Men’s Basketball Team Manager
ZACH ENGLUND
Staff Writer
Whenever the Pepperdine men’s basketball team takes the floor, whether it’s during practice or an actual game, everything is right where it should be. The balls are in place, the jerseys are washed, the towels are lined up and the clock is set, so the team can always begin promptly as scheduled. But all of those things do not happen by themselves of course, and that is where senior team manager Patrick Spurgin comes. Spurgin recently took some time to talk about his duties with the athletic department, and all the work he does “behind the scenes” when nobody seems to be watching.
What are your responsibilities as team manager of the men’s basketball team?
“My job is to make life as easy as possible on our coaches. I do all the things that they shouldn’t have to waste their time doing, like setting up before and cleaning up after practices, taking stats, working the clock in practice, doing laundry after the games, all the stuff that’s kind of grunt work is what I do for the team.”
How did you get the job?
“I really had no idea the job even existed at first. I was taking (Men’s Volleyball Head Coach) Marv Dunphy’s coaching class because I really wanted to be a coach, but then I talked to one of the previous assistant coaches, Patrick Whitlock, and he was kind of on the same path as I was when he was in college and told me about the opening for the management position, so I took it and have been doing it since my sophomore year.”
Do want to pursue coaching when you graduate from college?
“That was my plan going into it, but I’ve changed my mind since then and am now aiming toward sports management, hopefully basketball because I have the most experience with it. I interned with the NBA Washington Wizards my sophomore year for four months and got to learn from the best in basketball management, so most of my administrative and management experience comes from basketball, so that’s where I’d like to get involved.”
What are some memorable experiences you’ve had on the job?
“In a broad sense, I’d say just everything that comes with being a part of the team. It’s been great building relationships with the players on the team, kind of seeing what they are like off the court and really being part of the team. I still talk to some players who have graduated, like Yakhouba Diawara, who is now in the NBA, and many other guys as well. Also, I’ve loved traveling to different arenas all over the country and sitting courtside in games like Kansas and Connecticut, with 16,000 fans making noise. It’s really cool to be a part of that.”
What are some downsides to being the manager?
“Well, it’s definitely a huge time commitment. This year I’m not, but last year I traveled with the team to all their games, which is usually around four days every week that I’d be gone, so you have to constantly be on top of your studies. I’m there an hour before they start practice and two or three hours after practice ends, just making sure everything is good to go next time. It’s a big time commitment, but it definitely pays off, especially right now, as the season is getting ready to start.”
Since you said you originally wanted to be a coach, do you ever offer advice to the players on the team?
“Not really. For the most part I let the people who are paid to offer that advice do that, but I get a unique opportunity to be with them every day and see their development on the court and hear the advice that they are being given that helps them become better players. Sometimes I say something, but I really try and stay away from coaching as much as possible.”
11-16-2006
