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.