Lance Allred further exposes Rick Majerus

[BleedGopher]

I've heard from a number of people how much of a prick Rick Majerus is when the camera lights are turned off - he is hardly the fun loving jovial coach that he positions himself as. This tid-bit from Lance Allred's autobiography is reportedly corroborated by some of his teammates:

After becoming the 1998-1999 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year, Lance had a bevy of scholarship offers from around the country, but he chose to stay close to home and suit up for the team he had dreamed of joining, the Utah Utes. There, Rick Majerus made Allred's life absolute hell. There's a great anecdote in the book regarding Majerus. He had a habit of calling Lance "cunt extraordinaire," and despite the fact that Lance had hearing aids, Majerus would sometimes spell out "cunt" with his fingers to make sure there was "no miscommunication."

"Lance, you've weaseled yourself through life using your hearing as an excuse," Majerus once told Allred, as corroborated by some of his teammates. "You're a disgrace to cripples. If I was a cripple in a wheelchair and saw you play basketball, I'd shoot myself."

He also insisted that Allred get tested for a learning disability, even though Lance pulled down a 3.8 GPA and received Academic All-Conference awards.

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/stranger-than-fiction/Content?oid=1574245

No doubt that coaches get animated, angry and say things that most wouldn't want their wives or grandparents hearing, but I have a very hard time believing most coaches would take this approach with a guy who is deaf, and it's not a single type of incident with Majerus.

Go Gophers!!

 

[ColNathanJessup]

Majerus was on with Barreiro toward the end of the NCAA tournament. Barreiro asked him some question about Tubby and him considering other positions or whatever. (Can't really remember the exact question.) Majerus went on a rant (as he usually does) about how much money a person can have and how it's not all about that. Except all he did was talk about himself and how great he is and how he doesn't care about money etc. etc. It was pretty weird to me. I think anyone that has to talk about himself that much generally is trying to convince people he is someone he is not.

 

[TWeber]

I saw him at a coaching clinic once

A couple of years ago, he was at Don Meyer's clinic. He started his talk getting on this old coach who was videotaping the discussion, implying he didn't want to go on as long as the video camera was on. Now, I have purchased plenty of videos showing coaches at clinics so I can see him wanting to be careful and not giving stuff away, but he did not handle the situation well.

 

[howeda7]

A couple of years ago, he was at Don Meyer's clinic. He started his talk getting on this old coach who was videotaping the discussion, implying he didn't want to go on as long as the video camera was on. Now, I have purchased plenty of videos showing coaches at clinics so I can see him wanting to be careful and not giving stuff away, but he did not handle the situation well.

I've always liked Majerus, but I guess this goes to show you can never know much about a coach when you only follow what is in the media. On the other hand, I can tell you coach Meyer is a decent guy and a hell of a coach, even if he's not exactly Mr. Personality.

 

[The Truth]

I've always liked Majerus, but I guess this goes to show you can never know much about a coach when you only follow what is in the media. On the other hand, I can tell you coach Meyer is a decent guy and a hell of a coach, even if he's not exactly Mr. Personality.

Meyer is one of the great basketball minds in the game. I've listened to him speak, read his books and attended his camps as a player when I was younger. You will learn more just keeping your mouth shut and listening to him in five minutes than going to a lifetime of coaching clinics. It was a shame what happened to him at DLU and the bad blood that resulted over it.

 

[Holy Man]

Buca

I ran into Majerus at Buca a few years back while he was still coaching Utah. He was with Dienhart and several others he apparently knew well at the table right next to ours, and walked in within seconds of my telling my friends that he frequents the place when he is town (tidbit from Charley Walters).

On the way out, he grabbed me and asked me a question in a politician like manner that said between the lines, "Do you know who I am?" I think he was surprised that I did know who he was and I answered his question. When I asked what he was doing in town, he growled at me a bit. I wasn't impressed, but I remember feeling more sorry for him than angry. He was horrifically overweight and surrounded by people who were contacts, but probably not friends. If he routinely treats people like he did Alldred, it is not hard to understand why he may have few friends. I didn't envy him. It seemed pathetic.

 

[shikenjanski]

compare and contrast

If we were to open up this discussion to include other successful NCAA Basketball coaches, how many would be the type of guy that we would want coaching our sons and daughters? I contend that there is a high percentage of ego-maniacal coaches that enjoy the total control that they are afforded at universities and colleges. Who keeps these coaches in check? When Majerus was tearing into Lance Allred, who was the voice of reason to help him see that there might be other ways to get through to a kid?

If a coach wins, is he allowed to run amok and do as he pleases until he starts to lose?

Two things I saw/heard last year from Tom Izzo:
1. He said a few times that last year's National Runner-up team was "soft & fragile". Throughout the course of the year he told his team that he thought they were soft and "too delicate". Did he scream it at them? Not sure. But that message seemed to motivate his Spartans and they ended up doing all right last year. He didn't need to berate and shame his players to drive his point home.
2. Travis Walton's farewell speech on senior night was heavily-laden with thankfulness, gratitude and respect for Coach Izzo. (I think that both individuals cried through the entire speech by Walton.) Walton credited Izzo with making him into a man and teaching him all sorts of "life-lessons".

 

[TWeber]

Meyer is one of the great basketball minds in the game. I've listened to him speak, read his books and attended his camps as a player when I was younger. You will learn more just keeping your mouth shut and listening to him in five minutes than going to a lifetime of coaching clinics. It was a shame what happened to him at DLU and the bad blood that resulted over it.

I have his coaching DVD set. These were made when he was at Lipscomb (late 80s, early 90s), but much of the stuff is still how it is taught today.

All I heard about his leaving Lipscomb was that they wanted to move up in NCAA division levels and Meyer did not want to, so he left. Is there more to the story than that?

 

[Jim V2]

Two things I saw/heard last year from Tom Izzo:
1. He said a few times that last year's National Runner-up team was "soft & fragile". Throughout the course of the year he told his team that he thought they were soft and "too delicate". Did he scream it at them? Not sure. But that message seemed to motivate his Spartans and they ended up doing all right last year. He didn't need to berate and shame his players to drive his point home.
2. Travis Walton's farewell speech on senior night was heavily-laden with thankfulness, gratitude and respect for Coach Izzo. (I think that both individuals cried through the entire speech by Walton.) Walton credited Izzo with making him into a man and teaching him all sorts of "life-lessons".

Most of us on this site have been guys in college and understand that college guys have some growing up to do. That probably goes double for some big ten basketball players who are used to having their egos constantly stroked. SOme of that growing up comes through discipline and reprimand and hard work--and maybe raised voices. But that's not the same as abuse. Granted, the line between reprimand and abuse varies from person to person, but the behavior that Allred alleges is clearly abuse. I'm sure Izzo can be emotional and tough, just as I'm sure that Tubby stare can make you look for the nearest hole to crawl into. But I would entrust my son to either Izzo or Tubby in a second. Majerus? Not so much.

 

[The Truth]

I have his coaching DVD set. These were made when he was at Lipscomb (late 80s, early 90s), but much of the stuff is still how it is taught today.

All I heard about his leaving Lipscomb was that they wanted to move up in NCAA division levels and Meyer did not want to, so he left. Is there more to the story than that?

That was part of it and a lot more bitter from what I understand. Another part of it was DLU's Athletic Department people didn't want to release Meyer's mailing lists for the camps he operated (which were quite successful and generated a lot of money) as they claimed they were DLU property.

 

[howeda7]

I have his coaching DVD set. These were made when he was at Lipscomb (late 80s, early 90s), but much of the stuff is still how it is taught today.

All I heard about his leaving Lipscomb was that they wanted to move up in NCAA division levels and Meyer did not want to, so he left. Is there more to the story than that?

I think that was mainly it. He also got to walk into a well-established program where he was replacing a long-time coach. A good place to land if you're going to leave.

 

[ColNathanJessup]

I think that was mainly it. He also got to walk into a well-established program where he was replacing a long-time coach. A good place to land if you're going to leave.

Coach Olson (whom he replaced) is a very good coach and great person. That Northern St. program in revered in Aberdeen and all of upper NE South Dakota. That was a great spot for him, or any coach for that matter, to land.

 

[howeda7]

Coach Olson (whom he replaced) is a very good coach and great person. That Northern St. program in revered in Aberdeen and all of upper NE South Dakota. That was a great spot for him, or any coach for that matter, to land.

I'm an alum, so I agree! NSU just 'won' the Division II attendance crown for the 3rd time in 4 years with over 4,000/game. Which is better then even some BCS schools (Miami for one).