“Be patient!”
“It’s just not your time yet so keep working!”
“Your path will be different from others!”
Those are just a few words I’ve told myself over and over again as a college basketball coach. I’ve been asked a lot lately about my journey and advice on where to start. Everyone’s path is different and it’s tough to say where someone else will get their start. Once you have a start, focus on doing a great job where you’re at. No one can vouch for you more than the people you are around everyday! Do your job at an elite level and treat people with respect!
Please don’t feel that success will equal more opportunities. I still remember the day Coach Jerrance Howard called me and asked me did I want to be an assistant coach at Bradley University for Coach Jim Les. My immediate reaction was, “why are you not going?” Lol. Long story short, it was my relationship with Jerrance that helped me break into the Division I ranks. I figured I would have many opportunities after being the only assistant coach to ever be a part of back to back NJCAA National Championships at different schools. I was wrong! It was a phone call from someone I knew that connected me to someone he knew. Keep building genuine relationships! Relationships in this business and life are very vital to your success.
No one knows what the future holds, and we can only control our actions during the present. We all have short term and long term goals in life. One of my long term goals is to become a college basketball head coach. I can’t control whether or not an administration chooses to hire me. I can only control helping the program I’m in now and continuing to build genuine relationships. Eventually, I will be helping lead the right program with the right administration, staff and student-athletes. Until then, I will be patient and continue to do my part! Please do the same!