Novice Coach Switches Coasts

[Wayne23]

Sometimes I'm embarrassed to be a straight male. So many of us are assholes. Hopefully Coach will wake up.

Nice job winning that tournament!

[Zingo]

Sometimes I'm embarrassed to be a straight male. So many of us are assholes.

Man, if this ain’t the relatable truth.

[Zingo]

March 12, 2037, 9:01PM Butler Men's Basketball Facility, Selection Sunday

Coach S. was honestly surprised at how well the team did his first season. He wasn't sure if it was a testament to his coaching or the program's players suddenly developing into their own, but he was excited to see it. Selection Sunday was a much bigger deal here. There were food and refreshments provided to the players as they sat in the lounge and watched the program on Hi-Def TV. The team has finished 24-9 (14-5) and were semifinalists in the conference, losing to Creighton 63-73 (those damn Bluejays had beaten them every game this year). Still, Coach S. was excited to see where they'd end up this post-season.

He was talking with Amy again, although the relationship was sort of restored to the way it was before he moved to Indiana. He had hoped to muster the courage to ask her out again, maybe for real this time given that their "lunch date" wasn't really a date, but he first had to get through the season. Her team was a bubble team, but would likely be on the outside looking in to the Women's NCAA Tournament.

He looked around the room at his team. They hadn't been to acquainted yet, but he was already proud of this unit for stepping up the first season under his tenure and really accomplishing something. Regardless of the post-season result, he was proud of what this team was able to accomplish. They absolutely exceeded everyone's expectations. Even his own.

They settled in to watch the tournament. Georgetown made the play-in and they were certainly better than Georgetown, who finished 18-14 and were eliminated in the Conference Quarterfinals. He saw his old team Fordham make the tournament and gave an applause for them. They finished 22-10 and faced Purdue Round 1. Sounds familiar Coach S. mused. Butler waited awhile before they saw their name called "Butler will be the #7 Seed facing #10 Penn State." The team erupted into a celebration, excited to have made their first NCAA Tournament in years. Coach S. excitedly addressed the room.

"This was an amazing achievement by all of you. I'm excited that we were able to prove ourselves on this stage so quickly. Now remember to finish this season strong and play your best game. We've proven we deserve to be here, now let's prove we deserve to win!"

The players applauded as they passed around pizza and sodas. It was an exciting day for the program. He received a few calls and texts, but there was really only one he was looking for... "Congratulations Coach! I look forward to watching you guys beat Penn State" Amy wrote, "Thank you Amy and congrats to your team on the NIT!"



Tournament Information
March 17, 2037: Butler 24-9 (7) v.s. Penn State 25-6 (10)
This is Butler's 20th NCAA Tournament appearance and first with Coach S. at the helm.
This is Coach S.'s fifth NCAA Tournament bid and eighth post-season tournament bid in his career.

[Zingo]

April 15, 2037, 7:45PM Butler Athletics Player's Lounge

Coach S. finished his post-season wrap up speech to a resounding applause. It truly was a special season. Butler smashed everyone's expectations of them yet again by making the Elite Eight as a #7 seed. Their tournament run included the first round win over Penn State (10), second round drubbing of Oklahoma (2) (AP Ranked #12), and Sweet 16 eek out against Washington (6) and finally their Elite Eight run ended with a fairly close loss to Texas 71-64. While they did make headlines, their run was overshadowed by #14 seed Middle Tennessee who also made it the the Elite Eight (and beat a #15 seed in the Sweet 16 to get there).

Coach S. snuck back to his office after the event ended to find a curious Amy Oliver snooping around. "Excuse me ma'am, visiting hours are over."

She chuckled and looked at him before responding, "No exception, even for me?"

He walked over and sat in his chair as she stood across from him as she spoke, "I just wanted to say that I'm glad you're doing well with this team already coach. You seem to be adjusting without any issue." Her team had lost in Round 2 of the NIT, but Coach S. had knew Amy had a bright future in this industry, even considering the minor bump in the road.

"Thanks Amy. The move has been a lot and I've had to find parts of myself that I lost along the way, but I'm glad I was able to do it and thank you for helping make this transition a lot easier. It is good to have friends in a new city. Congrats on your run too."

"Thanks and no problem coach." She sort of lingered for a moment as there was a silence before she finally spoke, "Well I guess I'll head out then." She began walking towards the door when Coach S. stood up.

"Wait Amy."

"Yes Zach?"

"I was wondering if you'd be down to get dinner some time... as a date?"

She paused briefly before speaking, "Wow, are you f*cking kidding me? You send a few flowers and you think I'm just going to get over how much of an a** you were?"

Coach S. swallowed deeply and turned red. Well this backfired. He thought the incident from a few months ago was behind them and that he had made some progress in improving himself, even it he wasn't fully there yet. Then he heard some snickering.

"I'm just messing with you Zach, wow you took that seriously. Sure a date sounds fun. Work out the details over text?" she smiled and waved goodbye.

He smiled to himself as his desk, feeling relieved and excited, F*cking Amy Oliver he thought to himself with a smile.

Final Record: 27-10 (14-6)
75.5 PPG, 69.5 OPPG, 17.2 APG, 35.6 RPG, NET 35



An asterisk denotes a starter. David Edward was starting PF.

Coach S. checked on the incoming prospect. Cook was a Top 50 player nationally and Top 10 overall who did solid at camp. Coach S. needed him to start early given that Power Forward was a position of weakness on the team and David Edward would likely have to take over starting Center duties with walk-on star Nick Thornton graduating. Wesley Brown, a Junior, was transferring in from Providence at the Point Guard position and would also likely start right away and hopefully make an immediate impact.


Butler Men's Basketball Recruit Class 2037

Other Notable Facts From the Season:
NCAA Final: Nevada (86) over Duke (77). Nevada, a #11 seed, beat Duke in a Cinderella run to claim their first NCAA Tournament Title in School History. Duke missed out on what would have been their seventh title.
Big East Championship Game: Providence (75) over Creighton (68)
All-Conference 1st Team: Nick Thornton SR, C: 10.0 PPG, 2.1 APG, 8.9 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG
All-Conference 2nd Team: Kendrick Davis JR, SG: 14.9 PPG, 2.8 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG, David Edward JR, C/PF: 10.8 PPG, 1.4 APG, 7.2 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 1.2 BPG,
Team MVP[s]: Nick Thornton
Best Win: 74-58 @ Oklahoma (NCAA Tournament)
Worst Loss: 66-73 @ Wyoming
Notable Graduates: Nick Thornton
This was Coach S.'s 14th season and 1st with Butler. His overall record sits at 297-221.
Coach S. is currently 6-4 in the NCAA Tournament. This was his first Elite Eight appearance.
I love the Nick Thornton story. Even if I only had him for a year, the walk-on to 1st Team All-Conference and team star story must've been a NCAA Tournament narrative.

[Wayne23]

Elite Eight! WOW!!!

[Zingo]

October 31, 2037, 8:46PM Coach S.'s House

"What do you think, do I look scary?" Amy asked as she came out of the room in her werewolf costume striking a pose with her mouth open and claws out.

Coach S. looked at here and feigned an expression of freight, "Like, zoinks man!" he said, doing his best Shaggy impression, despite being dressed as a vampire.

She chuckled and kissed him. It had been a lovely past few months getting to know Amy better. Not only did their mutual love of basketball bring them together, but so did all of their other shared activities like gaming, cooking, hiking, and watching old horror films. Coach S. just appreciated having something to think about when he wasn't in basketball and Amy certainly made his life better. He hoped she felt the same way. They smiled at each other and walked down the street
into the Autumn air while holding hands. It was a brief walk to the Butler Dean's house (yes, the Dean) for a Halloween party, where Coach S. had been invited because of the team's success the past year.

They walked and talk about various things, mostly current events and plans for the upcoming holiday season (November/December). Neither of them had really talked about the upcoming basketball season though. Despite being in the same city, it was going to be difficult to get together during the season. It would be a stressful time for both of them. With renewed expectations Coach S. was told he had to win the Conference this season. Meanwhile Amy was hoping her team could make the push so that she could potentially be considered for some head coaching positions. They strolled up to the party where lights were flashing and the sight of Halloween was evident. It wasn't look before they ran into the Dean



"Coach S., Coach Oliver! So glad you could make it," said the Dean, who was wearing a devil costume.

"A bit on brand with the devil costume there, eh Dean?" Coach S. joked.

The Dean and a few of his cronies surrounding him gave an overexaggerated, obviously fake laugh.

"Oh Coach S., always the charismatic one. Let me introduce you to a few people..." the dean said, putting his arm around Coach S.

Coach S. made sure to bring Amy in with him during the introductions. They were a couple after all and he didn't want her to just stand idlily by like a lost dog while he had to yuk it up with some execs. Although come to think of it and knowing how droning this conversations could be, he wasn't sure if he was actually doing her a favor or not.

Amy was tough to read sometimes. She had definitely changed since her graduate assistant days, she'd become more free, less rigid and more determined to be herself. He supposed that came with not being in an entry level position where you were at the bottom of the coaching totem pole, but he was glad to see it nonetheless. He had felt the same way back in his San Jose days but now he felt he was maturing into himself too. Guess you never really stop growing in life, Coach S. thought.

After chatting for a bit they finally had a fleeting moment alone before someone else engaged them in conversation. The inevitable price of success at a program like this was that everyone wanted to know you Coach S. thought. Basketball was almost always the subject, occasionally business marketing and partnerships and on rare occasions people plugging their younger kid as someone to "keep an eye on" in high school. After a few other conversations on these various topics they finally managed to break away to the backyard where they looked up at the stars together in a grass just beyond the wrought iron fence that contained the pool and rest of the party. Neither of them were anti-social, but they needed a chance to speak alone given the bombardment they faced at the party.



"Do you think we'll be alright next year even if we're both busy with the season?" Coach S. asked her nervously, turning to face her on his side.

"I think so," she said, still looking up at the stars. "We've known each other for years, even if we have to spend a few months where it's more difficult to meet up, we should be fine."

Coach S. wasn't so sure. In the spur of the moment, perhaps compelled by the Spirit of Halloween, he asked her, "will you move in with me?"

She looked at him and let out a short laugh, "I can't just move in with you... we've only been dating for a few months and I have my apartment in Indianapolis still."

"I know but like you've said, we've known each other for years and this just feels... right. Like we were two characters in a story being drawn together."

She let out a brief chuckle again, "You say the wildest things..." she paused for a brief moment before smiling at him and biting her lip, "alright I'll move in with you."

Coach S. got up a screamed "Yes, whoo-hoo!"

Amy just laughed and pulled him back down to the ground.

"Owww, I think you made me chip a fang," he joked.

[Zingo]

January 29, 2038, 1:02PM Butler Men's Basketball Coach's Office

Coach S. sat in his office talking with some of the assistant coaches before he laid back in his chair as their meeting finished. He took a moment to review the year thus far. It had been a solid one for the most part, especially given the staff losses incurred in the office season. He'd been wrong about Ted Cook so far though. The kid was a substitute his freshman year, but was frequently causing problems with the other guys. Despite being a top prospect, Coach S. was re-evaluating his future with the team. While he did lose staff this offseason, he did have someone in his coaching tree go on to become a head coach. His former first assistant coach, Cody Fueger had led the Buffalo Bulls to a 10-9 start, not bad for his first season. Meanwhile the new first assistant coach, Erik Woodley, had brought in some amazing recruits and had the team's defense looking as sharp as ever.

Coach S. wasn't worried about too many teams in the conference. The biggest issue was Creighton though. They'd already lost one game to the #9 AP Ranked Powerhouse, who were 17-3 so far this season. Creighton were beatable, but they were definitely the biggest challenge in the league and on the road to a conference title.

Meanwhile he felt as though his team wasn't getting nearly enough credit. No pre-season tournament invitation, despite the Elite Eight and semifinal conference finishes, and no AP Ranking at all this season, despite the fact that they had beaten teams that were ranked, and now they had one of the best Net rantings in the league. Coach S. knew that this team was quite good and he believed this kids were going to surprise some people in March if their efforts kept flying by unnoticed. They just had to keep winning games.

Top Players (this season):
David Edward (C): 11.7 PPG, 1.6 APG, 7.8 RPG
Kendrick Davis (SG): 15.7 PPG, 2.9 APG, 3.8 RPG
Keith Kraft (C/PF): 7.5 PPG, 3.4 APG, 6.9 RPG


Current Record: 14-4 (7-2)
70.9 PPG, 61.6 OPPG, 18.2 APG, 35.7 RPG, NET 14

[Zingo]

March 12, 2038, 8:56PM Butler Men's Basketball Facility, Selection Sunday

Coach S. sat in the armchair gripping the sides tightly. It was a disappointing finish to the regular season. Ted Cook was a total bust. Constantly acting out and earning the ire of his teammates and the coaching staff, he ended up being cut in February after multiple second chances. The team still managed a Top 3 Regular season conference finish and Conference Tournament finalists. Coach S. just hoped they could close it out. He noticed Kendrick Davis sitting next to him, nervously staring at the screen in anticipation.

"You ready for this tournament?" Coach S. said with a warm smile.

"I guess so Coach, just worried we won't be able to replicate last year."

"Don't think that way. You've done great this year. Even if a game our two hasn't gone our way, we can still win when it matters most. I'll be looking to you to put up points."

"Wow, thanks for setting to bar high coach," he grinned.

"Hey, you know my expectations!"

The team had finished 22-10 but suffered a crushing loss 66-84 in the Conference finals to Connecticut. Coach S. figured their record would be enough, but they didn't seem like a lock this year. Suddenly the program lit up as the announcer began stating who would be attending the NCAA Tournament this season.

The team waited awhile to be called before Coach S. and the group breathed a collective upon it being announced that "#7 Butler would be playing #10 South Carolina." Second consecutive year as the seven seed.

Coach S. jumped to his feet and addressed the room, "The name of the game all year has been defense. Let's keep up our stonewall and prevent them from getting anything on us!"



Tournament Information
March 17, 2038: Butler 22-10 (7) v.s. South Carolina 18-12 (10)
This is Butler's 21st NCAA Tournament appearance and second with Coach S.
This is Coach S.'s sixth NCAA Tournament bid and ninth post-season tournament bid in his career.

[Zingo]

April 15, 2038, 3:55PM Butler Men's Basketball Coach's Office

Coach S. was finishing up his call with Amy. She was going to be running a bit late tonight because of a few interview with DePaul for the head coaching position. "Wishing you all the best babe!" Coach S. said. "Thanks honey, fingers crossed this is the one." She'd had a few interviews with some of the regional schools. Her Indiana Hoosiers made the Elite Eight of the NCAAW tournament, a massive improvement from last year, so she was one of the prime assistant coaches that many teams had on their radar for the head coaching spot. He hoped she got something good, but just something that wasn't too far, as selfish sounding as that was.

The season had, overall, been a modest success. Butler made the Sweet 16 before falling to #3 seed Gonzaga 88-80, but had an impressive, headline capturing victory over #2 seed Memphis 81-66 in the Round of 32. The team played solid defensive ball and was led on offense by senior Kendrick Davis, who averaged over 15 PPG.

Coach S. fell short of the Board's goal to win the conference, but he was sure he'd satisfied all of their other expectations. It was another year of solid Butler basketball, but he real wanted to push this team to the next level and challenge for a championship.

Final Record: 24-11 (13-7)
73.5 PPG, 67.7 OPPG, 18.6 APG, 35.7 RPG, NET 25



An asterisk denotes a starter. Keith Kraft was starting PF.

Coach S. checked on the incoming prospects. This was a big year and with the number of outgoing seniors and incoming freshmen, he felt like it would finally be his team now, no more real holdovers from the prior years.

Chad McMillian was a Top 5 performer at the Indy Elite Camp and the Top Performer at the Chicago Revue. There was also Wayne Watkins, who was a Top 10 performer at Indy. Both were ranked in the Top 50 Nationally and certainly had a lot to offer the program. Barring unexpected performance or disciplinary issues, both should be major stars for the program. He just hoped neither of them were the next Ted Cook, a subpar substitute with discipline issues who'd end up being cut within the first season. Speaking of which, Kerry Young was the latest recruit to come in, being offered in March after Cook was cut. Coach S. hoped he could eventual transform into a playmaker. DuJuan Lytle and Jacob Waters were Top 5 and Top 10 respectively Chicago Revue and Coach S. had no doubt that they would transform into future contributors to the team even if they needed more time potentially. Then again, he'd been wrong before. In any event, this class looked fantastic on paper and he just hoped that they could deliver and usher in an even more successful era for this program.


Butler Men's Basketball Recruit Class 2038

Other Notable Facts From the Season:
NCAA Final: Oklahoma (69) over Maryland (54). Oklahoma claims their second NCAA Tournament Title in School History. Maryland missed out on what would have been their second title.
Big East Championship Game: UConn (84) over Butler (66)
All-Conference 1st Team: Kendrick Davis SR, SG: 15.1 PPG, 2.6 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG
All-Conference 2nd Team: David Edward SR, C: 10.4 PPG, 1.6 APG, 7.2 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Team MVP[s]: Kendrick Davis
Best Win: 81-66 @Memphis (#11) (NCAA Tournament)
Worst Loss: 84-66 @ UConn (Conf. Tournament)
Notable Graduates: Kendrick Davis, David Edward, Keith Kraft
This was Coach S.'s 15th season and 2nd with Butler. His overall record sits at 321-232.
Coach S. is currently 8-5 in the NCAA Tournament.

[Zingo]

July 3, 2038, 12:49PM Winfield, Indiana

"Zach, where are you taking me?" said Amy, blindfolded, smiling excitedly.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Coach S. replied.

They'd been dating for one and a half years now and things certainly moved quickly. They moved in together around November of last year, had already met each other's families, and celebrated each other's successes while consoling their failures. Coach S. had always been happy with Amy and she was happy with him. However, now Amy was moving to DePaul, having received the job to be the Head Coach of the DePaul Women's Basketball Team (an achievement they've already celebrated drinking copious amounts of champagne and dancing around their apartment in their underwear). While they planned on staying together, it was going to add an additional challenge to their relationship. And while things were very good they weren't perfect. Often, the strain of coaching placed pressure on their relationship when they couldn't see each other as often.

"Alright, you can take your blindfold off."

Amy lifted her blindfold off to see she was standing outside of a large house, "what is this?"



"Its our new home," Coach S. said, "If you don't like it we can always re-list it, but I figured it'd be something that could work for both of us. It is closer to you than it is to me..."

"I love it!" she said as she embraced him.

"Let's take a look inside," Coach S. said, holding her hand and leading her in.

They stepped inside of the house only to be greeted by several old faces. All old coaches and players from their time with the program along with faces of their friends and family greeted them with warm smiles. They stood waiting in anticipation as Coach S. turned to Amy and got down on one knee.

"Amy, when you first joined our team all those years ago, I had no idea as to the impact you would have in my life... but throughout these years we've never failed to stay in touch and your messages constantly made my life better. When we had the chance to reconnect in Indianapolis, I had lost a part of myself and you helped me rediscover what is important of life. You make me better and I only hope I do the same for you. I know it hasn't been perfect, but love never is, and I just want to spend the rest of my life with you discovering and growing our love, here in this home. Amy Oliver, will you marry me?"

The entire house waited in anticipation as they turned to Amy. She had tears welling in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Yes, Zachary, yes!"

The crowd erupted on celebration as everyone began jubilantly dancing around and cheering while Coach S. and Amy kissed and he placed the ring on her finger. They partied well into the night in the unfurnished home, recalling old experiences and stories and enjoying the occasion. Coach S. had celebrated many achievements in his life, but this was definitely the highlight. He was so happy him and Amy would be spending the rest of their lives together.

Author's Note: When I first introduced Amy I had not intended on hooking her up with Coach S. However as time developed, I felt it made sense for the story and to add some interesting flavor. They were both parties in uncovering a big scheme in Fordham and remained in touch through the years up to when Coach S. arrived in Indiana where she talked some sense and deflated his growing ego. I felt as though I could have written this better, especially with Coach S. doing a better job supporting her goals and interests, but then again, this is supposed to be his story. So overall I am mostly content with how it came out.