Brad Underwood waited 26 years for a Div 1 head coaching job. Yes, he spent 26 years coaching high school, JUCO, and assisting.
At 49 years old he was hired to coach SF Austin. At 53 he was hired by Illinois. He finally reached the Final Four after turning 60.
The point: Sometimes if you truly want to be great you have to pay your dues. You have to stay the course and trust the process.
We want microwaved success so badly. There are 20-30 year olds mulling over quitting the profession because it isn’t happening fast enough. You gotta understand that a high level coaching career is earned, not given.
Congrats to Coach Underwood for sticking with the dream. He did what a lot can’t do: he waited. And he was rightfully rewarded.