Originally Posted by
Soonerdawg
Tech has again been blessed with an excellent coach and an excellent person with our new Tennis coach. I love Tech, and I moved to Ruston from Lafayette ten years ago to be a part of this community and Tech. I did this, knowing that I would be taking a huge pay cut to come here, but nevertheless made the move to enjoy Ruston and to bring up my family here.
However, I am simply amazed that Tech was able to bring into our midst a person of the caliber of Coach Greg Hearn, a person who has had no previous ties to our community. For those of you who don’t know him, Greg is a top notch, Christian man, who is going to make a large impact at our great University, and our community as well. Mark my word, Tech will build a national power in Tennis, and we may soon be talking about that program like we do the women’s basketball program now. A lot of big talk, I know, but when you get the opportunity to talk to Greg (by the way, Greg REALLY likes to talk), you will see that this man has vision, believes in himself, and believes that Tech was the most likely forum for him to accomplish his goals.
The article linked on the page on Coach Hearn is a great article, but it only gives a resume of this man. To understand him, you need to know things like the fact that his model coach is John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach. Greg has the pyramid memorized, and he cannot have a conversation without quoting Coach Wooden. Its not just memorized, though, it is metabolized.
Those who have come into contact with Coach Hearn love him without exception. I was with my family in Lafayette the week that the decision was made to hire Coach Hearn. There were marquee billboards around the town wishing him well and lamenting his exit. He built from zero the best tennis program in the city, at a facility that was not even close to competing with the big boys with their indoor and clay courts such as Red’s. I was told by the people there, even before I met Greg, that he “touches” everyone he works with, and without exception, you are a better person for knowing him.
Already, his impact has been felt at Tech. With only a few weeks of working with his team, he has taken over a team that has, in the past, had almost non-existent support from the University. The red-headed stepchild, so to speak. When you pass by the tennis courts, he has the girls tied to rubber bands and playing on only half a court. Weird, yes, effective, obviously. He reads extensively in the techniques of training in his sport and motivating his players. He has the team working hard, not because he makes them work hard, but because he truly believes in them, and now they believe in themselves.
Greg wants to work with our community, and I really hope that we accept him with as open arms and with as much enthusiasm as did Lafayette. We have a real jewel here, and he will bring honor to our school.
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If seemed as though you and Dwayne are a lot closer than any of us ever realized :lol: Just kidding, we all had a blast unfortunately we missed you. Greg certainly speaks high concerning your children...hope to see you soon or sooner :?
