Feb. 5, 2003

By Angela Lento
CollegeInsider.com

Most current college basketball coaches knew that one day they would pursue a career in coaching. Their college experience helped to mold them into future mentors. But such was not the case for Lee Andrew Stoglin.

In the mid 1960's Andy Stoglin would have scoffed at the idea of one day being a college basketball coach, let alone a successful division I head coach.

"I never gave much thought to becoming a coach," says Stoglin. "To be honest, if I had it to do all over again I would have pursued a career in pro football."

For the past fourteen seasons, Stoglin has guided Jackson State to six Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament finals, three SWAC titles and four postseason appearances, including the school's first-ever NCAA appearance in 1997.

The 60-year old father of seven has put together a fine coaching career, earning the utmost respect from the likes of Don Haskins, Nolan Richardson and Kelvin Sampson, to name a few.

But his piers could have been names like Fred Biletnikoff, Bob Hayes and Jethro Pugh. Stoglin had all the tools to be a star in professional football.

"It really started out as gag bet," says Stoglin. "The Texas Western (now UTEP) football players kept saying that the basketball players were soft and couldn't play football so I decided to try out during spring practice and I made the team."

Stoglin did more than just make the team. He quickly became a starter and got the attention of several professional football teams, including the Oakland Raiders.

"Al Davis sent me a letter saying that he was interested in signing me," says Stoglin. "I went Oakland. I actually signed a contract at the same time that the Raiders were signing Fred Biletnikoff."

The contract would have paid Stoglin approximately $12,000, with a signing bonus of about $3,000. But Al Davis, owner of the American Football League franchise, was forced to tear up the agreement.

"I called my coach Bobby Dobbs (Texas Western football coach) to tell him that I was going to play for the Raiders," says Stoglin. "After we talked he wanted to speak with Al Davis. That's when he told Mr. Davis that he had better not sign me or he would see to it that the Raiders never signed another player from this region of the country again."

The AFL and NFL would not merge into one for another five years so the competition, among leagues, to secure talent was almost cut throat. Davis couldn't afford to potentially lose future talent so Stoglin's stint as part of the famed Silver and Black lasted all of about fifteen minutes.

But Stoglin wasn't deterred nor discouraged, as basketball -- and not football -- was his true love. After graduating from Texas Western, in 1965, Stoglin chased his love, trying out for the Harlem Globetrotters.

"That's what I really wanted to do," says Stoglin. "I was excited about going to camp and trying out for the Globetrotters. There were 65 players at camp they told us that we would be notified within two weeks if we made the team."

Those two weeks seemed like two years for Stoglin who grew impatient and decided to give football another shot. Now free from any NCAA obligations, Stoglin tried out for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.

Stoglin made the Cowboys practice squad, with the promise of making the Dallas roster the following season. The defensive back would earn $600 per week, with a $3,000 signing bonus.

In the mid to late 60's, Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys had become an NFL power, second only to Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers.

"I know that I could have made the team the following year," says Stoglin.

But once again his pro football future was derailed by a phone call. But this call was different.

"My mother called to tell me that a letter arrived from the Harlem Globetrotters," says Stoglin. "It said that I had made the team."

The Cowboys were reluctant to cut Stoglin loose, but coach Tom Landry obliged and Stoglin would spend the next three years of his life barnstorming the country as a member of the famed Trotters.

"It was a great experience," says Stoglin. "Had I not played for the Globetrotters I never would have gotten into coaching. I was a shy kid and the whole nature of the Globetrotters brought me out as a person. You couldn't be shy and play for the Globetrotters so it really helped me so much."

For the next three years, Stoglin would also meet a lot of people, building a great network of contacts that would be invaluable when he pursued a career as a coach.

Stoglin thoroughly enjoyed traveling the country and playing basketball, but one thing that stands out above all else was his traveling partner.

"Back in those days the Globetrotters were not as big as they are today," says Stoglin. "Satchel Paige would travel with the team and get us a lot of publicity when we came to town. Every town that we visited wanted to interview Satchel and he would conclude every interview with a mention of the fact that the Harlem Globetrotters were in town. It was free promotion."

Paige spent a lot of time with the team, as they traveled from town to town. Everybody loved Paige, but the veterans never sat next to the future baseball hall of famer on the bus ride.

"They made the rookies sit next to Satchel," laughs Stoglin. "Satchel would never stop talking and the other guys wanted to sleep so they made sure I got the seat next to him, but I loved listening to him. He would talk all night and I enjoyed every minute of it."

According to Stoglin, he could fill volumes with the stories that Paige would tell him, including the secret to his longevity as a pitcher -- Snake Oil from North Dakota.

There is no question that the influence of the charismatic Paige further removed Stoglin's shy demeanor.

In 1969, Stoglin finally did get into coaching, when Don Haskins invited him back to the University of Texas at El Paso, as a graduate assistant.

Stoglin would also have stints at Cal Poly Pomona and San Diego State, before joining Nolan Richardson's staff at Tulsa and later Arkansas.

And now some 30 years after trying out for the Oakland Raiders, Stoglin has proven his worth as a college coach.

"It has been an interesting journey," says Stoglin. "I have learned so much along the way and each stop helped to prepare me as a coach. There is no way I would have gotten into coaching had it not been for all the things I experienced."

You might think that Stoglin would be most proud of being a Globetrotter or gloat about almost playing for the Cowboys or Raiders, but one day Stoglin will tell his eleven grand children a different story.

"I am so proud to have coached with two men who made such a major impact on the game of college basketball," says Stoglin. "Don Haskins won a national championship with a team of African-American players, helping to truly integrate our game. And Nolan Richardson's success opened the door for so many young African-American coaches."

Today, Stoglin speaks with Haskins and Richardson at least once a week.

ALL ABOUT PRESENTATION
When Bruiser Flint succeeded John Calipari -- at the University of Massachusetts -- he gained a lot of national attention for his abilities as a coach and his alluring appearance.

In 2000, Flint was tabbed as America's Best-Dressed head coach. It was an honor that -- now Drexel head coach -- Flint embraced because dressing well is part of his fabric.

James "Bruiser" Flint was America's Best-Dressed head coach in 2000.

"It's all about presentation," says Flint. "Coaches are viewed as the face of their University. How we look is often how it is perceived that things are run at our respective schools. That expression, 'don't judge a book by its cover,' doesn't apply here. The reality is that we are judged by the cover."

Like so many coaches across the country, Flint has had a lot of fun participating in The Runway to the Fashionable Four, which came about as a way to bring positive attention to coaches and their programs.

But for Flint it means a lot more than style points.

"I tell my players all the time, 'you never know who is watching so always look your best,'" says Flint. "It is important to look approachable because someday you are going to stop making baskets and have to make a living."

Flint constantly deters his players from getting the latest hip haircut or having their shorts hang well below their backside. And according to Flint, his players always clean themselves up before entering his office.

"I am always on them about what they are wearing," laughs Flint. "I know they are kids and they want to have fun, but I just try to remind them that their appearance says a lot about who they are. We have really good kids on this team but people who see them may not know them and they will draw conclusions from how they are dressed."

Flint's players also take notice of what their coach is sporting and where he currently ranks in the style standings.

"They are always paying attention to my fashion power index," laughs Flint. "And the players are the only ones watching. If we have a game on television, I will get phone calls the following day about my attire."

So what began as simply a way for coaches to have fun and compete against one another has become serious style business.

"Coaches are even more conscience now about what they where for televised games," laughs Flint. "If you don't where some nice stuff, you are going to get a lot of voice mail messages the next day."

For Flint and many others, being stylish is a priority, not an option. In any profession, those who dress the part tend to get more respect and often command attention.

"Just being well-groomed doesn't mean that you are a good person," says Flint, "but we are all judged on presentation. You might be a great person, but someone else might never know that about you because they drew their own conclusion based on a first impression."

Of course being among the best-dressed in America won't get you any breaks from the officials during a game, but it doesn't mean that referees don't take notice.

"During a recent game a referee said to me, 'tonight I have one of America's best-dressed coaches,'" laughs Flint.

Now there is one way for an official to keep a coach from working him during the course of the game. Hard to yell at a guy who just told you that you are stylish.

ALL-MADDEN TEAM
You would be hard-pressed to find a college basketball team that doesn't flock around the television to partake in some friendly PlayStation or X Box competition. Many programs travel with a video game system and the players often have their own leagues.

The video game craze has an avid following among players, but they aren't the only game boys in college basketball.

In the NJCAA Division II ranks, coach Tony Wysinger and his Illinois Central College squad are a perennial power. Last season the Cougars won 29 games, won the conference championship and finished fifth in the national tournament.

Coach Wysinger has clearly done a fine job on the court, but when the basketball preparation is complete, Wysinger turns his attention to PlayStation.

"It's very relaxing after practice or a game," says Wysinger. "We often take the PlayStation when we travel for a road game."

Wysinger tries to play as often as possible and is usually able to go online -- about once a week -- to compete against someone from a different part of the country.

The 27-year old Wysinger doesn't care much for the wide variety of games that feature the pursuit of flesh-eating zombies or one of Tony Hawke's skate-boarding competitions; only NBA Live or the latest version of Madden football can be found in Wysinger's game system.

"The games today are so realistic," says Wysinger. "There is a lot of strategy that goes into deciding what defense you are going to use or what you what would work best offensively against a certain opponent. It is a lot like coaching."

Like with any game, the video game community has its' own leagues and yearly competitions. One of the most publicized is the annual Madden Tournament.

"My friends and I were always interested in attending the Madden tournament," says Wysinger. "We wanted to see what it was like so three years ago we decided to do it."

Wysinger and two friends made the trip to New Orleans to compete against people from all across the country. Over 100 game enthusiasts competed -- in front of over 200 spectators -- for the title of All-Madden.

"It was quite an event," says Wysinger. "Ray Green, who played for the Miami Dolphins and movie star Morris Chestnut were among those in attendance. The competition was serious, but it was a lot of fun."

So serious was the competition that Wysinger, who thought he was a pretty good player, went 0-3.

"You think you are pretty good until you play in a tournament like that," says Wysinger. "But it was interesting to see the different styles and approaches that other people take to the game. So much strategy goes into it."

Wysinger isn't about to turn professional video gamer anytime soon, but he continues to refine his skills and hopes to return to the Madden Tournament in the future.

Perhaps the next time you are online playing Madden 2002 you will line up across the field against the coach from East Peoria, Illinois.