The day is Wednesday, April 12th. I find myself pulling into the Kennesaw State University East parking deck. There is electricity in the air. As I pull into my parking space, I see many people scurrying across the parking deck and up the stairs, trying to reach the convocation center. The first person that I recognize is George Washington, Head Coach of PebbleBrook High School. George is walking with a purpose, as is everyone on this day because today is the day that we name Antoine Pettway the new head coach of the men’s basketball program. As I follow the crowd through a winding concrete walkway, up the stairs to the conversation center, and into the East wing, I see what all the fuss is about. Media members, current players, administrators, faculty, and staff are all scurrying about to prepare for Pettway to be named their new head coach. I immediately walk up to Coach Washington and say, “How ’bout it, huh?” Coach Washington cracks a large smile, reaches out his hand to greet me, and says, “Pettway is going to outwork everybody. I’m excited!”
And that would become the theme of the day. Antoine Pettway, once named head coach, would outwork every other coach in the country. The next person I saw up the stairway was Jordan Sexton, with his trademark huge smile. We shook hands, and his words immediately mimicked those of Coach Washington, “Man, I’m telling you, this guy works so hard. I’m telling you we’re going to be good,” said Sexton. Collin Sexton followed his brother Jordan up the stairs. “What’s up, man?” I was shocked but very happy to see him here. Collin means so much to the city of Atlanta and to Georgia basketball as a whole. He greeted me and immediately said he had to be here to support Pettway. I had heard all the stories before about how instrumental Antoine Pettway was to the success Collin had at the University of Alabama during his time there.
As the Director of Communications, Noah Alexander approached the microphone, and everyone rushed to their seats to get ready for the press conference to begin. Noah is one of those super-polished guys. Like, incredibly polished. He spoke into the microphone, and as his words began to glide across the room, it reminded me of what I love so much about Kennesaw State University. This place is special. This place is first class! Noah reminded the audience that over 67% of Kennesaw State athletes maintained a 3.0 GPA or higher. With the success they’ve had in athletics, that’s an amazing feat. Noah then introduced Milton Overton, who is the Athletic Director.
As Milton Overton took the microphone, you could feel a peace start to fall over the room. Mind you, just a few days ago, there was panic as the most successful coach in Kennesaw State basketball history, at least at the Division I level, was now off to the University of South Florida. Nobody could blame Amir Abdur Rahim for taking the South Florida job. However, it did leave a large hole in the community in which he stood. Everyone knew that we were losing a very special coach and wondered if he could ever be replaced. As Milton Overton discussed his criteria and philosophy for finding a new coach, it replaced all doubt with nothing but confidence in his leadership and ability to guide the program forward. He mentioned wanting the convocation center at Kennesaw State to become the best place to watch a basketball game in the country and that there was a standard of excellence that would continue to be a part of this program. Overton knows Pettway very well as they both spent time together at the University of Alabama.
As Pettway was introduced, he showed a very professional but not stoic demeanor. He had a relaxed, easy-going attitude as he first thanked God, then his wife, Amir Abdur Rahim, the former Kennesaw State staff, and Coach Tony Ingle. It was at that moment that I realized he really understood us; he understood how important Tony Engel was to the university.
Petway talked about many things. He discussed his philosophy around recruiting, saying that he wanted talented players with a high work ethic and extremely high character. He said he wanted to play fast, maybe even faster than some players were comfortable with, but with that speed of play, it would come with responsibility, and they would have to work just as hard as he did. Antoine Pettway was considered to be the offensive mastermind for the Alabama basketball team that had just won the SEC and boasted one of the most powerful offenses in college basketball. He also discussed his plans for building with the community of Georgia. He wanted to get out to events, and get to know high school coaches, AAU coaches, and event directors at the grassroots level. He mentioned that he wanted to build together with all of us, and that this program would continue to be the city’s program.
With a large family gathering in attendance, including both mom and dad, his wife, kids, aunts, uncles, and cousins, you could see that Antoine Pettway was a family man and that family was really important to him and would likely be a big part of the men’s basketball program. That was no more evident than listening to Pettway speak about how special his mother is to him, taking a moment to gather himself, doing the best he could not to break down but speaking to his mom with love and saying simply, “I remember… I remember everything that you did.” It was at that moment that I understood his mission and I understood the driving force of his relentless work ethic. It was without question his love for his family and his determination to make them proud.
As the press conference ended, you could feel the excitement in the room. The energy was palpable, and it was clear that everyone was eager to see what Pettway would bring to the table as the new head coach of the men’s basketball program. As I walked out of the convocation center and back down the stairs, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the opportunity to witness this historic event. I knew that this was only the beginning of what was sure to be an exciting journey for Kennesaw State University basketball.
Mandrae Allen, Host of Love of The Game Podcast (Twitter: @dre_Isreloaded )
