Year 3: Rejection and Giving Thanks

"Through my illness I learned rejection. I was written off. That was the moment I thought, Okay, game on. No prisoners. Everybody's going down." - Lance Armstrong


Ah, finally! Year 3...

My plan had always been to stay at the University of Akron for a maximum of two years. Those two years expired in April, and I left Akron for a new challenge. In the winter, I had talked with an assistant coach at VCU about becoming a paid Graduate Assistant with their program. He was open to the idea and promised to talk more in the Spring. Spring rolls around and I continue talking with him and he assures me it shouldn't be a problem. Then it happened...

March rolls around, I give him a call...

No answer...

Texts, calls, voice mails...all unanswered.

Weeks later I get a call from him saying he had taken a job at his alma mater, and essentially my shot at a job now at VCU were slim. I was devastated. I had planned the entire time to be at VCU in the Fall, now I'm unemployed. From that moment, I was one step behind every job I applied for. Even the ones I became a finalist for, I lost out to someone who had built their relationships earlier than I had. I was reeling.

March became April...May...June...July...AUGUST

I honestly begin to re-evaluate my life plan. Should I go back to school and find a new career? The entire summer was one rejection after another. (And not only in my job search either.) I've never known just how humiliating cold-calling basketball offices to beg for a job can be. It was ridiculous. I'm sure they get tons of calls each year from random people looking for jobs, but it's hard being on the other end of that call.

Through the many rejections, I had to turn inward. What am I doing wrong? Why am I not on a staff? I was angry. I was upset. I was hurt. It was purely coincidence that at the same time I began to lose some of the people I cared about the most. Some had to walk out of my life due to circumstance, some did so voluntarily...

At the end of the Summer of Rejection was a light at the end of the tunnel. I met with the basketball staff at King College, and they offered me a job on the spot as an assistant coach. I could recruit, coach, and be a part of a staff. I was relieved. An entire summer's worth of stress, finally lifted from my shoulders. I wanted to accept on the spot, but took some time to think about it.

Days later, an email came from the head coach at Emory & Henry College to come in for an interview. Another interview begat another offer. Suddenly I have options! I weigh the pros and cons for over a week. It will be really hard to tell either staff no. I have decided to make my decision for good tomorrow morning. I will meet with both staffs, let them give their final pitch, then make my decision and start W-O-R-K-I-N-G.

Before I make my decision however, I would like to take some time to give thanks...

Thank you to the programs who told me no:

VCU
Richmond
Randolph-Macon
George Washington
Virginia Tech (my alma mater, no less)
Belmont Abbey
Fishburne Military Academy
East Tennessee State
Old Dominion University
James Madison University

Thank you for giving me some extra fuel to make myself better as a coach and human being. Without the rejection, I would be staring complacency in the face. For that, I give thanks...

Thank you to the 37 programs who never bothered to pick up the phone the multiple times I called, or give a call back. I don't think enough of you to even mention your names. I plan to schedule each of you in my career...

A genuine thank you to the people who have helped me through the process...

Greg Mason - Centre College
Keith Dambrot, Dan Peters, Rick McFadden, Charles Thomas, Terry Weigand - Akron
Jamion Christian - Mount St. Mary's
my high school coaches Scott Vermillion and Greg Ervin
James Johnson and Bill Old - Virginia Tech

A heartfelt thank you to my friends and family who have undoubtedly felt the brunt of my stress during this process. I appreciate the kind words, the input, or just the time away from the job search and making me smile. I will not forget each of you, and you are very important to my journey.

So here's to a new year, in a new town, with a new program. There will be new challenges, making way for new opportunities and new triumphs...

And without a doubt...new rejection...