There arent too many states that have more football tradition than the great state of Ohio. The sport is ingrained in the Buckeye States culture. High school football is a religion, and Ohio State football is a way of life. Heck, even the Pro Football Hall of Fame sits between Lake Erie and the Ohio River, in Canton.

Given that background, many of the most influential people in the game have deep roots in Ohio. From former great coaches, to administrators, to media personalities, Ohio natives can be found across the American football landscape.

Some of those influential people are head coaches, of course, and not just at the lower levels. You might be surprised how many current FBS coaches once coached on the banks of the Olentangy or in the state during their coaching career. Or, they were born or played football in Ohio.

Since its the college football offseason, we thought it would be a fun exercise to take a look at FBS head coach that once stomped around somewhere in Ohio. So here it goes

Born: Columbus, Ohio High School: Desales

Besides being born and playing his high school ball in Columbus, Luke Fickell once coached at Ohio State as the interim head coach when Jim Tressel got in hot water. He later served as the defensive coordinator, under Urban Meyer. He played and started for the Buckeyes as a nose tackle from 1993-1996. Now hes making Cincinnati into one of the best Group of Five programs out there.

Born: Montvale, New Jersey College: Siena

Hafleys time at Ohio State was short-lived, but it earned him the head job at Boston College. He was brought to Columbus to fix a porous defense, and turned things around in one year (2019) before getting his opportunity at Chestnut Hill.

Born: Cleveland, Ohio High School: Cleveland Heights

Michigan State loves former Ohio State coaches. Mel Tucker replaced another former Buckeye when Mark Dantonio rode off into the sunset. Tucker was the defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator under Jim Tressel from 2001-2004. He is also an Ohio native, born and raised.

Born: Sugar Grove, Illinois College: Northern Illinois

Before P.J. Fleck began rowing his boat, he pushed it off the shore as a graduate assistant under Jim Tressel at Ohio State in 2006. Listen to him talk about those that were most influential in his coaching career, and Tressel comes up early and often.

Born: Manchester, New Hampshire College: New Hampshire

OK. Yeah, we went there. Look, its a piece about current FBS head coaches that once did their thing on the sidelines in Columbus. Ryan Day is an FBS head coach and currently coaches YOUR Ohio State Buckeyes. Urban Meyer brought him there in 2017 as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He was elevated to head coach when Meyer retired.

Born: Wyckoff, New Jersey College: Bucknell

Greg Schiano has been at all levels of the game from his first stop at Rutgers to the NFL with Tampa Bay and now back to the Scarlet Knights for a second stint. We cant quite count Tennessee as a stop because of all the crazy chaos of being hired then not being hired via Twitter (howd that work out), but in-between, he was the defensive coordinator for Urban Meyer from 2016-2018.

Born: Fairmont, West Virginia College: Kent State

Before Nick Saban was winning SEC and national titles, he was putting his work in as an assistant at various programs. One of those stops included a stint as the defensive backs coach under Earle Bruce at Ohio State from 1980-81. Before that, his collegiate playing career took place in the state at Kent State.

Born: Massillon, Ohio High School: Massillon Perry College: Mount Union

Matt Campbell has the state of Ohio running through his veins. He was born and played his high school football in the crazed football town of Massillon, and played collegiately for one of the Division III powerhouses, Mount Union. He is doing his thing at Iowa State, but hes an Ohio guy through and through.

Born: Elyria, Ohio High School: Elyria

Les Miles might have played for Michigan, but he was one of the Ohio guys that got away. He was born and played his high school football in the northeast city of Elyria and went on to famously win a national championship as the head coach of LSU. We can probably forget about his Kansas stint, but hes still an Ohio guy.

Born: Toledo, Ohio College: Michigan

Yeah, OK. Harbaugh may be a punching bag when it comes to jokes from Ohio State fans, but he was born in Ohio. In fact, he was born at the same hospital as Urban Meyer. Its a loose tie to the state, but one nonetheless before he became all Maize and Blue.

Born: Sidney, Ohio College: Florida State

Stockstill may have grown up in Florida, but he was born just 45 minutes or so north of Dayton in western Ohio. Thats about the extent of the anchor to the Buckeye state, but a place of birth is pretty big, no?

Born: Columbus, Ohio High School: Upper Arlington

Dimels playing and coaching career may have taken him far from central Ohio, but he was born in Columbus and played his high school ball at Upper Arlington, where he graduated in 1981. It had to be a surreal experience when he was head coach of Wyoming and brought his Cowboys to the Shoe to play the Buckeyes in 1997. Now he is at UTEP, where hes been leading the charge since 2018.

Born: Westlake, Ohio High School: Cleveland St. Ignatius College: John Carroll

They are plenty. One wonders if Arth has ever left the state. He was born, played high school, went to college, and now coaches an Ohio team. We dont know where his career will go from here, but hes about as Ohio as you can get.

Born: Barberton, Ohio High School: Barberton

Loeffler played for Michigan, likely because he is from the same hometown as legendary coach Bo Schembechler. Thats right, even Bo was an Ohio guy from Barberton, Ohio. Schoeffler now leads Bowling Green in Northwest Ohio as the head coach.

Born: Salem, Ohio High School: Upper Arlington

Candle was not only born in Ohio, but played his college football at national Division III powerhouse Mount Union. He stayed within the state of Ohio when he was brought on to be the head coach of Toledo in 2016.

Born: Dayton, Ohio High School: Fairmont East

We all remember the failed stint at Michigan from 2011 to 2014, but Hoke has had a pretty good coaching career outside of that (and, hey, at least he had one win over Ohio State in 2011). Hoke is a Michigan man for sure, but he was born and played his high school football in the state to the south.

Born: Youngstown, Ohio High School: Cardinal Mooney

Stoops obviously comes from a football family out of Northeast Ohio. His brother Bob is one of the best college coaches of all time, and his other brother Mike is the former head coach of Arizona. The trio was born in Youngstown and all played high school ball there.

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Roots in O-H-I-O: All current FBS head coaches with ties to Ohio State or the state of Ohio - Buckeyes Wire

By HCO Staff

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.Interior architecture and planning firm H. Hendy Associates (Hendy) announces the completion of a new state-of-the-art patient-centric destination for global lifestyle medicine company Metagenics Clinic in Aliso Viejo. The 5,000-square-foot Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Center creates an innovative healthcare experience and transforms how primary care is delivered by enabling doctors and patients to take a 360-degree approach to their patients overall health and wellbeing. The new facility is adjacent to the Metagenics corporate office located at 25 Enterprise and is open for medical visits as well as chiropractic, lifestyle education, massage therapy, lab work and more.

Dedicated to scientific discovery, unparalleled quality and practitioner partnerships, the design of the space distinctly captures Metagenics desire to support the continued advancement of functional medicine through empowering patients to better understand and develop the health skills necessary to advance the state of their metabolic, emotional, cognitive, behavioral and physical function. The space takes a novel approach to a traditional medical facility, encourages the elimination of barriers between doctor and patient and empowers clients to take charge of their health journey.

When we were hired by Metagenics to create a solution that addresses their primary business challenge of making an even greater impact on their patients lifelong health goals, we immediately took on the task, said Jeep Pringsulaka, LEED AP and senior designer at Hendy. Hendy believes in the power of listening and learning to unlock a great design that uniquely fuels our clients business success. Were privileged to have played a part in helping Metagenics create an inspiring environment that accelerates their commitment to personalized healthcare an innovative approach to medicine thats tailored to individual needs and capabilities and focuses on supporting patients throughout the journey to optimal health.

Hendy worked closely with the Metagenics Clinic team to unearth the companys key goals, vision and patient and doctor needs. This work allowed Hendy to layout key spaces needed and helped inform the interior architecture and design of the facility. The result is an unconventional, experience-driven clinic that enables patients to feel welcome and comfortable as soon as they enter the front door and empowers them to take charge of their own health journey.

The new center features 11 exam rooms, three large rooms for chiropractic care, two lifestyle education spaces for nutrition, life coaching and telehealth and a waiting area complete with a digital check-in system, pharmaceutical counter and dispensary. Exam rooms are equipped with large HDTV screens controlled by iPads to enable real-time review and discussion of healthcare results between doctor and patient.

With the goal to create a clinic that exudes health and wellness, Hendy was tasked to incorporate myriad biophilic design elements. These included a living green wall, natural light, art of scenic California landmarks and the use of natural walnut wood and tree trunks throughout the space and in custom signage. With the project site not originally zoned for medical use, Hendy also was instrumental in facilitating permit approvals with the city.

The team at Hendy took great care in understanding how to support Metagenics goals of designing a patient-centric destination that uniquely places our most important constituent at the center of it all, said Brent Eck, CEO, at Metagenics. We are still optimizing our full patient experience, but so far, our new space has been well received by physicians and clients alike, and we couldnt be prouder of the way in which Hendy captured our requirements and partnered with us to bring Metagenics vision to the layout and design of this new facility. The result enables us to truly deliver the white-glove experience we strive to provide for every one of our clients.

Metagenics new Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Center reflects its beliefs in functional medicine as the foundation of an operating model to enable a revolutionary, personalized experience that supports patients on their journey to their best health. Applying these insights, along with evidence-based design, the result is a comprehensive facility that unifies solutions for a patients lifelong health goals under a single roof.

Founded in 1980, H. Hendy Associates is a nationally recognized interior architecture and strategic workplace firm offering a full range of services for corporate and multifamily clients.

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New Patient-Centric Clinic Wraps Build in OC - HCO News - Healthcare Construction and Operations News

Swim coach Dana Skelton and water polo coach John Tanner were two of eight coaches recognized as United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) coaches of the year Tuesday.

Skelton was named the Developmental Coach of the Year for her work at First Colony Swim Team in Texas. Tanner, who coaches Stanford womens water polo, is the College Coach of the Year.

Behind athlete success and well-being are the dedicated and passionate coaches that guide Team USA athletes in sport and in life, USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said in the awards release. In 2020 we watched so many coaches adapt and create innovative ways to support their athletes. Its an honor to recognize these individuals and showcase their achievements in this especially challenging year.

Skeltons work at FCST in Sugar Land, Texas, has focused on the clubs Strong Girls program, developing girls ages nine and older to be strong athletes and leaders. Shes adapted her coaching during the COVID-19 pandemic via virtual sessions, emphasizing stroke analysis and guidance outside the pool. Her pupils include Olympic gold medalist Simone Manuel.

From the USOPC release on Skelton:

Her commitment to mental and emotional strength has been unmatched as she encourages her athletes to complete journal entries that spark engaging questions to help foster positive and healthy communication.

Tanner has spent 23 seasons as the coach of Stanfords water polo program, developing it from the ground up into a seven-time NCAA champion. Hes mentored 12 Olympians in Palo Alto and was elected to the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2019.

During the pandemic, Tanner has instituted athlete-led TED talks that include experts in the field to inspire his athletes, seeking to cultivate a healthy environment and establish a platform for individuals to share their interests with the team. Out of the pool, hes worked with his athletes on career development workshops about resume-building and has helped a pair of athletes in launching the Swim4Diversity nonprofit.

After a year spent video conferencing at my dining room table, away from the Stanford campus and Avery Stadium Pool deck, I was stunned to receive word that the USOPC had chosen me as their College Coach of the Year, Tanner said in a Stanford release. Paradoxically though I could not be more honored in that we are holistic and integrative in our approach, always focused on long term outcomes. Water polo is the worlds toughest sport, the perfect vehicle for developing lifelong leaders for this past years extraordinarily difficult environment and for future challenges we will face. Im so grateful to be surrounded by our coaching staff, athletes current and former, Olympians past and aspiring, who make every day here a rocket ship ride. No one got to chase their ultimate 2020 competitive aspirations, but we learned and grew so much more in the wake of that disappointment and are grateful to have a renewed, distinct opportunity in 2021.

JT is an amazing coach, said Ann Friedlander, Ph.D, an Adjunct Professor of Human Biology at Stanford. During my time engaging with the Stanford Womens Water Polo Team as a Faculty Fellow, I have been continually impressed with his holistic view of coaching and his ability to bring out the best in his athletes both in the pool and in their lives. Through rigorous practice, team events, interactions with Stanford faculty, TED Talks and bonding experiences, JT helps his players maximize their potential as athletes, teammates, good citizens, and future leaders. JT should also get extra praise for keeping a sense of team spirit, high moral and focused training (both in person and remotely) during these challenging times of COVID-19. His success in the pool is only one part of what makes him an exceptional coach and I have enjoyed watching him in action.

Also recognized as USOPC Coaches of the Year are fencings Greg Massialas (Olympic Coach of the Year), para-equestrians Michel Assouline (Paralympic Coach of the Year), speedskatings Cherise Wilkins (Volunteer Coach of the Year), Alpine sports Gillian Bower (Service Provider of the Year) and Chris Packert (Coach Educator of the Year), and ski/snowboard coach Jeff Lackie, who won the Doc Counsilman Science Award. Award winners are nominated by national governing bodies and selected by a selection panel of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation.

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Dana Skelton, John Tanner Named Among USOPC Coaches of the Year - Swimming World Magazine

For nearly 40 years, Mark Martin was known as one of the toughest opponents in NASCAR. No matter if your name was Gordon, Johnson, Earnhardt, Stewart or others, if you saw Martins car closing on you in your rearview mirror, you knew you were in for a battle.

But since retiring following the 2013 NASCAR Cup season, Martin has gotten far away from racing.

Im retired, the 62-year-old NASCAR Hall of Famer emphatically told NASCAR.com. Im really enjoying retired life, thats really all Ive got going on. I enjoy seeing and spending time with family and seeing friends and traveling and seeing the country. Arlene (his wife) and I have done a good bit of motor coaching.

While Martin is far removed from the sport these days, he admits to missing one thing in particular.

The thing I guess I really miss about racing is the people, he said. Working with a team was like a family, the energy of the fans and whatnot. So I kind of miss that. But 40 years of competing at the highest level, and digging as hard as I could possibly dig with every ounce of focus I had, Im done with that.

Im not interested in competing in anything. I dont even like to play cards or games or anything that requires competing.

RELATED: Mark Martins career through the years

That doesnt mean Martin has been forgotten by the racing community.

People always say, Well, just come and practice, come and test, he said. I get offers all the time. I have no interest in driving a race car. I did it for over 40 years against the likes of Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart for wins and championships and it was intense as hell. I dont want to do it.

That Martin walked away from the sport that consumed more than two-thirds of his life is somewhat surprising, given his competitive nature and his undying devotion and focus to chasing the checkered flag. If there was a race to be run, Martin was in it to win it.

I did it to win, not because it was fun to go around in circles, Martin said. I did it because I was halfway good at that and I wasnt good at anything else.

I have to come to grips with it and live my life and enjoy it and have a good time and enjoy family and enjoy working on the mechanical stuff, especially with my motor home. I just stay busy. Im really happy with this chapter, where Im at now and where Im headed.

Instead of driving close to 200 mph at places like Daytona and Talladega, Martins focus these days is on a much slower pace of life.

He sold his private jet, doesnt fly anymore and is involved in a number of businesses, particularly around his Batesville, Arkansas, hometown.

I dont have anything interesting, Im just Mr. Fixit every day, he said with a laugh. Theres always something. Really, to be honest with you, I spend 50 percent of my time fixing stuff that I tear up and probably another 25 percent fixing things that need to be fixed. I just live a real calm and normal life.

While racing was No. 1 on his priority list for four decades, today its barely a blip on his attention meter.

Im completely away from (NASCAR), Martin said. I mean, I know less about whats going on than the average fan.

I love racing with all my heart. Its just something that Im not interested in doing (anymore). I want to do other things. I want another chapter in my life before it closes. And in something thats different than what I did the past 40 years.

During his NASCAR career, Martin won nearly 100 races including 40 in Cup and 49 in Xfinity and capped off his outstanding tenure behind the wheel with his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017.

While proud and humbled to be selected, Martin admits I was embarrassed because I didnt feel like I belonged when I looked up at the banners of the Bill Frances, the Junior Johnsons, the Dale Earnhardts and Richard Pettys and Cale Yarboroughs, David Pearson. I didnt feel worthy of being in that crowd, especially as early as I felt like I went in (was inducted).

There were a lot of greats and heroes of mine that needed to go in before I went in. So, I was a little bit embarrassed, totally, completely humbled, and to this day, Im still humbled by the fans and the way they supported me all through my career.

RELATED: Mark Martin among 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class

Martin had numerous memorable wins in his NASCAR career, but none more noteworthy to him than the 2009 Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix Raceway, when he became only the fourth driver 50 years or older in the sports history to take the checkered flag. (The others are Harry Gant, 52; Morgan Shepherd, 51; and Bobby Allison, 50.)

I just had this dream of experiencing winning one more time in my life, Martin said, It was such an electrifying win with so much positive energy from (crew chief) Alan Gustafson and everybody on the team, Rick Hendrick, the fans, and especially all the competitors that came to Victory Lane.

The win on the 1-mile Phoenix oval would spur him to earn four additional wins that year, finishing second in the championship battle to Jimmie Johnson.

Martin hung up his helmet after the 2013 season and he has never climbed back into a Cup car since. But he did finally scratch the racing itch in 2017 when he competed in a one-off, late-model race in Nova Scotia.

While Martin was happy to be back in a race car, the man renowned for setting high standards for himself in his NASCAR career was not happy with his finish (28th in the 30-driver field), seeing his day come to a premature end just 57 laps into the 250-lap event due to mechanical failure.

I was not satisfied with my performance, he said. I actually wanted to just go up there and sign autographs and everything and didnt want to race, but the only way we could make the deal work was for me to drive the car.

While its been a while since Martin went to a Cup race, he loves to get back to his roots and take in events at local tracks around Batesville, as well as in locales when hes traveling.

I like the dirt races, especially the late model dirt series like the Lucas Oil (Late Model) Dirt Series, he said. I love the late models and keep up with them a lot. Ill slip out to a local race track once in a while just to see grassroots people and kind of relate to where I came from.

Thats the thing with me, just connecting or reconnecting with that like I was before all the NASCAR racing, just the kid that I was in Arkansas growing up before I jumped on that runaway freight train (of NASCAR). Just reconnecting to grassroots people and racers and people that have a passion for the same kind of things that I do: motor coaches, big trucks and car racing.

Including his early days racing in American Speed Association, Martin competed in well over 1,200 races in his career. He faced the greatest drivers of all time, including the late Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon and so many more.

But when asked who was the toughest competitor he ever faced, Martin surprised with his answer.

That might be Larry Phillips, Martin said of the Springfield, Missouri, native who was a legend on short tracks primarily in the Midwest. He was unbelievable, quite a guy. He gave me my first job. I worked for him in the 70s, the summer of 1977, and raced against him every Friday and Saturday night of 77.

Phillips passed away in 2004 at the age of 62.

You could look up his history, Martin said of Phillips. One year, he won like 93 percent or 88 percent of the NASCAR regional races he entered, but we cant get him into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Its unbelievable. I think his records beat anything or anywhere. Its unbelievable what he did.

Martin then added about Phillips, He beat you with a slow car, maybe more often than Earnhardt would beat you with a slow car.

Even though Martin has been out of NASCAR going on eight years, he remains a big fan favorite. Much of that popularity is due to his reputation as a tough competitor but also a driver who raced others cleanly and fairly.

It is certainly humbling, Martin said of his still large and loyal fan base. I just always tried to stay real, tried to stay true to who I was and what I believed. I tried to be a man, tried to take my lumps like a man, and just tried to be fair on the race track. I raced hard, but I also raced very fair.

And it endeared a lot of fans to me, Im not sure why because Im a pretty boring person.

I did race hard and I tried hard. And I endured a lot of heartbreaks and failures along the way. I just feel like the fans supported me all through my career, beyond anything that I could have ever dreamed. And thats why I still had rides up into my 50s when many dont because of the fan support. It was just amazing and they had a huge hand in my success and especially in my longevity.

Martin remains a recognizable figure, even in the most remote locales.

The other day it was fueling my coach at a truck stop and the guy fueling his truck next to me said, Hi, Mark, Martin said. That was kind of unusual. I also have a strong social media presence with Twitter and Instagram and Facebook. And the Twitter following is unbelievable, so I engage with the fans that way, more than most retired racers.

Things can change, but I dont expect you to see me in a race car again. I have no desire to drive a race car. Im enjoying another chapter in my life.

To hear the full interview with Mark Martin, check out The Racing Beat on the BLEAV Podcast Network (BLEAV.com) and your favorite podcast platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and more.

The Mark Martin file:

* Age: 62

* Hometown: Batesville, Arkansas.

* NASCAR Cup Series career: 882 starts, 40 wins, 271 top-five and 453 top-10 finishes.

* Even though he never won a Cup championship, he did record five runner-up finishes in the drivers standings.

* NASCAR Xfinity career: 236 starts, 49 wins, 112 top-five and 152 top-10 finishes.

* First Cup season: 1981. Earned two poles in five starts, with a best finish of third at Martinsville Speedway.

* Last Cup season: 2013, when he retired at the age of 54. Competed in 28 of that seasons 36 races, with a season-best finish of third in the Daytona 500.

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Where are they now? Mark Martin enjoying less competitive retirement life - NASCAR

When Steve Kerr was in high school, he was honored at a Southern California basketball banquet, a rare occasion for the sharp-shooting but largely forgettable prep player. He attended with his mother.

The guest speaker was a tall, distinguished man whose intelligence and values shone through as he spoke to the audience about family and education and the values behind basketball.

Now that, Ann Kerr leaned over to tell her son, is the kind of coach I would love for you to play for.

Neither of them had an inkling at the time, but Kerr would, indeed, play for Lute Olson.

Olson, then coach at the University of Arizona, not only proved Ann Kerrs instincts correct in that he helped shape the course of her third-born, but he also provided a home and comfort to Steve when unimaginable tragedy shook the Kerr family. No mother could have predicted that.

Olson died in August at age 85 but is never far from Kerrs thoughts. On Tuesday, the Warriors head coach will honor Olson at the Game Changer awards. The annual event by Coaching Corps, a nonprofit that trains and supports youth coaches in underserved communities, will be held virtually this year.

I suppose everyone has these serendipitous meetings with people who change their lives, Kerr said, but this happened to be a really dramatic one. He completely changed the course of my entire life.

Kerr registered Olsons impressiveness at the banquet, but it wasnt until a few months later that Olson noticed Kerr. Olson had left Iowa to take the Arizona job, a program in disarray that went 4-24 the season before he got there.

Olson needed bodies and scrambled to find them; at a summer league tournament he became intrigued by a shooter nailing outside shots. Kerr had only one other scholarship offer from Cal State Fullerton and was contemplating trying to walk on at UC Santa Barbara. But Olson told the 18-year-old that he was interested.

But he was off recruiting and there were no cell phones, and I didnt hear from him, so I felt like I had to accept Fullerton, Kerr said.

His father, Malcolm, asked him where he really wanted to go. And when Kerr said Arizona, Malcolm followed up to see whether Olson was really interested. He was, Kerr was offered a scholarship and had to make the awkward call to decline Fullerton.

Sure, his mothers words about Olson resonated, but so did the allure of leaving Southern California, of playing in what was then the Pac-10 Conference. His future, it seemed, was set.

It was all kind of perfect, Kerr said.

What: Annual event and fundraiser for the Oakland-based nonprofit, whose mission is to train and place coaches in underserved communities.

When: Tuesday 6 p.m.

Where: This year's virtual event will livestream on YouTube. It will also air on NBC Sports Bay Area at a later date.

Who: Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will honor his college basketball coach, Lute Olson. Giants coach Alyssa Nakken will honor her travel softball coach, Gabe Abelia. San Diego-based soccer coach Laura Marquez will be presented with the Coach of the Year award.

That summer, he went to Beirut with his family, where his father was teaching at the American University. At the end of the summer, Kerr was to fly back to the United States and begin college. Civil war was raging in Lebanon, the embassy in Beirut had recently been bombed, and when Kerr had to leave the airport was closed and his options for getting out of the country became a dangerous ordeal. He was driven through Syria to Jordan, where he finally caught a flight and headed to Tucson.

A few months later, weeks into his first college basketball season, Kerr was awakened in the middle of the night by a call from a family friend. His father had been assassinated in his office building.

The tragedy was worldwide news. An Arizona booster heard it on the radio late that night and called an assistant coach, who went to Kerrs dorm room and took him to the Olsons house. The story has been oft told of how Kerr, suffering from shock and half a world away from any of his family, was cared for by Lute and his wife, Bobbi. He slept on their couch. They fed him.

I had only known him a couple of months, Kerr said, but he felt a responsibility to look after me.

Kerr told The Chronicle last summer that he began regularly stopping by Olsons office and even napping on his couch.

He just kept everything as normal as possible and allowed me to play, practice and move on with my routine, which was important, Kerr said. You have to sort of fall into a routine when you suffer a loss like that. Youve got to find a way to just get through the day.

Kerr got through the days, and the months, and eventually the years, helping to turn Arizona into a postseason staple and becoming one of the most popular players in the program.

Along the way, Kerr said, Olson became a kind of father figure.

He was definitely the most influential person in my life outside of my family, Kerr said.

They kind of adopted him, said Margot Kerr, Steve Kerrs wife, who had begun dating her future husband when they were sophomores. The whole team kind of sheltered him.

The Olsons created a family atmosphere that would last throughout Olsons tenure at Arizona. Bobbi, who died of ovarian cancer in 2001, was instrumental in that structure.

Pancake breakfasts, gatherings at their house, Margot said. None of the players were from Arizona, so it really became their family.

Kerr has used those lessons learned from Olson to try to create a similar feeling on the Warriors. Though the NBA is vastly different from college, he has tried to replicate the same sensibility.

In the NBA it has to be built differently, but the thinking is, Can we build something special? Something that people love to be part of? And how do we do that? Kerr said. I recognized the power of what Lute built.

Its no coincidence that in building his team, Kerr has consistently relied on Arizona alumni, from former player Andre Iguodala to former assistant Luke Walton to assistant coach Bruce Fraser.

Andre and I used to talk about how like-minded we were in the way we saw the game, Kerr said. The way he taught fundamentals. An emphasis on detail. If you play for Lute you understand the game at a level you maybe otherwise wouldnt have. Maybe that sounds arrogant, but it comes from the detail we saw in Coach Olson, the things that became ingrained, watching the amazing foundation he built.

Kerr, of course, went on to an amazing career and played for some of the top coaches in the game. But the bond with Olson remained, through his and Margots wedding, the births of their children, dinners on the road, Kerrs introductory news conference with the Warriors. Olson followed his former player closely, and the coach whose program was nicknamed Guard U particularly loved Kerrs dazzling backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

A year ago, before the NBA shut down, the Warriors played a game in Phoenix. Kerr and Fraser used the trip as an opportunity to drive down to Tucson to see Olson, who was doing poorly after suffering a stroke.

We had a feeling that might be the last time we would see him, Kerr said.

A few months later, Olson died. But his influence remains forever.

Ann Killion is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: akillion@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annkillion

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Warriors Steve Kerr recalls meeting with Lute Olson that changed his life - San Francisco Chronicle

Details Texas Tech Athletic Communications Basketball 17 February 2021

Due to continuing inclement weather, the Texas Tech at TCU men's basketball game scheduled for Thursday has been postponed. The Big 12 made the announcement on Wednesday morning along with the postponement of the Texas at Oklahoma game.

Additional information will be released when available.

The Red Raiders (14-6, 6-5 Big 12) are now scheduled to return to action against Kansas at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas before playing at Oklahoma State on Monday in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The team now has postponements remaining to be played against Baylor, Iowa State and two against TCU. Texas Tech is scheduled to host Texas at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27 at the United Supermarkets Arena, while the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship is from March 10-13 in Kansas City.

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Inclement Weather Results in Another Postponment for Texas Tech and TCU - BCSNN - Best College Sports News Network

As the WHT is all too aware many of us are cooped up while obeying the Stay at Home message from the government.

Ayot Greenway from Welwyn Garden City to Wheathampstead - Credit: Archant

But that does not mean you cannot use your one bit of exercise a day to go somewhere new and interesting in Welwyn Garden City - in addition tothe parks and green spaces we are luckyto have.

Ayot Greenway from Welwyn Garden City to Wheathampstead - Credit: Archant

The Ayot Greenway, which runs from Welwyn Garden City toWheathampstead, is off road and is a nice walk with lots of trees, some streams and fields.

Ayot Greenway from Welwyn Garden City to Wheathampstead - Credit: Archant

The track runs three miles along a former branch line from Welwyn Garden City railway station towards Luton and Dunstable, and ends in the mock station, complete with a statue of playwright George Bernard Shaw.

Ayot Greenway from Welwyn Garden City to Wheathampstead - Credit: Archant

Walking toWheathampstead also allows you to experience a new village, which has a 16th-century arch set in the brick wall in front of Wheathampstead Place and a remnant of our Iron Age past at the Devil's Dyke.

Ayot Greenway from Welwyn Garden City to Wheathampstead - Credit: Archant

Similarly, walking fromWheathampstead to Welwyn Garden City allows you to appreciate the Henry Moore statue in the town, brought for the centenary, as well as Stanborough and Panshanger Parks.

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Nice walks in Welwyn Garden City and Wheathampstead - Welwyn Hatfield Times

Max Hastings, the ex-Telegraph editor, says few English people will care if Ireland is united. Photograph: iStock

Irish unification will take place within a generation, righting a historical wrong, one of Britains best known historians and journalists has suggested.

Max Hastings, a former editor of the Daily Telegraph and Evening Standard and the author of multiple books on military history, said such an outcome would serve the best interests of Irish people, save a rump of alienated Protestants, historically out of their time.

He described partition as a monstrous injustice which was done at the behest of a million Protestants whose forebears were planted in Ulster by Oliver Cromwells followers in the 17th century.

Ever since, the Northern Ireland fragment has been governed by a so-called Unionist Protestant majority, whose sole rationale is the negative one of staying out of the Irish Republic by remaining attached to Britain, he said.

Mr Hastings echoed comments made by the former British chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne that English people would not care if Ireland was united. Mr Osborne recently suggested Northern Ireland is heading for the exit door of the UK and few people will care.

Writing for Bloomberg, Mr Hasting said most British people did not care a fig for John Bulls other island as George Bernard Shaw described Ireland.

Polls show a slim majority in Northern Ireland for a referendum on Irish unity. If this comes, and should a majority choose to join the South, few English people will care.

He accused Ulster Unionists, who ruled Northern Ireland for 50 years until the abolition of Stormont in 1972, of treating the Catholic minority almost as harshly as US white segregationists in the old South treated African Americans.

Lord Brookeborough, a Protestant grandee who served as Ulster prime minister between 1943 and 1963, said without embarrassment that, while he knew fellow landowners who employed Catholics on their estates, he would never do so himself.

Mr Hastings worked as a journalist at the outset of the Troubles and witnessed the attack on Divis Flats in 1969 when it was sprayed by machine gun fire killing nine-year-old Patrick Rooney.

Most of us English spectators of the Troubles deplored the IRAs atrocities as much as we recoiled from institutionalised Protestant injustice.The next day, I heard Unionist ministers justifying police actions by pleading that they faced a Catholic uprising, he said.

The IRA later murdered hundreds of innocent people with bomb and bullet. Both sides had much to be ashamed of, before an uneasy truce was achieved by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Hastings suggested the prosperity of the Republic made unification a possibility in a manner in which it was not in the 1960s.

Thus, even many Northern Catholics saw little economic advantage in embracing Dublin. Today, that has changed remarkably. With the collapse of old Northern industries, especially shipbuilding and textiles, the economy is kept alive only by massive subsidy from Britain 24 billion in public spending, against 14 billion collected in taxes.

The South, meanwhile, has become a prosperous, confident society, and an enthusiastic member of the EU.

Two minorities still see virtue in keeping Ireland partitioned. The first is composed of a diminishing number of stubborn Protestant Unionists, who dominate their own community, but would become marginalised in a united Ireland. Meanwhile, some Southern politicians are privately fearful of the perils of absorbing several hundred thousand embittered Proddies. Violence, so long an Irish tradition, remains very close beneath the countrys skin, and every Irish politician knows it well.

The witty and wise English writer Sydney Smith did not much exaggerate when he wrote two centuries ago: The moment the very name of Ireland is mentioned, the English seem to bid adieu to common feeling, common prudence and common sense.

Mr Hastings predicted that the Scottish will likely opt for independence, too, but the Welsh are unlikely to seek independence because of their economic dependence on the UK government.

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Irish unity will take place within a generation historian Max Hastings - The Irish Times

Hollywood star Viola Davis opened up about being one of the very few young Black students at Julliard and how it affected her.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the Academy Award-winning star, 55, spoke up about her film, Ma Raineys Black Bottom, which earned her a Golden Globes nomination as well.

She harked back to the time when she watched the theaters onstage adaption of Ma Raineys Black Bottom.

"It was like I was watching a famous singer that I loved in private, even though I didn't even know who Ma Rainey was at all, she said.

She revealed further that during her time at Julliard, she never performed any plays by August Wilson, who is known for his cycle of 10 shows encircling African American community of the 20th century.

Davis revealed that this was because the few Black students in her graduating class werent cast for shows enough.

"I can't say that I'm not appreciative of my training there, but I did not find a sense of belonging. It was a place that taught classical, Eurocentric theatre as if it was the Bible and for me, as a chocolate, kinky-haired girl, there was no way in," she said.

"To perform in Shakespeare, or George Bernard Shaw, or Eugene O'Neill, I felt like what was required of me was to make any hint of my Blackness disappear, that it would somehow be a good thing if the audience could forget I was Black, she went on to say.

"There is still a sense that a woman has to look a certain way and be a certain age in order to be sexual on screen. And if those rules are broken, they're broken for white actresses only. And they're wonderful white actresses Meryl Streep in 'Hope Springs,' or Diane Keaton in 'Something's Gotta Give.' But I don't feel like that same freedom has been extended to black women, especially dark-skinned black women. I simply don't see it," she continued.

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Viola Davis says she had to make her Blackness disappear as a student at Julliard - The News International

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Press Review: Climate Change by Bill Gates and the Anti-Q Lobby - News - haveeruonline