“Success” in the coaching world is relative. Many outsiders
compare and contrast coaches based on their win-loss record, or how many
championships they won. Others, especially in the college ranks, are judged on
how many kids they graduate or send to the pros. Every coach is judged by
someone’s view of what “success” really means.
Some of the widely-regarded greatest coaches of all-time
have staggering numbers to look at:
Mike Krzyzewski – 938 wins, 306 losses…4 National Championships
Bobby Knight – 902 wins, 371 losses…3 National Championships
John Wooden – 664 wins, 162 losses…10 National Championships
(7 in a row)
Pat Summitt – 1,098 wins, 208 losses…8 National
Championships
Geno Auriemma – 879 wins, 133 losses…9 National Championships
Greg Popovich – 967 wins, 443 losses…5 NBA Championships
Phil Jackson – 1,155 wins, 485 losses…11 NBA Championships
As honorable as those numbers are, does it really tell who
has been the most successful?
What if success as a coach is defined as:
-
Helping players reach their goals
-
Staying positive, even in the most dire of
situations
-
Genuinely caring for all of the people who
surround you
-
Loyalty to those who help you
-
Empathy for those in need
These are the qualities that need to be praised, and if we
can agree these are the most successful, then the race to find the most
successful coach is not even close.
I moved to Akron in 2010, in search of jump-starting a
career in college basketball. I was excited to learn from Lebron James’ high
school coach, Keith Dambrot. I spent two years there, but over time I had grown
close to the Director of Basketball Operations, Dan Peters. “Coach Pete,” as he
was referred to by everyone, had seen every level of college basketball from
seemingly every position. He had been a head coach at Youngstown State, an
assistant at Cincinnati under Bob Huggins, an assistant at Ohio State under
Thad Matta, and now the DOBO at Akron.
We used to argue about politics…a lot. He was the hard-line
conservative to my liberal. He vowed to move to Canada if Barack Obama was
elected President. It would be the only promise he didn’t keep. Through all the
discussions, right or wrong, you could sense his passion to affect change and
help others. He came to work every day serious enough to instill discipline,
but lighthearted enough to let you know that nothing is that serious. He
attacked every single day with a smile and a hello to everyone he would meet.
Coach Pete cared genuinely about the lives of his players.
Unfortunately, the rules from the NCAA about the Director of Operations
position makes it harder for those in that role to foster relationships with
players. However, Coach Pete had great relationships with all of his players
because he took time to speak with them about their lives outside of
basketball. He wanted them to succeed. He wanted them to be great businessmen,
doctors, lawyers, fathers, and husbands.
When I left Akron in 2012, I packed my car with my things as
much as it would hold. I had to leave some things behind, thinking I would have
to sell my furniture and my bed. Coach Pete wouldn’t allow that, he told me to
put my things in his garage, and when I got a new job I could come get them. I
kept my things in his garage for over a year, and he never asked for any kind
of payment. He knew I was in need, and didn’t want anything in return.
Late in 2013, Coach Pete was diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer. I had moved on as assistant coach at Guilford College, and the news
reached around the college basketball world. Suddenly, those whose lives he
touched (and many who never got the chance to get to know him) began a campaign
to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Purple Ribbons with the slogan “4
Pete’s Sake” dotted the lapels and shirts of coaches and players around the
nation.
I was fortunate enough to get to speak to Coach Pete on the
phone a couple times during his battle. One of the most memorable times was his
first day at home alone after his wife, Nancy, had returned to work during his
chemo treatment. We talked for just under an hour about his experience, the
outpouring of support from friends and rivals, the books he was reading, as he
had to stay close to his bed, and…politics.
I continued my journey, wearing a purple ribbon to finish
the season at Guilford, carrying a small piece of him with me as I went. A
couple weeks ago, I was offered a job at Radford University and have spent the
past few days trying to transition a move back into Division I athletics.
And so, on my first official day as Assistant Director of
Basketball Operations at Radford University, I received a phone call from Coach
Pete’s son, Danny. He called to tell me his father had passed early in the
morning, ending his year-long battle with cancer. Apparently, as Danny
explained to me, Coach Peters had written a list of people to contact after he
passed to let them know. Being included among this list will remain the
greatest honor of my young coaching career.
In my new job, I will face many challenges, one of which is
the battle in a limited role to have a positive impact on the lives of the
players in our program. But I have been given a blueprint, a map to show me
that not only can it be done, but it can be done at a high level, despite many
challenges. And if times get tougher in my life (I’ve had it pretty easy to
date), I know that I can still be positive and happy about where I am and what
I’ve accomplished. As long as my “success” is measured in terms of the lives
you impact.
Coach Dan Peters’ official record as a coach is littered
with awards, “Coach of the Years”, championships and wins. But Coach Pete won
the game of life every single day, and for that the only real stat is that he
has 60 years worth of wins, and the only loss is the one felt today by those
who knew him.
