I-State's Meet the Coaches Night 2009

First let me apologize, I forgot my good camera at home so the point and shoot with 3x zoom will leave a lot to be desired on the photos. Secondly, there were a lot of people there tonight, I forgot to look at the total number of tables but I would guess at least 80- with 8 people at them so a nice strong turnout over 650 cyclone boosters (probably quite a bit more).

Social hour was around 40 minutes we got to have some over priced beers, but at least they were cold. Then we all sat to have Christiani's Catering. As far as buffet group dinners go this one was a-ok, pasta with Sausage, thin sliced beef, nice salads. Enough to get full on :)


There was a raffle drawing. 31 prizes given out, 2 amazing enough to our one table (nothing for me though). These two prizes included a 100th cyclone basket ball DVD and a sack of cyclone golf paraphernalia (putter cover, 3 -wood cover, balls). not sure what the other 29 prizes entailed.

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First up was John Walters thanking the sponsors and Frank Santana for the use of the Seven Flags event center.

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Then Jon Schaben had a live auction. First up was Big 12 Tournament Fantasy Week experience. It included Men's and Women's Basketball tickets for the lower bowl seating, lodging at the team hotel, and I believe transportation to and from the tourney. My max amount was quickly passed up and it ended up going for $2,5000.00. Not a bad haul for 5 minutes of work.

Next up for auction was 2 sideline passes for all six home games at Jack Trice this season. It too brought in nice money as it quickly went for $2,000.00.

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A nice little picture slide show went by with highlights from the last year in sports.

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Then Emcee Walters (or Oprah as he wanted to be called) took back over. This year instead of a "mild" coaches roast with some serious points thrown in it was a round table complete with couch and and a table (see photos below). With Walte... Oprah asking the questions, First up was Athletics Director Jamie Pollard (JP).

JP was quick to point out that it is the first time in I-State history that 5 teams finished in the top 25 season ending polls. Those teams included Wrestling, Volleyball, Women's Basketball (forgive me I went to get 2 more expensive cold beers at this point)

JP pointed out that I-state's 450 athletes as a whole 9 of the last 11 semesters have had a higher GPA and a graduation rate at 10% higher than general student population.

Said he saw Lenard Johnson (LJ) playing ping pong with Coach Paul Rhoads (CPR). JP asked LJ to swing by his office so he could get a feel for what the players think of CPR. LJ said never in his life did he think a coach with play ping pong with him and just hang. The point being there is a different vibe and feel with this staff and the players.
JP's backyard over looks CPR's house. so when the moving company showed up and pulled off 2 Harleys JP's wife called JP just to let him know. JP asked CPR are you a rider, and he was like "oh absolutely." JP thought, maybe I should have added some protection in the contract.... Then he finds out CPR is going to learn about flying airplanes. JP is realizing CPR is a risk taker, writes CPR's agent that they need to rework his contract (laughs). But is sure of one thing. Punting on 4th and inches isn't going to happen.

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Next up on Oprah's couch was Kevin Jackson (KJ) and Chris Bono (CB). KJ is here for National titles, developing great men, and beating Iowa. CB actually called KJ and said he wanted on the staff before he even had the job. Neither thought that KJ not having been a college head coach will make a bit of difference in the end. KJ informed all in attendance to be at the December 6th Iowa match and if we get snowed in Ames we can all stay at his place that night. Because he is the decider, KJ then asked his wife if that is OK.
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Jon Schaben then finished up the Auctioning. Womens trip for two @Texas on Jan 23rd with trip and stay and Men's trip at Kansas both went for $2,000.00 a peice.

Lastly a Luxury suite with 24 tickets, 6 parking passes and 6 guest passes went right past our bid hope of 2,500 to $6,500.00. In 15 total minutes of work $15,000.00 had been raised.
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Then was the elite 8 round table with Christy Johnson (CJ) and Bill Fennelly (BF). CJ noted that it has been a steady climb from winning, to qualifier, to sweet 16 to elite 8. BF pointed out that was 15 years for him for the elite 8. Volleyball was #13 in attendance, women's basketball was #3 in the nation. Both were thankful for the support from the fans. CJ is excited that at the end of the year they had 4 freshman on the floor and what that means for the future. BF then said she would be final four this year. BF wanted everyone to know that there is no finer representative of I-state than Greg McDermott(GM) and his wife Theressa.

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Next up was GM. September 7t Lucca Staiger is playing with the German National team, had hopped to play with Dirk Nowitsky, but it didn't happen. Jamie VanderBeeken has broken his foot and it out at least a month(not sure if that was just 1 month or a month of the season). They took these harder games (duke, ND) because he wants to challenge his kids and that this team has a great story to tell and any chance he can get it on to television and around the country he will take it.

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Then there was an inspirational Cyclone feature about Men's golfer Tyler Swanson who almost died in a car crash. Who went from almost dead, to being given a 50% chance to lead an unassisted life to being the first person one specialist had ever seen with head injuries that bad go back to school. Quite a story.

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Lastly was CPR. Like KJ he makes the major decisions in his house. It is just amazing to him that in 18 years there hasn't had to be one major decision he had to make. He went through the day in the life of a cyclone football player. Let me just say it start at wake up at 6AM and ends at lights out at 10:30 PM and is regimented in between like you wouldn't believe.

The coaches he brought along he brought for specific reasons 1) to recruit specific regions. 2) care for the kids. This year there has been parent separations, parents going to hospice, grand parents falling very ill, his staff handles all the kids in the right way. and 3) guys that are amazing Educators. He is proud of their progress. They are playing with Urgency. And they are playing smart. and they are playing with passion. They ran a 155 play scrimmage and they only had 8 loafs where maximum effort wasn't given. This team will play hard and to the whistle.

PHOTOS:

Emcee John "the Oprah" Walters

Cameron Ted, Cy and Jamie Lou

Sean and Jayna

Amy and Kevin - Neil

Before the show got started social hour

John Schaben doing his thing

JW with JP

JW with KJ and CB

a great under armour logo, with JW with CJ and BF in the background.

An Ear and head with JW and GM in the background.

your new head coach!


THE HOUNDS
Prissy
Moses