As we move to the second round of March Madness, two parts of shock the world success served as a reminder of how interconnected, and how valuable, the NCAA Tournament has been to effectively tell stories forgotten or uncovered. The two examples are ones I know of well.
Expect a Miracle
One of the more unlikely campaigns for national publicity took place at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma during the 1970s. The new SID at the school was Brooklyn born Andy Furman, whose charge it was to use sports as a tool to promote the university. Furman was brought in by Athletic Director Bob Brooks to find unique ways to promote the school and its message. Always the consummate promoter, Furman took his charge very seriously, even though his religious affiliation was Jewish. The result was a series of unique promotions which gained great notoriety as the ORU team improved, including a run to the NIT in New York City. Along the way the team embraced Roberts’ slogan “Expect a Miracle” as its calling card, despite some irreverent promotions which drew media attention and some new fans into the Tulsa arena. One of the best was when the school took on national power DePaul University. The irony of the Christian school playing a power with the nickname “Blue Demons” was not lost on Furman, who invited all of Oklahoma’s occult worshipers to the game for free. He also created a Native American Night when the school faced nationally ranked St. John’s, whose nickname at the time was the Redmen. Both promotions, which may not have worked in today’s politically correct world, were a hit and got national publicity for the university and the team, as they rode the crest of several unexpected wins to unaccustomed recognition.
The second involves one of our Columbia students, Louie Al-Hafidh. Louie came to our program at a still very young age, looking for a second act. Louie came to our program after graduating from USC and working at Google for six years on the account strategy side. He enjoyed his time in the tech world, but knew sports was his north star, and he was determined to find a way to meld his experience with a way into the business. He tried numerous ways…scouting, front office internships, working with agents…and ended up realizing his passions tied to evaluation and data might lead to coaching. Not an easy avenue, he took the chance and chased whatever gave him a way in. It started right on campus working as a graduate assistant for the women’s basketball program. That experience led him to a Division III opportunity in New York with John Jay College, always a bit of an outlier in the lexicon of New York basketball, but another way to network and gain experience. From there, Louie, a Dallas native chased opportunities big and small, and this year ended up as Director of Video Analysis and Scouting at North Texas State. Given the Pandemic, who knew what The Mean Green of Conference USA would have for a season, but it was a jump to Division I and a real opportunity to combine all his skills at a school on the rise. At that point, no one would know how quick that rise would come…Conference USA Champions and then a spot on the National stage with their Friday upset of Purdue in the NCAA Tournament. While sometimes Louie’s enthusiasm bordered a bit on wistfulness, his drive never abated and his doubt of his skills and his credentials, never waned. Now the college coaching world is always volatile, and today’s Cinderella can be tomorrow’s Goat. But Louie’s passion for coaching, his deep knowledge of analytics, and his background were great examples of what set him apart today, and what will give him an edge going forward. I have been so pleased with many colleagues who made it to “The Big Dance” on both the men’s and women’s sides this year, but I don’t think I am more excited for anyone than Louie, a great example of having his dream or at least his next step in a dream, play out on the national stage.
Two examples of what March Madness is all about…storytelling from the past and execution of today.
