by Danielle Kinnen | Apr 26, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb University held its Don Meyer Evening of Excellence Saturday night to recognize the journey of coach Jim White, who is the subject of the Disney movie McFarland USA. The Don Meyer Evening of Excellence is named after the legendary former Lipscomb basketball coach who passed away in May of 2014 after a battle to cancer. Meyer coached at Hamline University for three years, Lipscomb for 24 years and Northern State for 11 years and finished with a career record of 923-324 in 38 seasons. Over the last six years, Lipscomb has had speakers that include Coach Meyer, former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, Duke head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens, Phil, Si and Kay Robertson from Duck Dynasty and “Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks. The evening in Allen Arena was filled with Lipscomb donors, athletes and family of the soon-to-be graduated seniors. White coached McFarland High School to nine cross country state championships in 14 years. Most of White’s runners were the children of immigrant field workers, as McFarland is one of the poorest cities in California. White shared some advice of his well-rounded programs with Lipscomb’s athletes. “No one can tell you that you won’t achieve something, because I just turned around and did it anyway,” White said. “You must continue to do right the things that you know how, and be patient. It’s a process — it cannot be built over night. “You have to have that drive in all aspects of life and especially for the student athletes who continue to work hard on and off the field.” Lipscomb alum Keith Hayes was impressed by the work put...
by Erin Turner | Jan 24, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
Ernie Banks, known as “Mr. Cub,” died Friday night at 83. The Baseball Hall of Famer spent his 19-year MLB career with the Chicago Cubs, hitting 512 home runs. The legendary baseball player shared some of his wisdom with Lipscomb during the sixth annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence. Here is former Lumination Editor-in-Chief Cory Woodroof’s story about Banks’ message last April. Baseball great Ernie Banks advocates learning, friendship at Don Meyer Evening of Excellence Just because someone is king of his craft doesn’t mean he’ll ever stop learning, and for one of sports’ most respected and successful individuals, learning is something that never ceases. At the sixth annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence, Baseball Hall of Famer and legendary Chicago Cub Ernie Banks taught all in attendance at Allen Arena the values of the learning process. “I’m just a learning person,” Banks said. As a part of the event, attendees got the chance to learn a little bit about Banks’ past, hear about his interactions with some of baseball’s great players and take to heart some of the wisdom he shared in a conversation with Jonathan Seamon. Banks, 83, is one of baseball’s most admired individuals. An icon in Wrigley Field on Chicago’s north side, the man beloved as “Mr. Cub” has amassed a large number of honors. Not only is he a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. His Cubs’ jersey number was retired and there’s a statue in his honor at Wrigley Field. He’s also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom – an award given him by President Barack Obama, another well-known Chicagoan, in 2013. Banks shared ballfields...
by Cory Woodroof | Mar 13, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Baseball great Ernie Banks will make his way to campus for the sixth annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence on April 19. Banks is considered to be one of the great baseball players in Chicago Cubs history and one of the most beloved players in the history of the sport. “The Don Meyer Evening of Excellence has had great guests over the years and we are thrilled to add Ernie Banks’ name to the Lipscomb lineup card,” Athletics Director Philip Hutcheson in a press release from Lipscomb Athletics. “Ernie Banks is one of those ‘Mount Rushmore’ kind of figures when it comes to the world of baseball’s greatest ambassadors.” Hutcheson spoke about Banks’ legacy in the sport and beyond. “Not only was he a Hall of Fame player on the field, but the joy that he brought to the game, the way he connected with his community and the work he did to promote what’s good about sports would have gotten him in Cooperstown even if he never played an inning,” Hutcheson said. Past guests include NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Coach Meyer himself. Last year, Duck Dynasty family members Phil, Si and Kay Robertson were the centerpieces of the event. Tickets are on sale now for the Saturday event online or by phone at 615-966-4373. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
by Hunter Patterson | Apr 14, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
“Goals are important. Having a vision is important. Commitment to the process is more important,” Butler men’s basketball coach Brad Stevens told the crowd at the fourth annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence on April 14. And Stevens knows the significance behind not just winning, but figuring out what it takes to win. Character, Commitment to Details, Performance and Results – those are the levels of Stevens’ pyramid he has used each of the five years of his head coaching career at Butler to help his players remember to keep their priorities straight. In those five years, he’s managed to get his team two Final Four appearances. “You have to simplify things, but have to do a lot of work to before you can simplify things,” the two-time Horizon Coach of the Year said. With guidance from two notable coaches, Thad Matta and Todd Licklighter, Stevens learned he had to “think like a head coach every day,” and to “just be yourself.” On the bottom level of the pyramid, Stevens listed character as the most important attribute. “You can be humble, but you need to balance that with courage,” Stevens said. He said there have been seasons where the team has lost players to the NBA draft or graduation, and the younger players were not ready to “take the reins.” While the players may not have been physically or mentally prepared, near the season’s end, Stevens said the same players were playing with a courage that allowed them to “not care about anything and give everything.” The second level is preparation and attention to detail. “In basketball, we look at...
by Hunter Patterson | Apr 13, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
At the Don Meyer Evening of Excellence in 2010, Tim Tebow stood on a stage in the center of Allen Arena speaking to thousands listening intently to his every word. Last year, Mike Krzyzewski spoke to a similar crowd about his experiences as a coach on the national scale as well as the college spectrum. On Saturday, one of the nation’s premier college coaches will be on stage. Butler Coach Brad Stevens is highly touted as one of the best young coaches of the modern era. Two years ago, Stevens signed a deal that would keep him at Butler until the 2021-22 season. With his several awards and accolades in just a few short years, Butler had no choice but to offer Stevens a long-term offer. Stevens, only 35, has compiled a 139-40 record in five seasons, including back-to-back trips to the national championship game in 2010-11. And while his coaching skills have been sought after time and time again, he continues to turn down offers from larger universities. Since 2009, the former Division III point guard has won two Horizon Coach of the Year awards and the Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award, given to the coach who “has made the most significant positive contributions to his sport” during the preceding year. Stevens told The City Paper he is thrilled to speak at the event, which is named for the legendary Coach Meyer. “He is just a guy that everybody that is in coaching idolizes and thinks the world of,” Stevens said. “He was the star among coaches long before the accident. Everybody in coaching knew of...
