‘He’d be proud of me’
December 16, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Mike Lucas
Ready to run with opportunity, Gard grabs reins of Badgers program
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — As Wisconsin associate head coach Greg Gard was dressing for work Tuesday, he slipped a keepsake into the left inside pocket of his suit coat.
He kept it close to his heart the rest of the day.
Late in the afternoon, Gard's long-time mentor, Bo Ryan, had indicated that he was planning on retiring following the game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the Kohl Center.
"Our number one focus was taking care of business here (on the court)," insisted Gard. "And, then, whatever was going to happen in the postgame, we'd deal with that as it unfolded."
In what is typically a rugged game before the start of the final exam period on campus, the Badgers struggled early but shot 65 percent in the second half for a much-needed 64-49 victory.
Afterwards, Ryan announced his retirement to the players in the UW locker room.
"It caught me a little bit by surprise," said guard Zak Showalter. "It's sad for all of us."
Showalter's father, Steve, was a big scorer and impact player for Ryan at UW-Platteville.
"I've been watching Coach Ryan coach the game of basketball for a long time — I think I was 5 years old when I was going to games at UWM with my dad," he said.
"I know it's hard for him (Ryan) to step away. But he said that it's what he has to do right now and I have to respect that."
Asked if he saw it coming, Showalter said, "When you look back now, our assistants have really started to step up more in practice and have been saying a little bit more, stuff like that."
But there weren't any overt signs from Ryan.
"Coach Ryan was fully committed to us," said Showalter, a fourth-year junior from Germantown, "so it's not like he has been any different than he has been the last couple of years."
Ryan shook hands with each of his players after the announcement.
"He loves us," said Showalter. "He told us that he loves waking up and coming to work with us every day. He said that there's nothing better than that.
"As any great coach who has been around the game for a long time, I think that's one of the most difficult things to do … to walk away. You never know when that time is."
Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez had a specific message for the players.
"I shared with them the same things I shared with two football teams the last three years," Alvarez said of the coaching transitions from Bret Bielema to Gary Andersen to Paul Chryst. "Don't be afraid to change," he encouraged them. "You'll have change the rest of your life. Embrace change. Grow from change.
"Take what you've learned from Coach Ryan and embrace Coach Gard and take what he gives you and run with it — reach your potential."
Gard, who will take over as the interim head coach, also spoke to the team.
"Gardo had a good talk," Showalter said. "He told us that we have to be open to change — change happens — and we have to be ready to respond and come together as a group of guys.
"Gardo has been around the program for a long time. He knows what he's doing."
The players really didn't have much time to speak amongst themselves about what potentially loomed ahead for them two weeks before their Big Ten opener against Purdue.
"Tomorrow (Wednesday) we'll get some more time to be together as a group," Showalter said. "And we'll start having those conversations."
Showalter looked at his watch.
"It's already 11 (p.m.)," he said. "This is probably the latest I've ever gotten out of here after a game. I usually don't sleep well after games. I can't imagine it's going to change tonight."
Gard was not likely to get much sleep, either.
As he was heading back to the coaches locker room, he stopped for a moment and agreed to reflect on his late father, Glen. He began to choke up.
On Oct. 30, Glen Gard lost his battle with cancer; glioblastoma multiforme. He was 72.
"He'd be proud of me," Gard said.
He then reached into the inside left breast pocket of his suit coat and pulled out the funeral program/brochure; the obit chronicling the life and death of his dad.
"I knew this was something he would have loved to see," Gard said of his promotion to interim head coach. "I'm sure he's looking down … looking down and smiling."
Gard chuckled and added, "He would be smiling and telling me to get my (bleep) in gear."
He's pretty sure that he would be telling him a few other things, too.
"Don't waste much time patting yourself on the back," he could hear him saying. "Get after it. Stick to your principles. You've got a big challenge in front of you. But it's a great opportunity."
When Glen Gard took ill in May, it delayed Ryan's retirement plans.
"We put it on the backburner," Ryan said.
It allowed Gard to explore medical options for his father.
"I was grateful he (Ryan) decided to hold up on it when the whole situation with my dad took place with the cancer diagnosis," he said. "It allowed me to step back and focus on helping my family."
Gard and Ryan are family. They've been together for 23 years — dating to when Gard was a 22-year-old college student and Ryan invited him to join his coaching staff at UW-Platteville.
"I know it was extremely hard for him," Gard said of Ryan's decision to retire, "because he had been contemplating this for awhile. When was the right time?
"I knew this was weighing on his mind. Whenever you're contemplating retirement, there is no manual on how and when you should do it.
"There's a how — how you have to fill out paperwork and do that.
"But there's never a when — especially when you're a coach.
"It's different than walking away from an office job where you leave your cubicle and box up your stuff and go. There's so many emotions invested and so many relationships beyond this current team. I know it was really hard for him to stand in front of the players and say, 'Here's what is going to happen.'"
Gard had a great response to how he was going to make it happen as the interim coach.
At the postgame press conference he was quizzed on whether he was prepared for the pressure over the next four or five months knowing that he would be coaching every day for the permanent job.
"I've never had more than a one-year contract in my entire career," he said. "So, for me, it has never been about the pressure that way.
"I've been asked that (question) before when Coach Ryan first announced that he would contemplate stepping down after this year.
"Coach Alvarez said there would be a national search. My response has always been, 'Absolutely. There should be. That's his job (as AD).' I've never flinched or blinked from that."
Gard also agreed with Alvarez on the importance of putting his own signature on the program.
"I have to be myself," Gard said. "I've learned from Coach Ryan in terms of philosophies, fundamentals and principles. Now, I have to put my stamp on it.
"The worst mistake I could make would be to try and be Coach Ryan. He's a Hall of Famer and, obviously, his record speaks for itself. I have to coach to my personality.
"And I have to put my stamp on it in terms of how we want do things and my communication and relationships with the players. I have to have them understand it's going to be a group effort.
"None of us are in this by ourselves. Coaches don't do it alone. It's still about the players. How we're able to grow them and keep them moving forward will be the key.
"When I talked to them (after the game), my message was not going to be a whole lot different than what Coach Ryan would have said in terms of how we need to improve.
"I could tell in their eyes that they're excited, they're ready. They want to prove that they can take another step and grow."
Gard promised them, "We'll come up with our plan and we'll have a good plan."
The "we" would include assistant coaches Gary Close and Lamont Paris.
"I'll meet with the staff Wednesday," Gard said, "and we'll go over some things that I've been observing. I'll lean on them, too, for their ideas because they've obviously been around here."
If and when necessary, Gard will also call on Ryan. Why wouldn't he use such a resource?
"He'll always be a part of this program, forever entrenched in the history of this program," he said. "He's not going to vanish off the planet earth and I'll still make sure I have his phone number."
There will not be any dramatic changes, he pointed out.
"The game of basketball isn't going to change for us," Gard said. "It's still going to be about taking care of the ball and getting good shots. Defensively, we're going to be very stingy.
"We can get better in all facets, especially being more consistent offensively with better decisions and better shot selections."
Gard will have a different voice now. How different will it be for the players?
"The role changes, I understand that," he said. "But we have great kids. Everyone in that locker room is in this for what is on the front of the jersey (Wisconsin).
"And that's what is most important: 'What can we do to make this team better?'"
Gard will beginning searching for answers immediately.
Ryan is confident that he will find them.
"Greg is ready," he said. "There's nobody better prepared than him."
