Speaker 1: I've been in a lot of sit Now, I've been 660 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 1: fortunate to be in some situations, well fortunate, but in 661 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 1: some situations where things really needed to be rebuilt. That 662 00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 1: was an all timer. I mean, we had one of 663 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 1: the worst a PR situations in the country. Um. We 664 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 1: had some off the court stuff going on that I 665 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 1: don't know that I could even talk about on air, Doug, 666 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:51,200 Speaker 1: I mean, drugs gone. I mean it was, it was 667 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: a bad deal. Um. And that first year, Um, we 668 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 1: ended up going Owen sixteen. In the last it was. 669 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 1: It was brutal um. And you know, but you look 670 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:07,160 Speaker 1: at it and so so so. So here's here's the 671 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 1: thing about Tim Miles. Guys. Okay, and you guys are 672 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:14,520 Speaker 1: all kind of spread throughout. I love it's the Upper Midwest. Like, dude, 673 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 1: you guys guys have been some Upper Midwest is a 674 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:19,560 Speaker 1: new term to me. I thought, he calls it is 675 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:22,280 Speaker 1: like the high Plains? What is it? Actually was that region? Anyway, 676 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: there there's some places where other human beings have never 677 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 1: never tried to go to win before or or have 678 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:32,400 Speaker 1: come up. But anyway, Tim is one of those guys that, like, 679 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:34,480 Speaker 1: even when he's gonna get fired in Braska and granted 680 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 1: you got a lot of money, we got fired in Brassa, like, 681 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,200 Speaker 1: it never seems to have an outwardly bad day, right, 682 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 1: everybody's a pretty good dude. You mentioned Dan Munson, all 683 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 1: of the Tim Miles guys. You're like, everybody seems to 684 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 1: have a good time and a guy you'd like to 685 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,240 Speaker 1: track of beer with. But when you're seven and twenty 686 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:52,320 Speaker 1: five and your O N six, was there a moment 687 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 1: there where you're sitting around going like what did we 688 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 1: get ourselves into? There are a lot of those moments 689 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: it didn't take long where you're like, oh my god, 690 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: this is like what are we gonna do here? But 691 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 1: I think it goes back to the spirit that Tim. 692 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 1: I mean, we all that Tim, as we all do. 693 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:11,600 Speaker 1: We have bad days and days where you're like, oh man, 694 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: you know what, this losing is hard even if you 695 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 1: know you're like, hey, we're gonna go through it this 696 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:19,320 Speaker 1: year a little bit. As a competitor, going through the 697 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 1: losses is really hard. I mean, it's just even if 698 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:24,960 Speaker 1: you know what's coming. Um. But I think you know 699 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 1: tim spirit and that and that belief, that belief in 700 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:31,000 Speaker 1: the process and the vision of just continuing to stay 701 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:33,959 Speaker 1: with it. I think really, um, that was the driving 702 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:36,920 Speaker 1: force and it taught me a lot, Doug, when I 703 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 1: got my opportunity to have to go, you know, as 704 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:41,960 Speaker 1: a head coach and turn a program around. Is just 705 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 1: seeing all the things that went into that. Developing a 706 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 1: fan base, raising money um um, getting people to buy 707 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 1: into your vision in your community around campus, and most 708 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 1: of all recruits and so it was just such a 709 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 1: pro at doing that, um. And it was just cool 710 00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:59,320 Speaker 1: to see it. I'll manifest the way that it did. 711 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:03,560 Speaker 1: Do you remember your first win in the in the 712 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 1: Mountain West? Um? God, that's a great question. So we 713 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 1: won four the next year. Yeah, I can't remember who 714 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 1: we beat first. I really can't. I do remember, I 715 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: mean I do remember the year we went owing sixteen. 716 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:19,440 Speaker 1: How we had both San Diego staying in U and 717 00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 1: LV like on the ropes here, you know, on the ropes, 718 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 1: like in the last two or three minutes, but you 719 00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:26,920 Speaker 1: just you couldn't you couldn't find a way to win. 720 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 1: I also remember my first year. We go up the 721 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:31,200 Speaker 1: first year and hold six team. We actually won the 722 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:33,839 Speaker 1: Top of the World Classic and Fairbanks that's another place 723 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: most people never go to. But but we we won 724 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:39,120 Speaker 1: that tournament and we're thinking, oh, man, you know, we're what, 725 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:41,799 Speaker 1: we're geniuses, you know. And uh and then it went 726 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:44,239 Speaker 1: you know, downhill from there. I don't remember who we 727 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: beat first. That's a great question. You beat un did 728 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:53,239 Speaker 1: we really? We beat Lin? Yeah? And they had they 729 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 1: had Joe Darger and Gas. They brought Link Adams and 730 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:01,839 Speaker 1: Trayvon Willis off the bench. Those guys are young, right 731 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 1: and uh uh Andy and Andy Ogaday yup? Andy, he 732 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:10,399 Speaker 1: with the transfer one of the first guys we took 733 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:16,640 Speaker 1: that sat out our first year. Yeah, Marcus Walker, Marcus Walker, Yeah, Um, 734 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:24,399 Speaker 1: Andrea McFarland, Harvey Perry, Travis Franklin, Willie Gardner, right yeah. 735 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:29,720 Speaker 1: Adam Adam Nigon. Adam Adam Nigon does our color. Travis 736 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:33,000 Speaker 1: and Andres. Andre's a big time cop in Vegas right now. 737 00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:35,239 Speaker 1: He does homeland security stuff. What's funny like Travis and 738 00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:37,960 Speaker 1: Andre we're here, Well, those guys got married this summer 739 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:39,640 Speaker 1: and he's getting married this summer, and they came back 740 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 1: and they were on campus this summer for the first 741 00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:43,759 Speaker 1: time since they had left. Those are the fun things 742 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:47,000 Speaker 1: about about coaching. But that crew right there, I can't believe. 743 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 1: How the hell did we beat Lin I don't I 744 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: don't know. You guys have some crazy wins, some crazy 745 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:58,200 Speaker 1: you know obviously be air Force b tcub air forcept 746 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: air Force and then lost air Force in the tournament. 747 00:36:00,719 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 1: That I remember, Um that I remember. The other thing 748 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:05,239 Speaker 1: I remember about the first year is um, we went 749 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:08,080 Speaker 1: Owen six team, but we beat Wyoming in the first 750 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:10,319 Speaker 1: round of the conference tournament. And that year we went 751 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:12,280 Speaker 1: Owen six teams. I guess that was our first Mountain 752 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:14,640 Speaker 1: west Wind in the conference tournament. That was like heaven. 753 00:36:14,719 --> 00:36:17,400 Speaker 1: I mean, you beat Wyoming around here. That was awesome. 754 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:19,440 Speaker 1: So it made us feel good going into the offseason. 755 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:22,840 Speaker 1: At least we beat the Cowboys once. Um, okay, so 756 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 1: how did you then it made sense to go to 757 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:30,600 Speaker 1: Ferman But how did it come to be where you 758 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:33,600 Speaker 1: got the Fermin job? I think you know it's I 759 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:35,440 Speaker 1: had obviously been there as an assistant. I had a 760 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:37,640 Speaker 1: great relationships with some of the people. I knew the 761 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: current A D and a lot of the people around 762 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:43,719 Speaker 1: the university, and um, so I became a candidate for 763 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: the job. And obviously, you know, we had gone to 764 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,399 Speaker 1: back to back n C Double A tournaments here, uh, 765 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:51,680 Speaker 1: and they were following us, and um, I had an 766 00:36:51,719 --> 00:36:54,600 Speaker 1: opportunity to to to interview for the job. And what's 767 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 1: interesting about that is the two finalists for that job, 768 00:36:57,719 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 1: Doug were me and Chris Holtman, who was a garden 769 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:03,680 Speaker 1: A web at the time. And and everybody knew Chris. 770 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:07,000 Speaker 1: I mean, it's just a phenomenal coach. Gardner webbs a tough, 771 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:09,640 Speaker 1: tough job. I think they had finished third, you know 772 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:12,839 Speaker 1: in their league. Um. But anyway, they decided to hire 773 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:16,200 Speaker 1: me instead of Chris. And what's funny is the best 774 00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 1: thing that ever happened to Chris was probably not getting 775 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:23,000 Speaker 1: the firm in job. Yeah, and then the rest is history. 776 00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:25,239 Speaker 1: You know, he ends up getting the head job at 777 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 1: Butler halfway through the year, and it's on and so forth. 778 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:29,759 Speaker 1: But it's just funny again how sometimes you know, things 779 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 1: and coaching work the way that they do. Um. So, 780 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:36,359 Speaker 1: then yeah, I ended up they ended up hiring me, um, 781 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:38,640 Speaker 1: which is my big break. And again we were so 782 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:41,360 Speaker 1: bad when I got there, but you want to be 783 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:43,720 Speaker 1: a Division one head coach, is you know how brutally 784 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:46,520 Speaker 1: tough these jobs are to get um and so I 785 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:48,960 Speaker 1: but I had a vision. I had been there. Um. 786 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:51,239 Speaker 1: I thought we had a lot to sell and I 787 00:37:51,360 --> 00:37:53,520 Speaker 1: was going to focus on who we were not who 788 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:57,680 Speaker 1: we weren't and uh, you know it ended up again 789 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:01,239 Speaker 1: really tough first year and and for most of the 790 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:03,800 Speaker 1: second year. And the boy, once we turned the corner, 791 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:08,920 Speaker 1: we we really took off at Furman. Okay, that's it 792 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:11,480 Speaker 1: for part one of Nico Mettvet. I thought you'd really 793 00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:14,880 Speaker 1: enjoy that. Part two will take us through what it 794 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 1: was like when he got back to Colorado State, how 795 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:20,920 Speaker 1: to get back to Colorado State, and what was it 796 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,080 Speaker 1: like when they got there? And how have they built 797 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:25,000 Speaker 1: it right when? Because when they took over they were 798 00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 1: just a mess in the a p R. And now 799 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:28,640 Speaker 1: they won twenty games a couple of years in a 800 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:30,719 Speaker 1: row and now their favorite to win the Mountain West. 801 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:32,400 Speaker 1: How did he rebuild it? Well, you're just gonna have 802 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:34,239 Speaker 1: to download and listen to the next version. The meantime, 803 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:36,920 Speaker 1: The Doug Gotliep Show is daily three to six Eastern 804 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 1: twelve to three Pacific on your I Heart Radio app 805 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:43,160 Speaker 1: or Fox Sports Radio reminder. You can send us all 806 00:38:43,239 --> 00:38:46,840 Speaker 1: the requests of guests you can at Gottlieb Show and 807 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:49,879 Speaker 1: we'll I'll reach out, we'll sit them down, we'll talk 808 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:52,319 Speaker 1: with him. Thank you so much for downloading. I'm Doug 809 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:53,399 Speaker 1: gotlie This is all ball