The Herd with Colin Cowherd - All Ball - Bad Dwight Howard/Lakers Vibes; Ty Lue Laker Regrets; Guest: UC Irvine HC Russell Turner On Building An NCAA Tourney Giant Killer

Episode Date: August 22, 2019

This week, Gottlieb looks at the odd fit if Dwight Howard signs with the Lakers, why Ty Lue must have some regrets on passing on the Lakers head coach now that he's coming on board with the Clippers as an Asst. on the Clippers, and talks with UC Irvine Head Coach Russell Turner about jhis basketball journey from D III star, to coaching with Don Nelson during Steph Curry's rookie year, his decision to take the UC Irvine job, and their upset win over Kansas State as a 13 seed in this year's tournament. Make sure you download, rate and subscribe here to get the latest All Ball Podcasts! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Clivert Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

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Call 833-3-1-7-4-6-73 or live chat at calhope.org today. Hey, welcome in. It's the all-ball podcast. I'm Doug Gottlieb, and you can check out the Doug Gottlieb show every day, 3-6 Eastern Time, 12-2-3 Pacific. Thanks so much for joining me. My guest this week is the head coach at UC Irvine. They just finished 31 and 6, 15-1 in the Big West, when their first ever NCAA tournament game, they took down Big 12 champion Kansas State. We'll catch up with Russ Turner in a moment. I did want to share with you a couple of different hoop thoughts. I found one thing to be ironic. You know, like you're having all these guys pull out of Team USA to play in the World Cup, and yet here DeMarcus Cousins gets hurt, you know, playing in an individual workout. And you see all these guys playing, you know, should you double team in open run? You know, that's a discussion in the NBA.

How about, I don't understand why you wouldn't go play for Team USA. Like, I just, it baffles my mind this idea that you want to stay fresh and resting. yet every video has these guys working out every day, playing ball every day. You wouldn't want to represent your country. And by the way, do it in China where you can build your brand. It doesn't seem like the smartest marketing plan in the world. Nonetheless, that's kind of the world in which we live in. There is something interesting about Dwight Howard.

So Dwight Howard's out there and available, and most Laker fans are kind of spitting up in their mouth because they're like, man, maybe we have to sign Dwight Howard in order to replace DeMarcus cousins. and I was thinking about that Seinfeld where they called George Costanza, Can't stand you! And that's the thing with Dwight Howard. Now, a lot of it's gone bad since the end of the Orlando run, but I mean, I have friends in the NBA. I have guys I know with the Washington Wizards who told me that last year they called

all of his previous coaches and every one of them said, like, you know, he's super talented, but he just guys don't like him, doesn't get along with anybody. And it's this weird place where I do think that culture matters. I do think, you know, Carmelo's not being blackballed. Carmelo just can't accept a role that he'd have. And I'm not even sure what that role would be because even though he can still score, it's more mid-range scoring.

And he needs to be a volume guy and he's not, he can't play defense. And then he doesn't buy into the role that he has. So, you know, it's like Iverson who retired early. You almost feel like this guy's career is over and doesn't know. it. Dwight Howard might be in the same space. And I wonder, I think he's going to get into the basketball Hall of Fame. I mean, the numbers are incredible. But numbers belie.

He's had good numbers everywhere he's been since he left Orlando. And yet he hasn't been able to get along with anybody, which tells you that, you know, whether it's the Lakers or the Rockets underachieving or, you know, how quickly the Hornets wanted to get rid of him or Atlanta, his hometown team, Like all these teams, I could not wait to get rid of him after getting him. What does it say about him? So I know the Lakers are sitting there going like, look, we don't have a lot of options. But if the option is Dwight Howard who can't seem to fit in everywhere he's been,

you're like, well, maybe he'll make, because he makes less money, he'll buy in. I just don't see it. I don't feel it. I don't feel it. I can't really lie to you. So, you know, I don't. think it's, I think it's going to be fascinating to see what happens with Dwight, what happens with the Lakers. But it's interesting.

Like, we, we go, are we going to do the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame like the, I mean, the basketball Fame? It's not the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame. We're going to do the Baseball Hall of Fame? Is it simply going to be a stat-driven deal? It's a stat-driven deal. Then you put Dwight Howard in and you don't think twice about it. And he was a dominant player for a long time.

But, I mean, we're still, it's still a juice in the tank. And some of it is the NBA has passed and by in terms of style. But he's still putting up numbers. The numbers don't tell you what he really brings. It was just about numbers. He'd be on any of these previous teams. But he's not. Because he's just a hard guy to really love playing with or getting along with.

And I think the Lakers will probably see that. You know, Marcin Gortat and Cody Zeller, those are some of the other options. I wouldn't be surprised if they passed on. on the guy who's the most talented, and he costs you like nothing, in order to get somebody who they feel like fits better. And the Lakers need 18, 20 minutes a game from somebody. And I think that Dwight Howard has 18, 20 minutes a game.

But it's just kind of a weird existence, isn't it? It sure does seem that way. Last thing, before we get to Russ Turner, Ty L.A. Clippers, and while that should be celebrated, because the clippers continue to load up with, you know, bright mind after bright mind. Rex Kalamanian running their defense.

Their front office is spectacular. Their head coach is Doc Rivers, who everybody likes. And now you're bringing a guy who's won NBA championship as an assistant. You know, it's the tit for tat with what the Lakers have. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action, with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

Join me, Keir Gaines, is we have really. Real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the hard way and listen now. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown

and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become

whole. This podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a perimenopausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with the Anna Maria Riva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own.

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They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Cultura podcast network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. But he could have been the head coach of the Lakers. And I know that there, I know that there's a lot of pride there. I don't want three years and $6 million, $18 million or whatever, but could have been head coach to Lakers,

which is more money and granted more stress. He's had some problems dealing with stress. But as much as we can celebrate it for the Clippers for Tailu, that was a job. The Lakers job was a job that if he had he taken it, it had limitless potential. You know, you get to one NBA finals and all of a sudden you get an extension

or you command yourself a huge contract elsewhere whenever you want to leave. and I think turning that down, now he's kind of regressed back to being, he'll still be a viable option, but you could have been the head coach of the Lakers, and there's only one L.A. Lakers. And you have LeBron James. I don't know how, I mean, I think LeBron, I think their roster is pretty good. I don't know how it ultimately plays out, but I would have rather been head coach of

the Lakers and assistant coach of the Clippers, and the money is probably three times as much, at least. Maybe six. Maybe six. Money's not everything, and you've got to be comfortable with what you're doing, and you've got to feel respected, and he'll feel that with the clippers. but he doesn't have more than three-year deal with the clippers. He's not making $6 million with the clippers,

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This is good stuff. Russell Turner is, for full disclosure, I coach his son in AAU. Son Darius is a great kid. Really interesting guy, super bright, big center when he played Division III basketball, one of the great Division III basketball players of his era, maybe of any era. Look at his stats. It's crazy. The Hamden Sydney.

And he joins me now on the All Ball podcast. Let's welcome him in. He's Russell Turner. He's the head coach of UC Irvine. Of course, they've won four Big West titles. won a game last year in the NCAA tournament and kind of an amazing rise to prominence in college basketball. But Russ, you go back.

Where did you grow up specifically? Oh, thanks for asking, Doug. It's great to be with you on the pilot. I grew up in Rone Oak, Virginia, which is a long way from Irvine, but a great place to grow up. So, like, what's, I mean, I have no idea the basketball scene in Rone Oak, right?

because I know, like I know the DMV, I know the, you know, there's the Hampton Roads area, right? But where exactly is Roanoke and what's the basketball scene like growing up? Well, Roanoke is in southwestern Virginia. So it's actually close to West Virginia and it's closer to Tennessee than it is to Northern Virginia. So it's a pretty rural place. But Roanoke's a working class town. You know, there was a railroad there and a G factory. and I had great coaches there, and they were actually on my high school team.

We had the third best high school team in the nation in my senior year. There were two guys on my team who played in the NBA, and two more who played in the NFL. So I was around some really good athletes going up. Who? Well, George Lynch, who everybody in L.A. knows because he was first round pick of Lakers, was my high school teammate, and went on to North Carolina, and won a national title.

And then Curtis Blair was my high school teammate, and he played briefly in the NBA with Houston after being one of the leaders on Richmond's team when they were a 15-seed and knocked off number two Syracuse. Wow. I remember that. First time I heard their nickname was the Spiders, right? People had an acrofoil. Yeah. And then who are the NFL guys?

We had some players. You know, we weren't a place that was known to be consistently good, but there were really great players in my class. And so I was fortunate and on a great team that helped me get a lot better. Who are the football players? Well, Bernard Basham was one, and he played at Virginia Tech, and went on to play in the NFL for a couple of seasons, and another kid was Melvin Davis, who unfortunately passed away when he's really young, but we had just really excellent athletes throughout my high school at that time.

It hadn't been saying there since, but I came along at the right, I was in the right place the right time. Who's your high school coach? got him Woody Deans and Coach Deans was the type of high school coach who drove a suburban that picked everybody up for practice and then took us home and really invested

more time and energy and love and do his job than just about any other high school coach that we knew of at that time and so he did a great job marketing our team my senior year. We played the Maffa in a huge game in Roanoke and we're able to beat them and in my senior year, we actually also gave Oak Hill Academy their worst loss in their history

because I think people underestimated how good we'd be that year. And you guys were just a public school? Like Patrick Henry was just a public high school that just happened to have this unbelievable team? Yeah, yeah, we were a neighborhood school. In fact, it was one kid who transferred out who made first team Allstate and went on to Virginia Tech. We just happened to have a bunch of guys right from around where I was and we're all pretty daggone good. I can't think of anything that would have been more fortunate for me growing up than that.

So how did you, did you play AAU? Do you guys have the same AAU team? Did you play travel basketball together? Were you just high school? Yeah, we had, it's not like it wasn't men like it is now. It probably wasn't as big, but we came in second in the national tournament. We thought it was a national championship. Penny Hardaway's team from Memphis beat us.

And they had guys who went on to Division I. And I guess we did too, but we weren't nearly as known as they were. So we were kind of an underdog group. So it was fun. It was fun doing all those things. And most of my teammates from high school, there were several others who went on to great careers in college like I was able to do. You know, I chose the right place and played in Division III, but I had a really good experience doing that. Okay, so you went to Hamden, Sydney, which is, you know, it's like the 10th oldest school in the country.

It's unbelievable academic institution. But I mean, and it actually has like a really unique kind of. basketball history as well. And you had a remarkable career, but what was the decision like? Did you have D1 offers? Why did you choose Hamden, Cindy? I mean, I had a couple D1 offers. VMI, so that's Virginia Military Institute for people who don't know, offered me. And Wofford was Division 2, and they offered me. But none of those schools seem to be exactly a good fit. And I hoped, like a lot of kids, to have a chance to play at a higher level and maybe the walk or something. So I wasn't sure. I was really young when I

graduated. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the

action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicleaf 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast. Learn the hard way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience

in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about, about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's

two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search, learn the hard way,

and listen now. story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world. that can feel overwhelming.

The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown

from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game.

His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too.

Steve Nash will get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm only 17 when I graduate. Probably less mature than maybe I could have been.

And I have Sydney coach recruited me really late and probably recruited me harder than anywhere else. And I had some other guys that I knew who were going there. And that's what I chose. But I can't think of a better choice that I've made, even if it wasn't as informed as, you know, maybe I could look back and say it could have been. It was the perfect choice for me because of the coach. And the coach and I were great fits. And Coach Tony Schaver was, you know, played at North Carolina under Dean Smith as primarily

a backup to Phil Ford and Coach Shaver's a Hall of Famer in Virginia and had a great career at Hampton, and a great career at William and Mary. So I got an outstanding coaching education being there at Hampton, Sydney, where I was a real good fit and one of the best guys. Yeah, it's kind of amazing. Okay, so you're 17. Like, what was your, like, did you're, what was the family to do you? decision like in terms of college then? Well, I got an academic scholarship to Hampton, Sydney, and that was going to pay a huge chunk

of my tuition. That wasn't a reason that place was an option for me. So it was just trying to figure out what would fit right, and it seemed like that would. It was only two hours away from home, which at that stage in my life I was comfortable with, and so I made that choice. The thing I remember most is that I had to keep a GPA of three-pointed. three or higher or I'd lose my scholarship. And so I was scared of death of failing to meet that requirement and having to come home.

And that was really good for me as a student because it forced me to be more serious than I probably otherwise would have been at a young age. And so I had to grow up pretty quickly. Well, you end up being magna cum laude, right? So you didn't fall below three three. Did you have any bees in college? If I was going to have to go home doing that, I was going to make sure that I did my work and stayed on top of things.

And it's like a lot of things for me as a student. As I did it well, I then got better. And, you know, that's some of what I try to tell my guys now. I expect of them, you know, this place is hard at UC Irvine. But once you figure it out, you can also figure out how to do better and better. And more things in your life will open up if you can find that success. That's what I did. Okay.

But Hamden City, Virginia is, it's a town of like 1,400 people, and then the school is like 1,100 students. You went to a high school that, I don't know what it was like then, but now it's like 2,000 people in Roanoke's a pretty big-sized city. Like, what was, was there any culture shock? Yeah, there was some, but, you know, if you're from southwestern Virginia, you don't feel, you know, there's much cultural shock doing what I did moving to Ham Sending.

I mean, it's not like there was no town there. The town of Farberville's close. It didn't feel like you were totally out separated from everybody, but the world was different. It was a good place for me to spread my wings and grow. You know, if I'd gone to a bigger place, I probably would have felt intimidated in some ways if I look back on it. You know, really it was a perfect fit for me at the time where I needed to do some maturrence of growing up. And I had great role models to help me with that.

You scored 2,272 points. You were all ODAC four times, all region. three times, all-tournament team three times, two-time All-American. Do you guys win the championship? We won conference championships a couple times. My first season at Ham Cine was the school's first trip to the Insane tournament, so not that different than what we've done here at Irvine. And then my senior year, we advanced in the Insane tournament at good ways,

and I ended up losing to the team that won the title. But one of the things I'm proud of is the program continues. to get better after I was there and got all the way to the point when they played for the Division III National Championship. So that was cool. I mean, it's cool to be a part of the growth of something at Hampton, Sydney.

In some ways, like I feel like I'm part of the growth of something here at Irvine. Oh, I definitely think you're part of the growth of something in Irvine. I want to get to that. The more we learn about COVID-19, the more questions and worries we have. Cal Hope can help with free COVID-19 emotional support.

Call 833-3-3-17 4673 or live chat at calhope.org today. The more we learn about COVID-19, the more questions we have. The biggest question now? What's next? What will COVID bring in six months? A year. If you're feeling anxious about the future, you're not alone.

Calhope offers free COVID-19 emotional support. Call 833-3-373 or live-ex-7-3. chat at calhope.org today. And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the, and there they go. Almost on time this morning. Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-armed kid carry. Looks like dad has the bags. Daughter is bringing up the rear.

Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Dipers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but mom has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And now the eldest daughter who looks to be about nine or ten has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag closed and they're off. Ah, but looks like mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still on the roof of the car. And there it goes. Oh, that's a shame.

That mug was a fan favorite. Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff. Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size. Learn more at nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. Visit nhtsa.com. Gov Slash the right seat

Brought to you by Nitzer and the Ad Council So you get done You get done playing By the way Do you want to know Like So you guys lost to Calvin Is that who he lost to?

No, we lost to Wisconsin Platville Who was coached Bill Ryan Yeah I don't think they won it that year though Ninety-2 They lost to Rochester

In the semifinals They won the third place Oh, did they? Yeah. Well, I got to get my story straight. I thought they'd want it. I know they were the team that beat Hampton, Sydney, in the national championship game a few years later.

I think maybe that, you must be right, if you looked it up. I know they were number one in the country when we played them in the NCAA tournament. It was 92, right? We're talking 19-192? Yeah, yeah, 92. Yeah, 91 they won it. So the year before they won it. They were defending champions.

Okay. Yeah, yeah, and I think you were number one. number one ranked in the tournament when we played them and they beat us. You mentioned Shaver's a Carolina. I got attention after we lost. You mentioned Carolina's the Shaver was a Carolina guy. So is that what you guys ran? Did you guys run the Carolina transition game?

Did you run a run and jump? Like, how did you guys play? Yeah, same. Absolutely the Carolina system. The one that most of the Carolina tree coaches used for a long time. And the components of it still exist at Carolina now. at Dean under Roy Williams. So that was a great education.

And my high school coach had modeled our program in our high school after Carolina. You know, Dean Smith was an icon-type coach in the East Coast like John Wooden was out here. And so it was a great education for me to learn that system from a guy who played in it. And, you know, that's at the root of, you know, my coaching experience now. We use the same defensive calls in our program at Irvine that we use at Hampton, Sydney, that were used by Dean Smith, Carolina. Some of those are the trapping calls, like you mentioned, with the run and jump. Yeah.

So how did you score so much if you guys ran so much? I guess you'd get down, get down the post, and they throw it in you, feed you till you burped? Oh, yeah. I joked it, man, when the ball got to me, it was like throwing the ball out the window. It wasn't coming back. But I shot a really high percentage and never really took dribbles. I had a good feel for getting crafty shots off around the rim. I was fortunate.

I was fortunate to play with great passers. The point guards I played with are the guys who lead to school all-time and assist. I guess I had some part in that, but I was playing with guys who were really good at getting the ball to me in scoring positions. So I just did my thing. So did you have an opportunity to play or you just decided you wanted to go into coaching? Like, what's that because you coached there for a year before moving on to wake? What was that decision like to coach? Yeah, well, you know, I did want to play, but the world was a lot different when I graduated in 92.

I actually had a couple of offers to go overseas, but that was in the middle of the first Gulf War. And one of the offers I had was in Israel, and I was a little bit uncertain about that. you know, not nearly as worldly then as I feel like I am now. And so I decided to go on the teaching and coaching track. And what I did right after graduation was I went to Rome, Georgia. And I taught in a boarding school there and I coach. So I used to joke that, you know, I teach English in Rome, but it was Rome, Georgia, where I spent my first year out of Ham, Sydney,

and worked with a great head coach there and thought maybe I'd be a high school coach or Division III coach. Then I had a chance to go back to Hampton, as an assistant, which was a great opportunity to work with the coach who would coach me. That seemed too good to pass up, so I did that. And then within a year of that, Dave Odom at Wake Forest offered to hire me in large part because I had been a big part of his son's development at Ham Sydney. I was there when we started recruiting his son to Ham Sydney.

And the year I was an assistant there, he was a sophomore, and I helped him kind of emerge through a rough freshman year. And Dave needed a hiring a restricted earnings coach at that time. And so he hired me. And, you know, I was, I think, 22 or 23 years old at the time I went to Wake Forest, and we had Tim Duncan. So just an incredible stroke of luck for me in my career. What was Tim Duncan like?

Oh, man, same as you probably expect. He was at that time he was only 18 years old. I mean, it finished his freshman year and only 18. So he was very young, but obviously, an incredible talent who had done better in his freshman year with before I got there than people had thought. And then the year I was there was the year that he emerged as a sophomore into what was perceived to be the best player in the country. But he was quiet. He was unassuming. He was thoughtful. And he was a great teammate. Just a defensive and rebounding anchor and felt like on any given night we could win because we could control the tempo because of him.

We could rebound because of him, and we'd have a chance in a close game down the stretch. And we got hot with that team his sophomore year and won the ACC for the first time in like 35 years for week four. So it was a great, great experience for me. Was that when Randolph Childress, who did you make fall down? Everybody remembers Randolph, but Tim was a freshman that year, or a sophomore that year. That was the year that Tim really emerged. Yeah, and then you guys went to the NCAA tournament. I think the Sweet 16, right?

Like you beat Chattanooga, Iowa, and then you got pummeled by Kentucky. Okay, so he was... No, that was the year that you got us from Oklahoma State beat us. Well, that was 95. That was... Oh, I said that was sophomore year was 95. That's right.

Yeah, 95. 95 was A&T, beat St. Louis, and lost Oklahoma State. Big Country versus Tim Duncan. What do you remember about that game? Well, I remember... I remember Jason Scare, who you probably remember, nobody else does, banked in a three from the wing. So it was like a luck shot.

And I think you might have even made another one later that were backbreakers. But we, you know, we were heavily favored in that game. We were on a huge win streak. We were the number one seed. But in close games in the NCAA tournament, you know, a player two year and there can change it. And Oklahoma State outplayed us is what I remember. and that was just a huge disappointment to everybody at Wake on the heels of just a historic run that we had made.

So it felt like we had done something incredible, but then fallen short when the chips were most down. So it was really disappointing loss. But then we also thought we were going to be back. And with them coming back, we thought we were going to be good, and we were close to being a number one seed type of next year, but we never really made the run in the NCAA tournament that we all hoped to make.

What did you learn from Dave Odom? Oh, man, Dave. Dave was a great leader and an incredible contrast to the style of play that we had used in what I say is the Carolina system at Hampton, Sydney. He couldn't have been really more different than that. And so those styles in opposition was just a great education for me. but Dave had a toughness and an underdog mentality about him and a leadership ability and set of qualities that were difference-making. He was just outstanding in his ability to drive and focus our team.

He focused on fundamentals, you know, I say all the time, pass and catch the ball. Dave used to say that over and over again, which seems so simple that's almost stupid, but we worked on passing and catching the ball. and we're great because we could control games and control tempo. And we did it real differently, you know, with a slow pace than the Carolina system where you're trying to play fast.

So it was just great to work for him. I'm so thankful for what he's, you know, taught me in my career. It's interesting because my brother actually was first talking about passing and catching. He always mentioned that Sean Miller talks about passing and catching a ton. And so obviously, you know, I get to coach your son some. And, you know, when you, I remember I, I moved out here to Orange County. This was like back home like two years ago and I took my son to a workout and they're doing Euro steps and all this stuff.

And I was, I was like, well, where's the, and so the guy who's run the workout is a great dude. He works out NBA guys. Yeah. And he's like, what do you think? And I was like, well, where's the passing and the catching and the pivoting? He's like, should we do that? Right. Right.

Like, yeah. Like, and it's the, it's, it's, it's just like math, right? Like you can't, you can't do high-level math if you don't know how to do addition, subtraction, multiplication, right? Like, you can't do radio unless you know kind of the X's and O's of executing radio. But somehow the simplicity, and I know that I want to get to coaching with Mike Montgomery, he's big simplicity in execution, right? But just the simplicity of like, hey, passing and catching, like, I do this thing with kids.

And I do with my teach coach older guys where I say, you know, what's the golden rule? And they always say, you know, do unto others as they do unto you. Like, all right, well, give them a good fucking pass too, right? It's the same thing, right? Do you want a bad pass? Do you want one that's below your knees? Like, no, well, like, give somebody a good pass.

If you want to get a good pass, give them a good pass. Because if you can't pass, you can't catch cleanly, it's going to hurt your shooting percentage. You don't shoot the ball well. Your coach not going to let you shoot and change everything you do. But it is, it's interesting that he's a big passing and catching guy. Why? You left and you went to stand. Stanford. Was that when Dave left? Why did you leave Wake in 2000?

No, no. My story in coaching is interesting for this. My wife graduated from medical school at Wake, and she was number one in her class in medical school. And so she basically got to choose where she would match as a resident. And the matching process means that, you know, the place that you pick and picture you is where you go. She chose, as her top two choices, University of California, San Francisco, and Stanford. So we knew at the end of the season we were going to move to California. We just didn't know which school she was going to be at for her residency. So I picked up and moved out here with her

and gave up what was my dream job at Wake Forest in a huge gamble career-wise. And, you know, that was not probably something that made sense to a lot of people and looking back on it, it's just incredibly fortunate how it worked out for me, I ended up on Monty's staff at Stanford, but that was only after I was briefly coaching women's basketball at University of San Francisco. I was an assistant coach for the women's team there before Monty hired me to come on to Stanford in like an administrative assistant role, which is not much more than a secretary. So you're what? So your wife's like, wait, so wait, so your wife is like, hey, we're moving to California, deal with it. Well, no, we made the decision to roll the dice there.

You know, I thought that the level she was operating at, and her career was even higher than where I was at that point in mind. And so I probably had some overconfidence. I'd go out to California and find something good and did the best I could and ended up somehow through another great stroke of luck at Stanford, where they had a team that was nearly number one in the country or was the number one in the country the first year I was with them.

Who did you coached? Who'd you coach with and how long at San Francisco? Mary Howell Netful, who's the all-time leading score at San Francisco in women's basketball. She hired me when her husband retired, and she and her husband had been the co-head coaches. And so she hired me to be her assistant when he left. It was a weird sort of situation. But it was a good situation, you know, given the fact that we were trying to live in San Francisco, I need to make some cash.

The experience coached The women was good for me. I enjoyed it. It was unusual. It was foreign in some ways. But I'm glad that I did it. And then, you know, I had the opportunity pretty quickly after getting that job and then go to Stanford.

So I did. So you're at Stanford. And then what was Monty like? You know, like now you've, you know, you had Tony Shaver and the Carolina background. You have Dave Odom. Now you're out, West Coast. Monty's a different, he's just a different dude, a different, completely different style.

What was your takeaway from coaching with Monty? Well, I mean, yeah, Monty is a different guy, but in a lot of great ways, like the style that he has, was formed, I guess, by Judd Heathcote, and through, you know, the time he was in Montana with those guys, and that's, again, very different from what Dave was at Wake Forest and very different than what the Carolina system

was. So it was just an additional education for me to see what made them good. They were good very, very differently than the two other places I'd been. And, you know, Moni's a tough guy to work for in terms of him and being really smart and really demanding. And there couldn't have been a challenge that more excited me at the time than trying to figure out how to make it there. You know, I had to learn what he thought and what he wanted and learn this new offense that everybody there thought was so incredibly difficult. It was a great immersion for me. But the thing that I saw pretty quickly is that we won there at Stanford more because of our defense than our offense,

which had been the same case at Wake. And that's been a huge influence on me. So I think I learned a tremendous amount from Mike. And I'm so grateful to him because he told me the first time I met him, he said, Russ, you know, I probably won't ever be able to hire you here at Stanford. And I thought that to be right. but then somehow lucked up and ended up with him and then getting carried by him into the NBA,

which is another incredible break. So you guys go to the NBA, and you're in the NBA for six years. What was that experience like? Yeah, I mean, just unbelievably positive for me. Going with Mike was just a great, you know, great opportunity. You know, this program at Stanford had been so stable for so long that we didn't really anticipate a change like that,

I was incredibly impressed with Mike taking that risk in his own career. It felt a little bit like the risk I took and moved him across country, but he just moved into a different industry in the NBA. And immediately I wanted to go with him. I wanted that challenge. I wanted to see what I could learn there and do there. And he gave me a great opportunity as an assistant coach because he had me doing everything that the other assistants were doing,

And even though as a basketball coach in the NBA, I wasn't qualified yet because I hadn't been there. So the learning curve was incredibly steep. And trying to coach NBA players when you've not had exposure to the NBA is a tough sled because those guys are the most intelligent players in the world. They've been coached by the best guys consistently throughout their careers. So if you're not sure of what you're doing, you're not going to make much progress. So I had to get up that curve really quickly. But I love the NBA. And anybody who would coach the NBA would love it.

Why? What's it like to coach Baron Davis? Because I always feel like Barron it was a guy who was maybe a little too smart for his own good, right? Like he was very, very, like he should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer. Like he has that level of talent. But there's something, there's just these gaping holes in his career resume. What was that experience like? I mean, it was, you know, exciting and rewarding to coach a guy as talented and smart as Baron is.

You know, the best players with the best minds are the ones that are the biggest challenges to coach. And that's true whether it's Gallic Baron or a guy like Steph Curry, who have had the, you know, a great fortunate coach or guy like Tim Duncan who have had the great fortunate coach. You got to try to figure out how to connect with those guys and have a positive influence on them and it's always different. I learn more from Barron maybe than anybody because he is so thoughtful, he's opinionated, and he's expressive. So watching his career unfold in the time I was with him

was really just fun. It was fun to be a part of. I mean, every day was different with him. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines.

We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you closer to the action. with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the, the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important

to be a good person while you hear on earth or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keel. gains is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore.

the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. We explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, This podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defining the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves,

I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night bases on offense.

And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the fly. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball. Like, after you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

But he taught me a lot. I mean, he taught me more about pick and roll basketball from the perspective of the big guys than any other player that I can think of. and, you know, a huge part, as you know, Doug, if you're handling the ball in a pick and roll and you're working with a good operator who's set in picks, you're going to be really good. I think that's one thing I learned from Barron is how to teach guys better what to do

in a lot of different situations. So I'm grateful to everything I experience and coaching with him. And like a lot of people, I also probably think there could have been more for him, maybe. And that's not a criticism, but that's sort of the way you feel about everything.

I mean, can you get more out of this whole thing? And, you know, I love the time I spent with Barron. I got some great, great memories of the 2017, the We Believe team that we share together. Yeah, that was an amazing, amazing group. Don, you hung on through, Don Nelson became the next coach. What was Nellie like? Man, Nellie, yeah, just a fascinating person, Nellie is. he's got the, I mean, if there ever is a basketball genius, I'd say he'd be one of them.

There may be a few. But in terms of having the experience and knowledge and insight, I mean, he said and did things that I never would have thought, you know, would make any sense. And somehow there was always a nugget I could get from watching Nellie. And we had so much fun. I mean, you know, the four years I spent with Nellie were the funnish years, had in my life because he knew that in the NBA you had to be really good but you also had to make it through the season and there were components of making it through the season that were related to

having a good time so we got that right and then watching him in the playoffs in 2007 I got a cleanse of him at his very best and that was fascinating I mean to see how good how well a guy could do it on the coaching side of this business he did it that well then I don't know that we were the most consistent staff, but that short period of time, we were the best I've ever seen. What, what specifically about it was so good? Well, Nellon's ability to see things from the players' perspective and then apply his incredible experience is just different. And it's hard to really describe that quickly.

There's all these little things, though, that we would, he would say and that we would, would work on. He would say if you switch, you must not. And that's obvious. But it never heard anybody say that. He would say you have to flop against the flopper, which also is obvious. But nobody really would think that way or teach that. We would always attack mismatches with the small and the big. And so that's a Nelly, you know, he figured that up for everybody else did, I guess. There's a million little things like that. that you've got to sort of experience to understand. And the thing that made Nellie so great is we try anything.

He would try anything. And real often the things we tried didn't work, but also real often the things we tried did work. So I came out of the number of years in games with Nellie, feeling like I had experienced more different things than were even possible. So it was great. I mean, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the time that we spent together. for all sorts of different little reasons like that.

Steph Curry walks in the door as a rookie. Your initial impression was what? Well, when we drafted him, there was not a consensus that Steph Curry was going to be a great NBA player. Nellie was adamant that he could be a superstar. And so we picked him, I think it was seventh, but there had to be three point guards taken before him for him to fall for us. And that's what the whole organization was hoping would happen. So that's the, you know, just an incredible story of luck there.

I think it was Tyreek Evans, Johnny Flynn, and Ricky Rubio were all selected before Steph. It's a big game. He was, you know, physically underdeveloped for the NBA. He was young looking, and he was also a guy that seemed a little green, you know, for the business of the NBA. But much like Tim Duncan is, he's an incredible teammate. He's got a great brain for the game. and he has a desire to be good that's just different.

So watching him trying to figure it out was fascinating. We had a kid on the team. I said, kid, I'm thinking like college. We had a guy on a team named Anthony Morrow that year that we all said was the best shooter in the NBA at that time. He made it out of Georgia Tech. He was undrafted. We took him out of Summer League.

But he was also from that part of the country. So we had a group of young guys who worked every day, and Morrow was able to shoot at a level that, was close to Chris Mullen. And Chris Mullen was, of course, the best shooter in the organization at the time. And so, Steph, becoming what he became, started then, and I got to see that early and watch him work to become the type of ball handler and shooter that he's now become.

And, you know, just haven't been witnessed to where that all started. There's something I'm grateful for. I'll never forget. When we went to Madison Square Garden the first time, There was an arena that Steph most wanted to play and play well in. Nellie was so hard on Steph that game. I think he played like four minutes or something in that game. You know, Steph just wouldn't allow that sort of setback to affect them negatively,

affecting them positively and made him drive and improve and work harder. That's always how it goes with guys who end up exceeding expectations the way Steph has. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a four-year-old. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure.

And they see you. Their fearless guide through this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you. Their fearless guide through this fascinating world.

Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic enough people know about and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinnuity host of the new podcast Navigating Adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts. Visit AdoptuSkids.org slash podcast or subscribe to navigating adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Act Council. All right. So, so, so Russ, you're in the NBA.

You're coaching with Don Nelson. What made you want to get into college coaching as a head coach? Well, you know, every coach I think, you know, aspires to being a head coach at some level. And I was in an interesting position in the NBA because it appeared that our team was going to get sold. And there was going to be a lot of change. And, you know, the opportunity at Irvine was available in the AD. At the time, Mike Izzy and I had worked together at Stanford. So the opportunity to possibly come here, establish a program and identity,

and have a place like this to be with my family was just really appealing. And I'm glad I made the move now. You know, the first couple of years I wasn't certain about that because leaving the NBA is a big change and a big move. And not many guys who get to that level decide to go another place, but I think that's been a good decision for me. So you get to, when you took the job, had you been to UCI's campus? I don't know.

I don't remember how it worked in terms of your interview. You know, I knew that the coach that was in place before me was at the end of his contract, and I knew there was a possibility of an opening. So yeah, I made to drive through campus, but I didn't really know that much about it. I knew mainly the AD was new and was trying to establish, you know, something. And, you know, now looking back, we've done everything at that time we set out to do. But it's a leap of faith a little bit, and it's, it was one on his part. It's one on my part.

And I'm glad we both made that leap, and I'm glad it's worked out the way it has. But I wasn't very familiar with the Irvine or the Big West. I want to make the jump. So, like, I've always thought you get to that campus. And, look, it's an incredible campus. Oh, yeah. Nowadays, especially. Right, you're right, but it's one of those deals where you,

I'm sure you showed up and they have a nice arena. And, you know, the facilities, you know, the lockerums are okay or whatever, but at that level, and I know you're coming from the NBA, so it's just a hard evaluation. But you had to, in some level think, okay, like, what is, how are we not, how are they not winning here? I'm just wondering, like, what do you remember about going through your head about your initial impressions of UCI?

Well, I remember thinking that the potential was outstanding. because of the location, because of the quality of the education in the UC system, it didn't make sense to me why they hadn't been better in their recent history. It was hard to figure that out from the perspective I had, which was a really limited perspective. But I also thought when I looked at the league that because the only team that was going to make the tournament was the tournament winner, that was a fair amount of parity. And that's proven to be true. You know, the Big West rep to the Insane tournament's been different so many times recently

that every school has a shot. That was initially my thought process because I knew that UCI had never made the Insane tournament. So I thought that that was obvious to be the ultimate goal at the time, along with trying to build sustainable success, but I thought it would be doable. And it turns out all those thoughts at the time were right, but the journey it's been. you know, it's not been smooth. It was one that we had to work really hard to, you know, make changes gradually and make some changes real significantly right away. So it's been good. I mean, but there's no job like this as easy. This one has a lot to it, though, and I still think there's

room for us to grow. What was that first team like? Well, we were a veteran team. So when I came here, they made me believe that we were set up to win right away. And I can see now, looking back why they said that, because we had talent. We had, you know, some veteran guys, some veteran guards. But the culture wasn't there. We didn't have a, we didn't have a tightly knit group. We didn't have a group that was really competitive like we are now, that was really committed like we are now. So we were a lot further from winning, I think, that I understood then or that the people who brought me here understood then. And so we had to make some changes. and we had to develop an identity.

None of that was in place. The identity was not in place here. And so I think that's the most critical thing in a college program is having an identity for your program. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source. the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories,

their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments

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At this stage, we've got that. And I want to guard that very carefully. So how did you go about, how did you go about, like, implementing that? Like, what are the steps? You know, somebody's going to build it and you inherit somebody else's program, a veteran team, what are the steps that you took in order to, uh, in order to build kind of that culture? You know, I can look back and name them easily now,

but it was maybe a little bit harder to see this at the time. The first thing I wanted was to have guys who wanted to be here and would be bought in to the things we were asking to do. And then we had to decide how we're going to build the team, where we're going to try to get transfers, whether they be from, you know, Juco situations or other places, or were we going to recruit high school kids and try to commit to player development.

That was the route we chose. We're going to take high school kids and be a player development type program. And we had to sort of set out what we envisioned our style of play to be. When I got here, I was the biggest guy on the team. That's one thing I remember. I mean, I was the biggest guy in the program. And we set out very quickly to change that, in part based on what I'd seen at Stanford and Wake Forest. and my thinking that we could commit to that with high academic standards and make it work.

So we did that, and then we hit some singles early on in recruiting by getting guys who were undervalued, and then we pretty quickly hit a couple home runs with some of the big guys that we got. And when we did that, we turned the corner. Who was the guy? Who was the turn-the-corner recruit? I mean, I think Mamadu is the one that people would point to. I remember you getting better, you know, I think it was your third year. You know, I thought, you know, Will Davis was. You're on the right track.

You know, Eric Wise was the best player when I got here. And so he transferred after my first year to USC and ended up having a really good career. You played for my dad. Yeah, he played for my dad. Okay, yeah. Right, right. And the guy that we got, because Eric left when he left, was Will Davis. And around the same time, we got a kid named Mike Best.

It was a 6-10 kid who was underdeveloped, but became very good. We got a commitment from a point guard named Alex Young, who nobody had ever heard up. And that kid had no offers. He was from a small town, Phoenix, Oregon. And that kid became the all-time leader in assists and wins here at UC Irvine. So that was really the group that we brought in that got us going. But the guys that we had at the beginning and that we kept from the team, that Pat Douglas had were equally important.

One of those guys on my staff now, Mike Wilder, all our fans remember him because it was Afro. But Mike became the embodiment of what we want our program to be in terms of being a committed guy who gets a lot better and figures out a way to play a role because he's really competitive. He did all those things. He ended up being an all-conference guy at Power 4. He's only 6'1.

So those guys get a lot of the credit. And then the recruiting class that changed at all was when we got Mom at it. And we didn't just get Mamba due in that class. We got Janice DiMocopoulos. It was a 7'2 Greek kid. And we got Luke Nelson, who's from England, and he went on to be the player of the year in our league. So that class was the one that really changed.

I think everybody's outlook about what we could be. 2015, you guys actually kind of stumbled into the Big West tournament, right? Like, you lost to Santa Barbara in the Thunderdome. You got blown out by David. last game of the year. You got to beat 19 by UC Davis. Yeah, yeah, you got to go dodge the cow patties and go play UC Davis. And so you go to Anaheim as a team that had really played, you know, great basketball in kind of the middle of the year. What do you remember about that tournament that you, your first Big West tournament that you won?

You beat Riverside. You had that war against Santa Barbara that you won in overtime. and then you ultimately beat Hawaii to go to the NCAA tournament. Yeah, you know, so what I remember, we've been injured a lot that year, and the previous year to that we had won the conference championship in the regular season, but it got an upset in the tournament by Cal Poly. And so those experiences are impactful for programs and for players. So I think all of our team knew that we needed to gear up for the tournament. I mean, we've always known that, but haven't actually done.

experience is different. So we knew we got a fresh start with that tournament, but we knew there were teams in our league who were as good as we were. Santa Barbara is a great example. I mean, I vividly remember the semifinal game that year, Alan Williams, who's enjoyed an NBA career of significance now, you know, took a shot that would have beat us. It was a tie game, and he shot it just before the buzzer and regulation, and it's a shot he usually makes, and he had to shoot it over Mavidu, so he missed it. But, If that goes in, then we don't do it. It's kind of the way the Big West goes, but we found the way to win that game in overtime.

We played with, you know, we played, made some great plays in overtime of that game to beat Santa Barbara. And then we stood a really substantial barrage from Hawaii. I think we were down 13 to 1 or something like that at the championship game. So we showed some toughness, some resilience, and coming back in that game and kind of stretching it out towards the end of what we're going. was a really tightly contested game the whole way, the way you'd expect accomplished Herman to be. And then the elation, I remember everybody feeling to have accomplished the goal that we had

all set out for, you know, and we had made clear in our recruiting and we had, you know, named consistently was, you know, what we were chasing. To accomplish that was really a special feeling, not just for our team and our staff, but for all the supporters of UCR. I'll never forget the way people rushed the floor at that time and just how it all felt. It felt like we'd really accomplish something. You guys almost beat Louisville that year. I mean, it was a two-point game.

Yeah. Well, I knew that we would have a chance because when we had Mamedu, we had a chance against any team, especially if we could keep from turning the ball over and keep the tempo normal for us because he's so difficult to play against a person like Mamedu with his size. So I thought that he'd be a factor against Louisville, and I didn't think that he was going to get crazy foul calls.

And all that kind of played out the way we thought. Louisville was not a very good three-point shooting team. They relied heavily on points around the rim, and we did just about as good a job as anybody preventing those type of points. So the whole key for us was to be able to take care of the ball and respond to the different types of defensive looks Louisville was going to throw at us.

It had been helpful to me to have played against Petino's teams when I was at Wake Forest to have coached against them. We had a great week of preparation, and our guys went into that event thinking that we could win games, not just one, but thinking we could win games. And had we been able to beat Louisville,

we'd have had a chance in the next round too. Yeah. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this,

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Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, We reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council.

If I could be you. And you could be me for just one hour. If you could find a way to get inside. Each other's mind. Walk a mile in my shoes. Walk a mile in my shoes. Walk a mile in my shoes. We've all felt left out.

And for some, that feeling lasts more than a moment. We can change that. Learn how it belonging begins with us.org, brought to you by the ad council. Okay, so the Mamadu thing is interesting, right? Like if he was 10 years older, he's in the NBA and he's on somebody's bench or something with it. Like, it's really crazy how the league is, how fast the league has changed, where he couldn't find a team. Yeah, it was tough seeing that for him because of how badly he wanted it and how hard he worked to try to create that opportunity for himself. But then he just couldn't make it fit.

You know, Mamedu's now playing professionally at different places in the world. He's doing well. He's successful. And I do expect he's going to come back and graduate at some point from Irvine. But I wanted that badly for him. And I understood the NBA too. I mean, the NBA was changing towards, you know, more of a spread game. Mamedu's pick and roll defensive ability was, you know,

something that people zeroed in on as a weakness of his that could be overcome by NBA players, and so he didn't make it. And he even struggled to catch on in the D League, which surprised me some based on what they told me the team that took him. I thought they were going to be committed to him for longer than they were. But Mamedu is a guy you sort of have to be. to figure out how to work with and use. And we did that year.

We did it well. That's to his credit. But unfortunately, it just didn't work out for him in the NBA. And like you said, when the rules were different and the emphasis were different in the NBA, he would have made it. But in 2015, he couldn't. You had a kid who was about as remarkable a college player as anyone has ever had. And I don't think most of the mainstream America knows about.

Jonathan Galloway. Defensive player, the year, like three years in a row in the Big West? Yeah. I didn't think

it was close any of those three years. That's how good he was. And what's crazy about the way he played... Yeah, so he's 610, 235,

and he's from, like, the way he plays, if I said, like, where do you think this guy's from and like in L.A.? And you would pick

any sort of the blue-collar spots. Like, he's from Brentwood, which is probably the nicest part of of Los Angeles, right, to live in.

How did you... No, no, he's not from Brentwood in Los Angeles. Oh, he's from Northern California. The Brentwood up there in the Bay Area. So is Brentwood in Northern California as nice as Brentwood in Southern California? No, man, it's real different. So tell me about when you first saw him. When you first saw him, what do you remember?

You know, I remember his motor. he clearly wanted badly to be really good and seemed then when I first saw him sort of frustrated that he wasn't better that people would have wanted him to be able to do but I remember when I got to know him he just an incredibly hard worker he had size and desire

that we could typically get when I say size he was just a rangey athletic kid who we thought could develop into either a center or power forward I recruited him as a power forward, but one of the things that made him so good was that he could defend bigger guys or smaller guys, really could defend anybody. And rebounded and, you know, getting a guy like that to buy into a role that's not glamorous is often really difficult. But with Jonathan, it wasn't, man. There's never been a better teammate than him.

I told people, I told some people at the end of the last year that, you know, I hadn't seen a kid have an impact like he's had since. I coach Tim Duncan at Wake. And I say that because John just impacted our team's culture. He impacted how good guys, our group, you know, all wanted to be. And he changed the way we competed every day. So he's just really good. As a college player, he's just really, really good. And he just signed a big deal in Denmark.

He went to a really high-level professionally. So I'm happy for him. I wouldn't be surprised if one day he ends up in the NBA. Totally. I mean, he just, he can defend the rim, he can rebound, he knows his role, and he's a great teammate. Like, I want him, I want him. Yeah, well, I mean, yeah, I mean, he can't play for you, a player, Irvine, be a successful, he's not a smart kid. What's it like to pull that upset?

I mean, 13-4 upset, I thought you guys were underseated, but you get K-State, and obviously, one of their best players doesn't play, but, but, you know, you beat a really good Kansas State team. and this is a long time coming for you, a long time coming for your program. And, you know, it was a tie game at halftime, too. It's one of those games where it wasn't like you led the whole way and they were super tight and made a comeback late. Like, you guys were challenged and they played pretty well. What's it like to finally win an NCAA tournament game?

Yeah, I mean, it was great with my players, how competitively they approached the game and then competed in it. it was a really good game. We knew it was a good matchup for us, especially with them missing Wade. And we had an advantage because we played them the year before early in the season, and they had drilled us in Manhattan, in part because we were at that time just a really inexperienced group of players.

And the guys we had sort of grown up for two years, and the guys they had were also still the same, but probably didn't fully respect us the way maybe they would have, if they had never seen us, and based on our record. We got down 10 early in the first half, and it looked like it could go the way the game in Manhattan had, but we fought back and made a bunch of tough plays and made some defensive stands,

and we were really fortunate because their best guard got two fouls early. And I thought we did a great job of drawing both of those foul calls, and that was significant. And then by the time we got into halftime, our guys were confident, And so we thought we would have a chance to win the game. The game had it unfolded the way we expected it would. And then we went out and just really played great basketball in the second half to beat him.

You're a guy who is unafraid of interacting with fans, of interacting with other players. And, you know, like, you know, in the Oregon game, you know, you're getting. on to one of their players, and obviously it came back to the press conference. If you could do it all over again, would you do it again? You know, a great question. And I love what you do because you're a straight talker and you say what you think. So there's not anything out of bounds with anything you ask me relative to this. You know, I really regret the way the whole thing showed up in the media because it took away from what our players did.

by winning the game before and accomplishing what we accomplished this year, there's no worse feeling as a coach than when you draw negative attention towards anything relative to your team, your players, your organization, your university, that was the worst feeling defeat as a coach I've ever had. And I should also say, you know, if I offended people, I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that. But I don't intend to coach much differently. There were a number of unusual circumstances that led to that all, you know, appear in the way it did and then also being portrayed the way it was.

And I'm not trying to make myself into any kind of victim. You know, here's what I do, Doug, and I think you could probably appreciate this. In the first half of games, when we're on defense, I'm like a sixth defender with my voice. and my activity on the sideline. I don't apologize for that. I think that's something that's been a part of us being really good. In this game, what I did was I, instead of using the kid's name, which was king, I used the word queen.

And as a leader, I should have been unrecognized the danger in that, and I didn't. But the way that whole thing played out also really surprised me. It felt like I got named and shamed as a homophobic or a misogynist, and it wasn't any of that. I really don't believe that. I understand why people perceived it that way because of the education stuff that I've done since then. And so I won't ever make that mistake again. But your question about would I do it over?

Yeah, I sure would do that differently because I'd never want that to come on in our team or our university. But I don't intend to compete much differently. I'd like to be a better leader. I'd like to say that I could recognize moving forward that changing the kid's name the way I did would be perceived the way it was. because I don't think that was unfair to be perceived that way, but I do think it was, you know, it was just a tough scenario. I can just imagine, like, you know, you get down with a game, like, and having lost, like, look, I've lost in tournament three times,

and every time, you know, my last year was the elite eight, and it didn't matter to lead eight or is the second round, like, everybody thinks they're going to win the tournament. Like, that's just the way it is. Like, that's how we're all wired. We think we're going to win this game, they're going to go win a couple more games, and we're going to go and a couple more games.

Like, that's just how you, right? And then all of a sudden, like, your whole season, which is basically a year and everything, it's like, it's over. There's no more games, no more practice, it's over. And there's just really, every locker room's silent. There's the seniors are crying. You know, the, you know, like, and then all of a sudden, like, okay. And the coach, you're trying to figure out the right things to say.

Right, right. And then like, hey, coach, hey, coach, you got to go out. Right. Okay, coach, you got to go into the press conference. So you go from like, you go from, and the final score was not indicative of that game because that was a close game, and then they kind of ran a fever late, and they put you guys away.

But then they go, hey, coach, come up there, and like, you know, I'm sure you talk about the game. I don't know what I'm talking about the game and what happened in our team, and now a sudden you get these questions about it, and, yeah, it wasn't. Well, no, I'll tell you, I didn't even get a question about it.

That's what's interesting about the whole thing. You know, I'd had some really good media exchanges in the NCAA tournament that drew, you know, positive attention towards us. And in this case, it was the last question the guy asked me, and he didn't ask me about the word I'd use or anything. I told them all of it because he asked me what Lewis King and I were talking about in the handshake

line. And what I tried to describe was how the whole conversation came about. And the kid King was great in the handshake line because we had been attacking him. He was their best player. We'd been attacking him and trying to make it hard for him. and we talked briefly about that. He kind of thanked me for the things I said and the way we did it, and it was a really positive exchange.

That's what I was trying to describe to the media, but what I did was I revealed too many details about what had happened, and then the media seized on those details in a way that surprised me. You know, live and learn. I should have known better. I think that I try to be open and honest with the media, and sometimes that can create trust. and then other times that creates vulnerability,

and I didn't realize how vulnerable I had made myself and what we were doing. But I'm at a point now where I'm kind of okay with all of it, other than that I offended people. I'm okay with the fact that I made such a mistake because I know that I'll be a better coach because of it. You've had some opportunities that have come your way. One back east, there's been other talk of other jobs out West.

You know, your wife, as you point out, She's a physician at UCR Vine. What's your thought process? Because, you know, when you moved to California, it was, hey, I'm following her. Now she's entrenched as a physician. How does that work with you now, considering you're both successful? You know, when you moved out of here originally, she was the successful one. Now you're both successful.

You're finally carrying your end of the bargain. How does that work with you? Well, hey, I appreciate you asking it like that because, you know, my wife and I are good partners. And what I do is an identity, not just a job. And that's become more apparent and clear to me the longer I've been here. The longer, you know, I'm at Irvine, the more connected and a part of this place, I feel. And I feel pretty special feelings about the way we built our friends. program and what we now have here.

As I've been recruited by other schools, what I've asked myself each time is what's better there than what I have or is it even better there than where I am. And each time it's come down to that

for me, recently the answer's been, no, I've got it better here. I've got a better here at Irvine. I'm not doing this for the reasons a lot of people probably might most think. I love having an impact in this community. I love the players I get to work with and love being a part of their lives.

And I love the success we've created because I think the success we've created means we can have impact on this university's pride or unity or togetherness or whatever. That's special. I try to focus on that and not on what might be out there that's better. And I think that's healthy for me. I just signed a six-year deal here. and if I can coach all the way through that, then that means my son would graduate from high school here, and we've had a great run, and my family's happy.

So that's meaningful. Okay. Tim Duncan's the best player you've ever coached. I mean, I don't think there's anybody would argue that. Second best player you've ever coached. Steph Curry. And it might be true that Steph could overtake Tim, even though I know that that's not a popular opinion.

I think that having a chance of Coach Steph when he was a rookie in the NBA was special, and he wasn't a great player then the way he's become. But the similarities between Tim and Steph are remarkable in terms of they're both being undervalued early in their career. They're both being physically underdeveloped for a good little while. And then also them being great teammates and just great thinkers at the game. Guys who just continue to get better. those two are easy as one and two or one in one a after that gets pretty hard. All right, how about this one?

One of the great things about the NBA is these guys are amazing. They're really amazing. And I'm friendly with a bunch of NBA assistants. And they'll talk about, you know, sometimes, you know, good defense and you just tip your cap. What's the best performance you remember sitting there watching going like, damn, we didn't actually play bad. That guy just gave us 30, 40 or 50. Do you remember one? Yeah, there were many of those.

Folks in Southern California will appreciate me mentioning this one. There was a night Brian Scalabrini had his career high in Oakland. And Brian Scaliburney looked like Larry Bird that night. And there were multiple nights like that in the NBA. We're a guy that you wouldn't necessarily think of as an all-star level player could come out and just be dominant for periods of time. That was one of the best things about the NBA, the number of great players that could do that.

You know, I mentioned Scalaparini, but there were many others. I mean, there were sometimes guys that, you know, wouldn't even hear of that would have great nights. I love the fact that, you know, during the years we weren't very good at Golden State, we had guys come from the D-League and develop. And we used to joke with Nellie, because Nellie would bring a guy out from the D League and he'd fly in and join the team

and Nellie would tell him before the game, I won't play you tonight and I expect you to get 10 shots up. And no other coach would do that, but Nellie would say that to the kid to put him on the spot and see if his confidence could emerge. And then we had a bunch of guys from those opportunities

become NBA players for a long time. So that was great. I mean, there was just so many great things about the NBA. It's hard to list them all. Awesome stuff. Last thing, when somebody plays against a Russell Turner coach team, what should they walk away saying? It was hard to score. You know, we've had a great for multiple years of being one of the best defensive field goal percentage teams in the country.

And that's really hard to do at the mid-major level. But I think that our teams are tough and we're well. prepared and we're smart. And so we are going to make you have a tough night. And what is it like in terms of if you were to break down for somebody and like, you know, without a whiteboard or whatever, the basics of your defensive philosophy that's allowed you to be so good. I mean, obviously you have good players and kids like, you know, like we talked about.

But what philosophically, what is it that you do that's been so incredibly successful? Like your defensive rating last year was 27. out of 353 teams. That's outstanding. It's outstanding. And he played a really tough schedule as well. So what is, philosophically, what defensively do you like to do?

You know, I think we keep relatively simple. I mean, we protect the rim better than anyone. We do that by flowing shot blockers at the ball. Anytime the ball attacks the rim. And then we play well together

when we do that. Better than most, any team in college basketball, we focus on personnel health tendencies of our opponents, and we take away easy baskets. I mean, you're not going to get easy baskets against us at the rim. And I also feel like we do an incredible job of contesting three-point shots. You know, we fouled, I think we filed three times against three-point shooters

against Kansas State in the NCAA tournament. And we still won, and even giving up those nine free throws, and that's one of the things I think we do well. We contest three-point shots. I mean, we work hard to make sure that you do not feel comfortable. three-point shot against us. And we've been outstanding at the rim. So that combination, rim defense, three defense, and personnel tendencies,

with the ability to adjust and play both man-end zone. I think that's a critical component. A lot of coaches miss because some teams don't function well against one or the other. And if you can do both, then you give yourself an advantage. I think all those things came into play for us to beat the big 12 champs in the NCAA tournament. We played possessions of two, three, zone and we played a bunch of possessions in that game of a diamond and one.

Yeah, the old diamond one's awesome. My daddy used to use that all the time. Of course, Bill Self likes the triangle in two. And I always feel like when people use the term junk defenses because they don't really have an offense for it, right? So they're like, ah, it's a junk defense. Like, yeah, but it worked. So, you know, I mean.

Yeah, there's all the kinds of created defenses, you know, I think it's a little bit more of that. I mean, you could play a defense that's unusual, but it takes away the rim. takes away the threes and makes guys who weren't the best scores take the shots, and that's a pretty good defense. Well, listen, it's been great to get to know you so far. I can't wait to see your new team this year. But congrats on what's been a remarkable career, and look forward to talking to the future.

Yeah, thanks, man. And we do have a good team coming back, so I hope that all the hoop fans that are listening in will want to check us out. We're going to have a good squad again this year. Yeah, Evan Lennon is back, I know. Yeah, that Afro is big on the sidelines, though. I mean, that is an alarming. That is kind of an alarming, alarming Afro.

You're sitting there like, damn, that, like, okay. Okay, yeah. All the recruits know, all the recruits know, we don't have haircut rules. Is that part of the sale, right? Is that what Alex tells you? He's like, look, this is good for our recruiting? I mean, you know, I don't really think of it that way, but I mean, I do point it out.

you know, it's one of things I learned. I mean, in the NBA, you don't get to have control over those type of things. I think I do a good job for the most part of allow my players their appropriate freedoms and then holding them really strongly accountable for the things that most affect winning. I think we're getting that combo right. And, you know, fortunately for us, the guys who've chosen to come here all want to be pushed like that and want to have the freedom that living here and being here allows. All right.

Great stuff, man. Thanks for joining me. Appreciate it. Hey, man. I really appreciate it, Doug. Hey, my thanks to Russell Turner, the head coach of UC Irvine. My thanks to you for downloading and subscribing and rating this podcast. Remember to listen to the Doug Gottlieb show every weekday afternoon, 3-6 Eastern Time, 12-3 Pacific,

on Fox Sports Radio, the IHeart Radio app or Sirius XM-217 or 203. And keep listening and tell friends about this podcast. If you have questions or comments, things you want me to get to, to at Gottlieb show is the Twitter handle. Make sure you tweet it out at me and I will respond. Thanks for listening. I'm Doug Gottlieb and this is All Ball. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where sports slice comes in. I'm Timbo and every episode we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headlines. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier.

This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, guys? This is Cliver Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker walks up to me, he goes, A ref, ref.

My mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, right. My mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker.

Listen to the Cliverts show on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHart Podcast presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend, Janet. Hey. And we have been joined at the Hips since high school. A redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip.

Just a little bit bigger hips. This is a podcast. We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey. With all the snacks and drinks. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? They hit a bogo. Well, then you got them. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.