6B
KANSAN.COM
LATE NIGHT IN THE PHOG
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
Jerrance Howard joined the Kansas coaching staff back in May 2013 after former assistant coach Joe Dooley left to take over the head coaching job at Florida Gulf Coast.
"THE SEASON IS HERE"
Assistant coach Jerrance Howard brings excitement and enthusiasm to Kansas basketball
SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU
The all-too-familiar sound of an alarm pierces the air.
5 a.m.
For most, the noise is far from pleasant — perhaps even excruciating — but for Kansas assistant coach Jerrance Howard, it signifies something more.
"The season is here."
At the collegiate level, the responsibilities of an assistant coach in season can be pretty broad. Day-to-day tasks can include recruiting, running practices, working with particular players and just about everything in between, but Howard said he has one main responsibility that supersedes the rest.
"Once we get here, my role is to bring energy and bring some enthusiasm," Howard said. "While they're stretching, we're clapping, telling them to get their minds right."
That energy, which Howard brings with him on a daily basis, is absolutely infectious throughout the team. Several of the men's basketball players lit up while talking about their coach at Kansas Men's Basketball Media Day — a couple players even noted a few of his catchphrases.
"He always runs into the gym
“[He'll yell] 'fight through it; it's all mental," sophomore guard Devonte' Graham said. “That was one of the big things
and yells, "The season is here," senior forward Hunter Mickelson said. "He's definitely the energy guy. And what comes along with that is you never really know what he's going to say."
— [what takes place] in between your ears. You're not really tired; you just think you're tired."
And Howard said bringing that energy isn't a challenge; it just comes naturally.
"It's just me being me. I've been like this since day one," Howard said. "That's one of the reasons Coach [Self] brought me on board — just to bring that energy."
Howard joined the Kansas coaching staff back in May 2013 after former assistant coach Joe Dooley left to take over the head coaching job at Florida Gulf Coast. However, Howard's experience working with Self extends far beyond the last 2 and a half years.
Howard played for Self from 2000 to 2003 at the University of Illinois. Self left to take the Kansas head-coaching job prior to Howard's senior year, but the connection has always been there.
Howard credits Self with
starting his coaching career and said because of their connection, the change between playing under Self and coaching under him hasn't been a problem at all.
"From a player to a coach, it's definitely different, but at the same time, I'm still Jerrance; I'm still helping guys on and off the court," Howard said. "For me, it's nice to [be able to] help them understand want Coach [Self] wants and how hard they have to play, so they can get on the floor — especially for those young guys."
At just 35 years old, Howard not only relays Self's messages to the team but also brings a unique perspective as someone who played college basketball relatively recently. Because of that, the players say he knows exactly what to do to get them in the right state of mind, especially for the early morning practices.
"When we're getting to stretch, he comes in really vocal, just trying to get everybody awake," senior forward Perry Ellis said. "He's younger, so he can relate real well to us. I feel like that really helps."
That ability to empathize with the players has helped Howard get the most out of the group, especially during boot camp — a week of practices that start at either 6 or 7 a.m., where the players perform conditioning drills with target times they have to meet.
This year, every player hit that target time, although Howard said this year's camp may have been a little easier than those in the past.
"I tease Coach [Self] that he's
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getting a little soft," Howard said with a smile.
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As an assistant coach, Howard brings many things to the table that benefit the program.
for the game of college basketball, and that carries over to both where he works and who he works with.
As an Illinois native, Howard is well-known for being able to recruit in Chicago and the surrounding areas, which have produced players like Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Anthony Davis, Jahlil Okafer, Jabari Parker and even Cliff Alexander, who played at Kansas last year.
the staff. In fact, at Illinois. Howard received the Kenny Battle Award twice as a player who went above and beyond with his "hard work and effort" both in games and practices, according to the University.
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However, Howard brings one thing to the table that's hard to find nowadays and won't show up in any set of numbers or data. It's the reason he is the coach he is, and why he wakes up excited for work every day, even when that wake-up call comes at 5 a.m.
The other coaches say he brings a strong work ethic to
Howard has a genuine love
"It's still overwhelming. I'm excited to go to work every day." Howard said. "Driving up Naismith Drive and coming into the office — it's kind of surreal sometimes. You feel the history and tradition when you walk in here that you can't really explain. You just have to experience the feeling."
Edited by Dani Malakoff
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