When my kids were little, my wife and I would plan an excursion every summer.
Luckily, they were very good travelers – for children that is. Back then, we tried to drive just about everywhere. I always like to drive the first time I go somewhere. Besides, it’s a lot cheaper.
One summer, we had planned an excursion to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore. And yes, if you’ve never seen it, it is every bit as spectacular as they say. I would call it a “must-see.”
A few weeks before our trip, I was talking with some of the guys in the sports department about our upcoming sojourn. I happened to mention that one of the places I wanted to stop was the campus of Notre Dame.
I’m not a Notre Dame grad. No one in my family is either. I am, however, extremely Irish. I’ve always been a big fan. So the opportunity to check out Touchdown Jesus in person was too much for me to pass up.
When our sports columnist, Jack McCaffery, heard that I was planning a stop in South Bend, he told me I just had to look up his brother. At the time, Franny was working as an assistant coach for John MacLeod’s men’s basketball team at Notre Dame. Jack gave me Fran’s phone number and said he would tell his brother that we’d be in town. I didn’t really think much of it after that.
The campus was everything I expected. While South Bend didn’t move me at all, the second I drove onto the Notre Dame campus, I felt something special.
We checked out several spots on campus, including, of course, a visit to the bookstore. Every person I saw on campus had a bag from the bookstore, no doubt loaded with souvenirs.
We paid a visit to the grotto, which was almost magical in its quiet spirituality.
Then I figured I’d push my luck. I pulled out the phone number for Fran McCaffery and decided to give it a shot. I didn’t expect him to know who I was, let alone why I was there.
Was I ever wrong. Fran said he had been expecting my call. He asked where we were and said we could meet him outside the athletic center.
Sure enough, there was this smiling guy waiting for us when we got there. “You must be the Herons,” he beamed. Suddenly my wife and kids were impressed.
It only got better from there. Fran took us on a personal tour of the facilities and talked about his job and the Notre Dame basketball program.
Then he did something I never expected. “Have you ever been in a college locker room?” he asked my son Sean (yeah, he’s just as Irish as I am.) I saw his eyes getting big as saucers.
Then he proceeded to take us on a tour of the locker room. He showed us where the team gathered before they took the floor, then he swung open the doors and led us on the same path the players take when they hit the court.
I still remember every minute of that little tour. So does my son.
Fran ended our visit by giving my kids T-shirts to a summer hoops camp held at Notre Dame. They still have them.
Since then Fran McCaffery has done well for himself.
He went on to become head man at UNC-Greensboro before landing the head coaching job at Siena. Before he was at Notre Dame, he had been the coach at Lehigh. He’s taken three different programs to the NCAA Tournament. His Siena teams went 112-51 in his five season.
This week all Fran McCaffery’s hard work paid off. He was named the head coach at Iowa.
You might already know Fran McCaffery is a pretty good coach.
He’s an even better human being. Take it from someone who knows, and someone Fran McCaffery didn’t know from Adam. He treated us like royalty. And he forged a memory for me and my family that we still cherish.
I’m not surprised Fran McCaffery has risen to the top of college hoops.
He was already a Final Four guy as a person.
Go get ’em, Fran.
One other thing, which I may or may not have mentioned before. Thanks for the memory of a lifetime.
Iowa is the place where they filmed “Field of Dreams.”
They probably don’t know it yet, but they just landed the coach – and human being – of their dreams as well.
Luckily, they were very good travelers – for children that is. Back then, we tried to drive just about everywhere. I always like to drive the first time I go somewhere. Besides, it’s a lot cheaper.
One summer, we had planned an excursion to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore. And yes, if you’ve never seen it, it is every bit as spectacular as they say. I would call it a “must-see.”
A few weeks before our trip, I was talking with some of the guys in the sports department about our upcoming sojourn. I happened to mention that one of the places I wanted to stop was the campus of Notre Dame.
I’m not a Notre Dame grad. No one in my family is either. I am, however, extremely Irish. I’ve always been a big fan. So the opportunity to check out Touchdown Jesus in person was too much for me to pass up.
When our sports columnist, Jack McCaffery, heard that I was planning a stop in South Bend, he told me I just had to look up his brother. At the time, Franny was working as an assistant coach for John MacLeod’s men’s basketball team at Notre Dame. Jack gave me Fran’s phone number and said he would tell his brother that we’d be in town. I didn’t really think much of it after that.
The campus was everything I expected. While South Bend didn’t move me at all, the second I drove onto the Notre Dame campus, I felt something special.
We checked out several spots on campus, including, of course, a visit to the bookstore. Every person I saw on campus had a bag from the bookstore, no doubt loaded with souvenirs.
We paid a visit to the grotto, which was almost magical in its quiet spirituality.
Then I figured I’d push my luck. I pulled out the phone number for Fran McCaffery and decided to give it a shot. I didn’t expect him to know who I was, let alone why I was there.
Was I ever wrong. Fran said he had been expecting my call. He asked where we were and said we could meet him outside the athletic center.
Sure enough, there was this smiling guy waiting for us when we got there. “You must be the Herons,” he beamed. Suddenly my wife and kids were impressed.
It only got better from there. Fran took us on a personal tour of the facilities and talked about his job and the Notre Dame basketball program.
Then he did something I never expected. “Have you ever been in a college locker room?” he asked my son Sean (yeah, he’s just as Irish as I am.) I saw his eyes getting big as saucers.
Then he proceeded to take us on a tour of the locker room. He showed us where the team gathered before they took the floor, then he swung open the doors and led us on the same path the players take when they hit the court.
I still remember every minute of that little tour. So does my son.
Fran ended our visit by giving my kids T-shirts to a summer hoops camp held at Notre Dame. They still have them.
Since then Fran McCaffery has done well for himself.
He went on to become head man at UNC-Greensboro before landing the head coaching job at Siena. Before he was at Notre Dame, he had been the coach at Lehigh. He’s taken three different programs to the NCAA Tournament. His Siena teams went 112-51 in his five season.
This week all Fran McCaffery’s hard work paid off. He was named the head coach at Iowa.
You might already know Fran McCaffery is a pretty good coach.
He’s an even better human being. Take it from someone who knows, and someone Fran McCaffery didn’t know from Adam. He treated us like royalty. And he forged a memory for me and my family that we still cherish.
I’m not surprised Fran McCaffery has risen to the top of college hoops.
He was already a Final Four guy as a person.
Go get ’em, Fran.
One other thing, which I may or may not have mentioned before. Thanks for the memory of a lifetime.
Iowa is the place where they filmed “Field of Dreams.”
They probably don’t know it yet, but they just landed the coach – and human being – of their dreams as well.
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