Trials and Tribulations

[3manweave]

THE BANKS FILE

Starting Year: 2015
Name: Irwin Robert "Rob" Banks
Age: 35
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 185
College: NW Missouri State '04
Dream Job: Missouri
Playing Experience: NW Missouri State 2003-04
Coaching Experience: NW Missouri State (Ass't, 2005-2010, Head coach 2011-2015)
Division I Career Record: 0-0

Synopsis: This is the story of Irwin Robert Banks, who now goes by Rob. He dropped out of high school at seventeen; and two years later, was arrested and put in jail for one year for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. One thing that he always had a passion for was basketball, and played at a pretty decent level in high school until dropping out. After getting out of jail and getting his GED, and working odd jobs for two years after that, he saved up enough money to begin taking classes at a local community college. Two months into his first semester, he answered an ad for a student manager put out by the basketball team's coaching staff, and ended up getting the position. Halfway through the season, the team suffered a rash of injuries in the backcourt, and was pressed into action as a player to help provide depth. Banks went on to rank third on the team in scoring as a twenty-one year-old freshman, and began to get mild interest from lower-tier Division II schools. For his efforts, he was given a small scholarship and awarded a spot on next year's team, provided he stayed out of trouble and didn't relapse.

Banks went on to lead the team in scoring as a sophomore, and garnered interest from some of the better schools in Division II, including Northwest Missouri State. He was offered a scholarship by the Bearcats, and ended up as a two-year starter and was an All-MIAA Academic team member both years, averaging seven points and a better than 2:1 assist/turnover ratio per game. With no pro prospects on the horizon, he was approached by the head coach to be a graduate assistant the following season. Five years later, after the 2009-2010 season, he had worked his way up to the top assistant job, handling all aspects of recruiting, and took over the program the following season when the long-time, revered head coach retired, making him the team's head coach at the young age of 31.

In four seasons at his alma mater, Banks amassed a 91-45 mark, including three NCAA Tournament appearances at the Division II level, and two conference titles. This season, he is coming off an appearance in the Division II Final Four, the first in the school's history, but is feeling the call of a greater challenge...

Disclaimer: This is a fictional account. Real player names and likenesses are not used.

[3manweave]

[April 6th, 2015]

It was less than five minutes until the official announcement, but I was still calm and collected as I waited behind the stage to be formally introduced. It was a long, long road to this point. Telling my players that I had personally recruited back in Maryville a few days ago that I was taking another job was one of the hardest, if not THE hardest, things I've ever had to do. Northwest was such a huge part of me; and I had totally immersed myself in the culture and the community, making that much more difficult to leave. I had also told my three assistants that I would not be retaining them in my new position, but I recommended my top assistant, David Brenton, for the head coaching job. He didn't get it, and now those guys are likely out of a job.

All of that doesn't even include me falling into the wrong crowd in high school, and leaving behind a promising basketball career in favor of drugs and getting high whenever I could. Fortunately, my parents stuck beside me besides my screw-ups; and once I got out of jail for selling, they helped me get back on my feet. It was so hard finding a job, even flipping burgers at a restaurant. So I mowed yards, did landscaping under the table, saving up enough cash to open a savings account and take a few classes at the local junior college. A few injuries later, I was given a jersey and placed on the roster, and the rest was history. I had regained my love of the sport, and it's led to where we are now.

The past year, I've had a feeling that has been gnawing at me. Getting the Bearcats damn near to the mountaintop was an exhilarating, but exhausting experience. I had lots of friends in Maryville, but no wife or kids. The timing just seemed right. If I was going to make the jump from Division II to I, I was going to need an agent to help me navigate the contract process, and I ended up hiring a good friend of mine who worked with a small group of coaches who worked as both head and assistant coaches at the small-school levels in both college football and basketball around the region.

As I heard the athletic director begin reading down my accomplishments, I knew that the time was drawing near. I thought of all the great people that I had met and been associated with over the past decade, including the old retired coach that called me a few days ago when he heard the news. He expressed disappointment that I was leaving Maryville, but said that he had passed up some opportunities in his career and admitted to regretting not at least exploring those options. But there wasn't any turning back now. I began to round the corner from behind the stage, and there were about a hundred people packed into this tiny room in the bowels of the arena...

"Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the new head coach for your Northern Kentucky Norse, Rob Banks!"

[3manweave]

[April 15th, 2015]

It's been a little over a week, and I've met with all of the returning players and current recruiting targets. The previous coach did not sign a single recruit in the early period, which is going to make filling the roster much tougher. I also finalized my staff yesterday, by bringing on three young, energetic assistants, all less than thirty-five years old. They are all signed for one year, and will be evaluated throughout the season. We'll need to get kids excited about playing for a program that won less than ten games last year, but there's a lot to sell in this area, being so close to a major metropolitan city and a very nice campus and facility.

Here are the assistants, ranked in order from first to third:

DAVID RAGLAND: At only thirty-four, David is going to be my lead assistant after stints at both Bowling Green and Indiana State. He's never been a lead assistant before, so this is going to be a big step-up for him. He's a solid personality and would likely be my best recruiter, but I need him to help facilitate my practices as he's spent the most time of any of my assistants in that kind of role.

RONALD NORED: Ronald is best known for playing a major role for the Butler Bulldogs' back-to-back NCAA Final Four appearances as a lock-down defender. I feel pretty fortunate to get him away from the Boston Celtics, and combined with his youth (twenty-five) I think will make him a great recruiter. He'll also be in charge of maintaining the recruiting budget and travelling with me to any and all AAU events.

SEAN DWYER: My third assistant has the most Division I experience at the Power 5 level, coming after four years as a third assistant at Alabama. His main responsibility was handling the video and scouting preparation, and he'll be in charge of scouting and opponent evaluation here as well. He's thirty-two years old, and rounds out my main three-man staff.

[3manweave]

[April 23rd, 2015]

MEN'S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES TWO TRANSFERS

Highland Heights, Ky. -- New men's head basketball coach Rob Banks has announced the transfer of two players from last year's 9-21 squad that was coached by Dave Bezold, and one verbal commitment has also decided to de-commit from the program. Freshman guard Tayler Persons (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) has decided to transfer out of the program.

Along with Persons, sophomore forward Daniel Camps (Fayetteville, N.C./Jack Britt) has also asked for and been granted a release by the school. Hagen Tyler (Danville, Ky./Boyle County) has decided to re-open his recruitment, but will still consider NKU along with a handful of other programs. Tyler was the only verbal commitment or signee that the program currently had.

Expected to play a big role for the team going forward as a combo two-guard or swingman, the six-foot-three Persons was the Atlantic Sun 2014-15 Freshman of the Year, and made the Atlantic Sun second team as a guard. He averaged 13.1 points and 4.6 rebounds as a freshman.

Camps played eighteen games a season ago, starting three. He averaged 4.6 points and 2.7 rebounds last season, and 6.1 points and 2.6 rebounds as a freshman. He played in forty-five total games with eleven starts.

[3manweave]

[May 2nd, 2015]

TWO SIGN WITH NORSE PROGRAM

Highland Heights, Ky. -- Northern Kentucky basketball coach Rob Banks has announced the signing of two student-athletes to NLI's. Center Drew McDonald (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Catholic) and Brennan Gillis (Indianapolis, Ind/Ben Davis) signed the documents in separate sessions earlier this morning.

McDonald is a six-foot-eight, 265-pound center that is versatile enough to play with his back to the basket or step out to shoot an outside shot. He averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest as a junior, and will also play golf for NKU as well.

Gillis hails from Indianapolis' Ben Davis School, where he averaged 16.6 points per game as a junior for BDHS. Gillis is six-foot-six and 210 pounds.

Banks and the NKU program still have two spots to fill for the 2015-2016 season following the signings. They are expected to add another guard and post player.

[3manweave]

[May 27th, 2015]

Today is the day that I'm closing on my new house and finally moving out of my short-term apartment. It's a two-bed, two-bath bungalow about a mile from campus, and it will allow me to be able to bike or walk to work. I sold my car prior to the move to help pay for some extra moving expenses that weren't covered by the school, but I should be able to get a new one pretty quickly once I get settled in. In the meantime, I've been driving a rental paid for by the university (as I get a pretty sweet car allowance). I still need to recruit, you know.

My agent/friend, Joseph Crane, pointed me in the direction of some real estate agents in the area; and I ended up working with a man named David Smith, who was an absolute breeze to work with. As it turns out, his oldest son is also a pretty fast-rising sophomore guard in the area, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to already have an 'in'. David and I ended up having dinner a few nights ago at one of the best steakhouses in town, and we talked real estate, as he owns multiple investment properties in the area, including a small apartment complex. We also talked about hoops and the difference between the states that we're from.

I come from Missouri, where football holds much more interest with an SEC school in-state, and an NFL franchise in Kansas City. Plus, the basketball program there is a mess. Basketball is a religion all over Kentucky, but especially in the east and northern areas of the state. Even though going in I knew that the area was extremely pro-Kentucky, seeing the sea of blue everywhere was still quite a shock. Louisville paraphernalia also had quite a presence, and a smattering of other regional schools.

As I came home from the office, with boxes piled up everywhere, my cell phone rang. It was David Brenton, who was my lead assistant at Northwest and is now working in the athletic department there.

"Rob, you need to get back here as soon as you can. I just found out that Coach passed away." My heart sank. He wasn't in the best condition when I spoke to him a few months ago, but his passing was still unexpected. "How is Shirley doing," I asked. Shirley was his oldest daughter that worked as my secretary for my four years as head coach there. She was like the older sister I never had.

"Everyone's holding up okay, and they hope you can make it," he said. "I know you're knee-deep out there, but you were such a great friend of his, and it wouldn't be the same if you couldn't make it."

"Of course, of course I can get in," he said. "I'll leave first thing in the morning, and I can be there in the early evening tomorrow. Thanks for calling, Dave....I'm real sorry to hear this news."

[3manweave]

[May 29th, 2015]

GARRETT JOINS NORSE PROGRAM

Northern Kentucky head coach Rob Banks has announced the signing of transfer forward Jeff Garrett. Garrett, a six-foot-seven swingman from Gadsden, Ala., originally signed with Alabama from Florida's Oldsmar Christian, and redshirted for the 2014-2015 season. He'll sit out the 2015-2016 season per NCAA transfer rules, and then have three years left to play three after that.

Garrett was one of the top twenty players in Florida as a senior, and was the 35th-ranked power forward in the country by Rivals.com. He averaged 18.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, four assists and two blocks per game as a senior.

[3manweave]

[May 30th, 2015]

The drive home from the funeral was long, but it gave me another chance to reflect on my career with Coach. It was a great service; I saw most of my old teammates who are now coaching at various levels, and caught up with some of my former staff. Thoughts of the Final Four run last year ran through my head; and even though I had just taken this job, I wondered if I had done the right thing. Building up this program is going to be a monumental task, and I hope that the administration realizes that. Ah, at least I was almost home.

As I turned on to my street, I saw red and blue lights cascading off other houses. After about a hundred feet or so, I realized there were police cars in front of my house. Crap, what the hell happened?

Slowing down, a police officer stopped me as I approached the house. "Sir, I'm going to need you to stay in the car and keep going," he said. "There's been a burglary at this residence, and we have been unable to locate the resident or the perpetrator. It's for your safety."

"But I own this house!" I exclaimed. "When did this happen? I've been out of town the last few days."

"We were alerted when the alarm went off," he began to say. "We had two officers in the area within three minutes, but when we arrived no one was home and a window had been busted in. We canvassed the area and there was some damage incurred, but overall the damage was minimal. The alarm system in the residence probably kept them from causing further property damage or theft." He paused before continuing on. "What's your name, sir?"

"Rob Banks. I just moved here a few months ago, I was just hir-"

"Wait, you're the new basketball coach at NKU, right? I'm a season ticket holder," the officer interrupted before going on. "I've been going to games for years. The name is Officer Chapel. Billy Chapel. We're going to need you to park and step out of the car, and provide a statement and let me know what personal effects were taken, if any."

Obliging, I parked the car in the driveway and followed Officer Chapel inside. The burglars had completely beaten down the door, so it's likely they knew I wasn't home. Inside, they had knocked in my coffee table and had knocked some photos off the wall, but nothing of value was gone. Odd.

"It's likely they heard the alarm go off, and then they panicked and left," said Officer Chapel. "From what I surmise, this is the work of a couple of teenagers or young males in their early 20's. Very unorganized looking and hap-hazard. You have insurance, right?"

Of course I do. "Yes," I said, begrudgingly.

"Well, our work here is done. We'll send you a report within two or three days, and that way you can provide it to your insurance for a claim," he said. "Since your alarm was set when the break-in occurred, I don't see any reason why they wouldn't accept your claim. If we find out anything about who did this, or if we catch him, we'll give you a call."

I thanked the officer, and he went back to help the other officers on the scene clean up the tape. After a moment or two to gather myself, I found some duct tape, and began to put it over the broken window to keep the cool air from getting out, and then headed to bed, completely exhausted. Who would do this?

[3manweave]

[June 2nd, 2015]

NKU ROUNDS OUT RECRUITING CLASS

Highland Heights, Ky. -- Northern Kentucky Norse head coach Rob Banks has signed junior college guard Levone Holland II out of Coffeyville (KS) Community College, after he led the Jayhawks to a 26-6 record while shooting nearly fifty percent from the field and averaging 13.8 points per game.

The Louisville native enrolled at Coffeyville after one semester at Southern Idaho Junior College

"We're thrilled to add Lavone to our program," said Banks in a release. "With him in the fold, that completes our roster for the upcoming season. His length and versatility for a guy that's only six-foot-one is remarkable, and I think fans are going to grow to love him over the next three seasons."

[3manweave]

[June 2nd, 2015]

It had already been a rough morning. My son and daughter wouldn't get out of bed; as well as spilling hot coffee on myself after my husband bumped into me in the kitchen, and having to go back upstairs and find a new work outfit. I called my trainee, Mallory Yount, and told her I would be late and to wait for me at the main office. Our first client of the day was a Robert Banks, who only lives a few miles away from the office. Why does that name sound familiar? Apparently, his house was just broken into several nights ago; and it looks like there was little damage outside of a few personal effects, so it should be a fairly easy appointment.

After dropping my kids off at my sister's house, I picked up Mallory and we made the short trek to Mr. Banks' home. We noticed that there was little damage to the outside of the house outside of the broken window covered in a large amount of duct tape. We were a bit late, but he was nice enough to offer us coffee (he's also pretty easy on the eyes), even though we're trained to not accept any beverages from client's homes. There were still unopened boxes everywhere, and only a few personal items had been removed. All he had set up were a TV, a couch, a framed basketball jersey with his last name on it and a ton of autographs, and a handful of various-sized basketballs, also autographed.

However, the frame and glass on the jersey were broken and cracked, his coffee table had been destroyed, and while the TV was not damaged, it had been knocked over. Since the majority of his boxes had not been opened, he's fortunate that he didn't have more items stolen or vandalized. The police report he provided stated that the perpetrator was likely there less than five minutes after the alarm went off. I asked him if they had any idea who it was, and he said that he hadn't heard from law enforcement in that regard.

As I walked by the kitchen table, I noticed an article on his laptop computer stating that Northern Kentucky's basketball program had just completed its recruiting class. Noticing that Mr. Banks wasn't around, I read through the article and noticed some quotes from their head coach, named Rob Banks. Could this be the same guy? Then it hit me.

My kids are friends with some of the other parents' kids that I know. Some of the divorced moms a few weeks ago were 'discussing' (to keep it PG-rated) the new basketball coach at the local university. This must be the guy.

"So, Mr. Banks, big basketball fan, I see," I said coyingly.

"Well, more than that. I coach as well...I'm the new coach at NKU here in town. I was just hired in April, and I just closed on this house less than a week ago," he said. "I was out of town when all of this happened at my old boss' funeral, and I came back a few nights ago to this mess. And you can call me Rob, there's no need for formalities."

I paused for a moment. "As it is, we're just abo-" I stopped as his cellphone rang. "Sorry, I have to take this," he said sheepishly. "Hi, Rob Banks speaking."

There was a long pause as he walked back into his living room. "Wait, are you sure about that? That doesn't sound right," he said, exasperated. There was another long pause. "Well, this is certainly a surprise. I hope it is not him, but I appreciate the info."