Wichita State men’s basketball coach Gregg Marshall is such a prominent personality in Shocker Nation today, it’s hard to remember back to early fall 2007 when many of us didn’t know much about him, even though he was already a lauded college basketball coach. As we enjoy another great season of WSU basketball, let’s take a look back at The Shocker’s 2007 Quoted interview with Coach Marshall, who shared a few thoughts on his move to Wichita State from Winthrop, his wife Lynn, spaghetti, the Eagles, Al Green and, of course, Shocker basketball.
“The thing I am most proud of is that in nine years as a head coach at Winthrop, I was fortunate enough to have been associated with so many fine young men who we had recruited on scholarship and who remained academically eligible in order to obtain a college degree. If it weren’t for basketball and for our coaching staff, a few of these kids simply would not have obtained a degree. We feel we are getting kids prepared for the real world and giving them a better chance in life.
The people of Wichita have made the biggest impression on me and my family. We are used to Southern “hospitality,” and I’m not sure what that is called in the Midwest, but there is certainly a genuine hospitable attitude coupled with excellent moral values here. The friendliness towards my family and myself has been overwhelming. The biggest change from our home in South Carolina is just the fact there is not a lot of recreational water around – we don’t live near the ocean and beaches. I know that the weather this summer and fall has been great, but I am also anticipating more of a winter here than we have in the South. We have really enjoyed the cooler fall and less humidity.
I have no second choice for a career.
I am looking forward to playing in front of our home crowd. We will play extremely hard with a lot of energy, passion and, hopefully, quality execution.
My favorite food is spaghetti. I am not allowed in the kitchen, but before I got married I used to cook a pretty good omelet.
Lynn and I met in Kansas City, and we dated longer than she wanted to. We are best friends. She has done a great job of raising our kids since I’m not around them as much as I would like because of coaching. They are tremendously well adjusted kids, very bright and mature, and they are just youngsters who are interested in all things kids like to do.
When I was a young boy growing up in South Carolina, Frank McGuire had taken the University of South Carolina’s basketball team to a Top 5 spot in the country. In the late 1960s and early ’70s Coach McGuire was responsible for putting a lot of backboards in people’s backyards in the state. I was one of those people affected by his team’s success. My first basket was nailed to a pine tree in the back yard.
I enjoy a variety of music including classic rock and roll. My favorites would probably include anything by the Eagles or Al Green. My favorite movie is “Braveheart.” And, my favorite colors are black and gold!
(I don’t have much free time, but when I do, I like to) go home, spend some time with the family and perhaps go tee it up on a couple of holes with my wife and children and then barbecue out on the back deck with friends.
Coaching pays the bills and keeps you young. It’s great being in a college atmosphere and working with young people.
(After receiving a bachelor’s degree in economics and business from Randolph-Macon College in 1985, I earned a master’s degree in sports management from the University of Richmond in 1987.) I went to graduate school part-time and was a full-time basketball coach. At the time, I thought about going to law school, but would not have been able to coach and that was my passion. I was able to get an advanced degree while working on my eventual coaching career.
I have never seen a team sport where there is a chance of losing when you can just shut the opposition out. Minimize the points the other team scores so our team can score one more. My personal philosophy is to make every day count. Nothing is guaranteed. The attitude you have when you wake up and get out of bed in the morning is the attitude that determines what type of day you are going to have.
(If I leave Wichita State,) I hope to have developed some great relationships with not only my players, but also people in the community. I hope we have had tremendous success, both on and off the court, with a lot of young men moving on to successful lives and careers, and we can look back on a lot of great memories – and times spent cutting down nets and winning championships!”
I hope we have had tremendous success, both on and off the court, with a lot of young men moving on to successful lives and careers, and we can look back on a lot of great memories.
