This is your first year teaching at NASH. Has it changed much since you graduated NA in 1999?
Some things have changed, but some things have stayed the same. In regard to the changes, on the second and third floors, we never had the fourth hallway where the 40’s classes are. The cafeteria is different. We didn’t used to have booths. We used to have long tables for everyone. The auditorium is bigger, the gymnasium now has three full courts; it used to only have two, and only one side had a large set of bleachers. The Baierl Center wasn’t here. Am I showing my age yet? The big thing you realize when you step back in the doors is that NASH is still a special place.
What are you looking forward to most this year?
Good question… I think when you are teaching and coaching somewhere else, change is good. So I guess the change is the thing I like the most. It makes your brain work and develop. It is very easy when you get older to get stuck in doing the same things all the time.
What would you say is your favorite time era?
I’m a child of the ’80s and ’90s, so definitely that era. We didn’t have cell phones, there weren’t any wars, there was no social media, and when you were younger, you literally played outside all day without worry.
Who’s your favorite president?
Abraham Lincoln
What is your favorite crazy legal case?
I don’t really have one. I do like murder mystery stuff, though.
You’re the new head coach for the boys’ basketball team. Are you excited for the season?
Of course. It gets your adrenaline going. I’ve been a head coach for 13 years now at the varsity level, so when you don’t do it for a year, you miss it.
What do you work on at basketball practices?
It changes every day. It depends on what aspect of the game I feel like we need to work on each day, but then I’m also coming in new, so you want to slowly implement things as you go.
How is the team shaping up this year?
The guys are working their butts off right now, and when you do that, good things happen. I think if we continue to grind, we can surprise a lot of people who doubt us.
What are some challenges you and your team are going to face this year? Who would you say your rival is?
I think Pine-Richland has become a big rival to NA, but in all honesty, when you step out of NA and teach/coach elsewhere, you realize that EVERYONE has NA circled on their schedule. We have to be ready for everyone. I think some of our biggest challenges are that any time you have a new coach, sometimes you are implementing new things and establishing a new culture. Getting used to those things takes time. I think we will be playing our best basketball by January.
What is your favorite NBA team and why?
I was a big fan of the Bulls in the ’90s, but for right now, I guess I root for Golden State and Steph Curry because my kids do, too. He’s a good role model, and now that I’m a father, I appreciate that.
Who is your favorite basketball player?
Michael Jordan…and it’s not close. And for all you youngsters who think other guys are better, it’s hard to say that when you really didn’t witness what he was like.
What’s a unique hobby you have?
I wouldn’t say it is a unique hobby, but I love to travel. As a kid, I lived in China for three years, so I traveled all through Asia. My sister lived in the Netherlands for about 10 years, so I used to travel to Europe and visit other places while I was there, too. I have a lot of places I still need to go to. Traveling, I think, really broadens your horizons.
If you could swap lives with a celebrity for one day, who would it be?
Nobody. I’m content with who I am, but I would enjoy their money for a day.
If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Oh man, that’s a tough one. I love music. I kind of have a top four bands/musicians…It would be between a Billy Joel album, a Phil Collins album, a Pink Floyd album, or a Tupac album.
What is your favorite movie?
Braveheart and Revenge of the Nerds.
How excited are you for the school year?
I’m excited to be here at NASH! I think it’s going to be a great year. When you leave the district, see other ones and immerse yourselves in them, and then come back, you realize how special NASH is.
