Underwood shaped by association with winning coaches

CHAMPAIGN – There were moments testing his metal in the gyms in his hometown of McPherson, Kan., just up the road from Wichita. Brad Underwood also developed some thick skin while playing for a legend at Kansas State.

He taught himself how to work hard and build a program in the junior-college ranks, and Underwood built connections with some of the college game’s heavyweights, such as Bob Huggins and Frank Martin.

While Illini basketball might have hired a guy from the Huggins coaching tree, it really found a guy who took the ideas from the last 20 to 30 years on his way to power conference basketball as a head coach.

“I don’t know who I’m like,’’ Underwood said the other day. “I’ve taken so much from all of those guys and tried to adapt it to my personality and my style. I’m different than Frank, Huggs, Jack Hartman. It’s who I am.

“The journey was worth it. I worked for good people who allowed me to hone my skills. My success to this point should be attributed to them and the journey.’’

Underwood worked in the basketball underworld for decades. He served as an assistant at low-major Western Illinois, where the Leathernecks went head-to-head with rising small-college power Valparaiso. He twice led a juco program, doing everything from the essentials such as recruiting and building a roster to driving the bus to doing the laundry. He returned to his college alma mater with Huggins, whom Underwood describes as a no-brainer Hall of Famer.

After working under Martin for six years and guiding Stephen F. Austin from the east Texas piney woods to the NCAA Tournament’s second round, Underwood jumped from Oklahoma State to Illinois.

Underwood talked about the importance of toughness, fundamentals and locker room chemistry. It’s still months or years until everyone sees what Underwood can do here in the future. But let’s take a look at his past and his influences.

It started back in his home town, a “little basketball factory,’’ Underwood said, with a historic gym and a Kansas prep Hall of Fame coach, Jay Frazier, who was “the first one to really challenge me.’’ Frazier was an innovator, Underwood said, and an old school coach who made it an easy transition from hometown, junior college basketball and finally to Kansas State under Hartman, a descendant of Henry Iba. Hartman did it the old-fashioned way.

“He was a perfectionist,’’ Underwood said. “We did a tremendous amount of fundamentals, the basics of the game. You knew we were so well schooled, the other team had to beat us. We weren’t going to beat ourselves.’’

Underwood’s practices resemble those he endured in Manhattan, Kan.

“The game hasn’t changed,’’ he said. “The fundamentals of the game haven’t changed. The basics of the game haven’t changed. Passing, ballhandling, catching, shooting. There was great emphasis put on those things. Setting your man up and pivoting. All those things still happen today. You don’t rush those things. Therefore, we didn’t turn the ball over.

“People are shocked when they watch our individual workouts. How much passing and ballhandling we do. And how many layups we shoot. We call them finishes.’’

Underwood probably softened from those days under Iba.

“Compliments weren’t thrown out a great deal,’’ Underwood said. “He expected you to do it right. When you did it, he didn’t say much. When you did it wrong, you heard about it. You had to be pretty thick skinned, pretty tough. ‘’

Underwood’s coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Hardin Simmons, the small Oklahoma college where Lou Henson once coached. When the boss abruptly retired after Underwood’s one year there, Underwood eventually took a job as head coach at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College. The Kansas juco scene was hot, but the outpost in western Kansas was essentially a one-man show.

Before prep schools exploded, junior colleges were loaded with four or five high major players trying to get their grades. Gyms were packed. The national title meant something.

“It taught me how to recruit,’’ Underwood said. “I was able to get some of the best players in the country. I had to prove to myself I could recruit. I chose not to let schools place players in there. I had to get guys. That was an invaluable experience. On the coaching side, I really didn’t know much.

“You think it’s about X’s and O’s. What actions you put players in is a very small piece of it. I learned a lot more about the importance of developing a locker room, chemistry, getting guys to work hard and helping them get better. ‘’

Roughly a decade spent in Macomb under Jim Kerwin was fulfilling for Underwood. He was part of a program battling for conference championships against Valpo and the Drew family. It’s a tiny dot on the basketball road map, but Western Illinois thrived on its level by recruiting Class A basketball during Illinois prep’s two-class system and finding juco talent. Underwood also learned about having fun along the way, when Kerwin once told him to put off more film study for a New Year’s Eve party following a less than impressive win.

“Nothing is going to change today,’’ Underwood said, recalling the conversation with Kerwin. “Right now, we enjoy this moment. That stuck with me. You have to enjoy the people around you. You work, but you have fun doing it.’’

When Kerwin retired, Underwood went back to coaching in juco ball, this time at Daytona Beach (Fla.) Community College. During his stints as a juco coach, Underwood met Huggins and Martin. Huggins was recruiting Underwood’s players. Underwood was recruiting Martin’s players in Miami. Eventually, Huggins took the job at Kansas State, took martin with him and Underwood joined up as director of basketball operations. When Huggins went home to West Virginia, Martin was promoted at Kansas State, and so was Underwood.

Something stuck with Underwood about Huggins decades ago during those days at Dodge City, when Huggins would make the trip to recruit juco talent.

“Huggs came in early and stayed late,’’ Underwood said. “It was always very personal with Huggs. It wasn’t just see the kid, say hello to the coach and get out of there. We’d go to dinner. Through the recruiting process, we got to know each other. Over time, we were friends.’’

While the rest of us see Huggins in a different light because of his intensity and coaching style, Underwood saw things behind the scenes.

“As good of a coach as he is, he’s a way better person,’’ Underwood said. “Huggs is about laughter. He was a guy who had this in the right perspective. He was good people. He treated people great. It’s about relationships. Nobody made relationships in any walk of life better than Huggs.’’

When he picks up a phone to make a call, Underwood has Huggins and Martin on his favorites list.

“If I ever have an issue, those are the two guys I’m calling,’’ Underwood said. “I would think it works both ways as well. We’re all loyal to each other.’’

Underwood’s been around winners his whole life, he said, going back to those days with Frazier in McPherson. But he’s not necessarily doing it like Huggins, Martin, Kerwin or Frazier. This is Brad Underwood, but he’s taken a little bit of everyone and shaped it how he knows best.

John Supinie is a columnist for Orangeandbluenews.com. During the day, he’s an Audi Brand Specialist at Green Audi in Springfield. Call or text him at 217-377-1977 if you’re looking for an Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota or preowned car. Ask for the Illini deal.

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