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The article below is about how Greg
Popovich, and the man who first hired him at Division III Pomona-Pizter
College, Curt Tong. It is a good article
about the lasting influence of a coach on his players, and how that influence
trickles down through all of the people that those players come in
contact. Live right, do the best you
can, and take care of your family and friends, and you will be okay in coaching
and in life. You can find the article in
its entirety here.
Coach’s Expire Every Day, They Never Die
Those are the details, and they are important details. They are a life’s work, in and out of the office. On and off the court. But details never tell the full story of a coach’s life, because a coach—a teacher, by any measure—is more than the sum of his life’s accomplishments. A coach is his own life, and every life he has ever touched, his words and his lessons melting down through generations, outliving him by decades. Coaches expire every day, but they never die. They live forever. When I talked to Coach Tong on that windowsill in 1976, I knew nothing of the man and nothing of his life—or life, period. I knew only that he had taken away my spot and my identity and I was angry at him for that. (Anyone who has ever been cut from a team reviles the coach who dropped the axe, whether for a moment or for a lifetime. The coach knows this best of all). Over the years he would teach me much more. And he would teach many others, too.
Those are the details, and they are important details. They are a life’s work, in and out of the office. On and off the court. But details never tell the full story of a coach’s life, because a coach—a teacher, by any measure—is more than the sum of his life’s accomplishments. A coach is his own life, and every life he has ever touched, his words and his lessons melting down through generations, outliving him by decades. Coaches expire every day, but they never die. They live forever. When I talked to Coach Tong on that windowsill in 1976, I knew nothing of the man and nothing of his life—or life, period. I knew only that he had taken away my spot and my identity and I was angry at him for that. (Anyone who has ever been cut from a team reviles the coach who dropped the axe, whether for a moment or for a lifetime. The coach knows this best of all). Over the years he would teach me much more. And he would teach many others, too.
When You Meet a Guy Like That, You Want to Be in His
\Presence
"I can read people pretty quickly,’’
said Popovich. "Who is full of themselves? Who has gotten over themselves?
Who is altruistic and who is not? From the first day I was around Curt, I
believed he was a better person than I was. That’s not a humble act or
anything, that’s just a fact. His demeanor, his kindness, his love of people,
yet at the same time his ability to be disciplined and to have standards, and
to demand that standards be kept. That’s a fine line for a lot of people, but
Curt did it with grace and intelligence. When you meet a guy like that, you
want to be in his presence."
Immerse Yourself in the Fiber of the Campus
Popovich says it was Tong, with more than a quarter–century as a student and coach at liberal arts colleges, who explained to him the value of immersing himself in the intellectual and social fiber of a vibrant, small campus. "I really enjoyed the campus life," says Popovich. "I enjoyed faculty committees, and I participated in a lot of them. And a lot of the reason is because Curt encouraged me to do it. It made my life so much fuller, and my experience became so much broader than just athletics." Popovich pauses and then broadens the conversational field. "What’s the word? Serendipitous?" he asks. "It’s serendipitous that I wound up in the NBA. But for me, it would have been serendipitous, and just as wonderful, to have stayed at Pomona for the rest of my life. I loved it. I still miss it."
Popovich says it was Tong, with more than a quarter–century as a student and coach at liberal arts colleges, who explained to him the value of immersing himself in the intellectual and social fiber of a vibrant, small campus. "I really enjoyed the campus life," says Popovich. "I enjoyed faculty committees, and I participated in a lot of them. And a lot of the reason is because Curt encouraged me to do it. It made my life so much fuller, and my experience became so much broader than just athletics." Popovich pauses and then broadens the conversational field. "What’s the word? Serendipitous?" he asks. "It’s serendipitous that I wound up in the NBA. But for me, it would have been serendipitous, and just as wonderful, to have stayed at Pomona for the rest of my life. I loved it. I still miss it."
How Pop Ended Up in the NBA
Popovich’s teams rose from hopeless to
mediocre, and in the 1985-86 season went 16-12 overall and claimed first place
in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the school’s
first title in 68 years of league membership. He took a sabbatical the
following year and spent half a season with Larry Brown at Kansas and half with
Dean Smith at UNC, and then returned to coach the 1987-88 season at
Pomona-Pitzer. In the ensuing offseason, two things happened: First, Popovich
was denied a college-sponsored mortgage for which he felt he had qualified.
Second, Brown offered him a job with the Spurs. "Sayonara," says
Popovich. He talked to Tong before leaving. "He was great," says
Popovich. "He said, 'Life is short. This is a great opportunity. Go for
it.'"
Do Your Job and Take Care of Your Family and Friends
Popovich took another of Tong’s lessons
with him to San Antonio and puts it on display with some frequency. He does not
embrace adulation or shrink from criticism and does not allow others to judge
his work. He does not suffer fools. "This is what Curt told me," says
Popovich. "'Do what you do, do it well and do it with passion. But do not
worry about plaudits or condemnation, because both are going to come your way.
Whether you’re the manager of the local McDonald’s, the coach at Pomona or Phil
Jackson with the Chicago Bulls, you are going to get plaudits and you are going
to get condemnation and they’re both false notions. You need to care about how
you do your work and how you treat your family and friends. Nothing else
matters.
"To this day," says Popovich,
"I have never read any articles about any of our championships. I will
read an article about Tim Duncan or Kawhi Leonard or Bruce Bowen. My players.
But as far as articles that judge 'You’re going to win, you’re going to lose;
you’re good, you’re bad.' I have no interest whatsoever. And that’s all Curt
Tong."
It's Character That Makes You Who You Are
Back to serendipity, and the curious turns of the road that carry a man from 2–22 at Pomona-Pitzer to five NBA championships. "There are so many who do so well and never get the opportunity to coach D–I or what-have-you,’’ says Popovich. "It’s character that makes people who they are, not the position they hold. Curt Tong has touched just as many people as I have. It’s just that you’ve heard of the ones who I touched."
Back to serendipity, and the curious turns of the road that carry a man from 2–22 at Pomona-Pitzer to five NBA championships. "There are so many who do so well and never get the opportunity to coach D–I or what-have-you,’’ says Popovich. "It’s character that makes people who they are, not the position they hold. Curt Tong has touched just as many people as I have. It’s just that you’ve heard of the ones who I touched."
Humility for Your Players
One day, when Sheehy was a high-scoring senior coming off a big game, he walked past the window and Tong waved him inside. "I was feeling pretty good about myself, and I guess it was showing," says Sheehy. "Coach sat me down and said, 'Harry, it strikes me that if you’re really good, you’ll never have to tell anybody.' Man, I went back to my room and flopped on the bed for a long time. That hit me right in the heart."
One day, when Sheehy was a high-scoring senior coming off a big game, he walked past the window and Tong waved him inside. "I was feeling pretty good about myself, and I guess it was showing," says Sheehy. "Coach sat me down and said, 'Harry, it strikes me that if you’re really good, you’ll never have to tell anybody.' Man, I went back to my room and flopped on the bed for a long time. That hit me right in the heart."
Most Coaches Have Sayings
Most coaches have sayings. One of Coach Tong’s was, "You play Saturday night’s game on Thursday night's sleep." He would say it every Thursday. "We would roll our eyes," says Sheehy. When Tong left for California in 1983, Sheehy was named his replacement as Williams's basketball coach. (Sheehy went on to post a .757 winning percentage in his 17 seasons, and took six teams to the NCAA tournament). "The week before our first game, I gather the team on the bleachers, and what do I say?" says Sheehy. "I tell them they’re playing Saturday’s game on Thursday night’s sleep."
Most coaches have sayings. One of Coach Tong’s was, "You play Saturday night’s game on Thursday night's sleep." He would say it every Thursday. "We would roll our eyes," says Sheehy. When Tong left for California in 1983, Sheehy was named his replacement as Williams's basketball coach. (Sheehy went on to post a .757 winning percentage in his 17 seasons, and took six teams to the NCAA tournament). "The week before our first game, I gather the team on the bleachers, and what do I say?" says Sheehy. "I tell them they’re playing Saturday’s game on Thursday night’s sleep."
Before You Go Do More Important Things With Your Life
As I scuffled around the lobby I heard a woman’s voice, calling my name. It was Jinx Tong. She gave me a hug and hustled me over to a large circle of coaches immersed in conversation. One of them was Curt Tong. He turned and grabbed my hand, beaming. "Everybody,’’ he said to the group, several of whom I had interviewed in my work, "This is Tim Layden. He’s one of my former players." The words rolled off his tongue so easily, and in that moment, the message finally took hold. To Coach Tong—to any true coach—you were not a star or a reserve, and you were not a player who spent four years on his team or were cut after one season. You were a former player. Period. And then you went on to the more important things in life. (I described my Indianapolis meeting to Popovich. He said, "That’s Curt. Hold that one close. Trust me.").
As I scuffled around the lobby I heard a woman’s voice, calling my name. It was Jinx Tong. She gave me a hug and hustled me over to a large circle of coaches immersed in conversation. One of them was Curt Tong. He turned and grabbed my hand, beaming. "Everybody,’’ he said to the group, several of whom I had interviewed in my work, "This is Tim Layden. He’s one of my former players." The words rolled off his tongue so easily, and in that moment, the message finally took hold. To Coach Tong—to any true coach—you were not a star or a reserve, and you were not a player who spent four years on his team or were cut after one season. You were a former player. Period. And then you went on to the more important things in life. (I described my Indianapolis meeting to Popovich. He said, "That’s Curt. Hold that one close. Trust me.").
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