Coach Dave Snyder’s resume as both a player and a coach runs deep. What the highlights don’t tell you is what an amazing man he was. He was much beloved by his teammates and his players, as evidenced by how many of these men traveled far and wide to get to his side when the...
It’s a redundant anecdote, but I’ll tell it again. One of the most common phrases spoken by visitors as they step off the elevators and into The Stark Center is, “Wow! I never knew this place existed.” The utterance distinguishes between two types of Stark Center visitors: 1. The already indoctrinated, or folks who are...
Well, folks, it’s that time of the year again. It’s time to raise a stein and proclaim, “Gut Heil!” Yes, it’s OKTOBERFEST, people, and this time of the year EVERYONE gets to don lederhosen, wear felt hats and master the art of holding a brimming stein of delectable German beer perfectly parallel to the ground, in a...
Yessir, it’s football season again and I have the pleasure of living in FOOTBALL COUNTRY, a.k.a. TEXAS. Friday night lights are in full swing in the high schools—you can’t drive down any highway or back road in the state of Texas on a Friday night and not see the stadium lights somewhere ahead of you...
Let me start by saying, I have never met the man, or if I have, it was only briefly and only incidentally. Last month was the five-year anniversary of the passing of Dr. Terry Todd. While I never had the privilege or the honor of sitting down and spending time with the man, I did...
I’ve walked past her a hundred times since I started working at the Stark Center a few months ago. She’s at the end of a row on the top shelf, housed amongst the trophies, plaques, and awards of iconic U.T. Coaches, seemingly a bit out of place. She’s one of thousands of artifacts hidden behind...
I’ve spent a lifetime around people who passionately pursue the perfect body. In my younger days, I was a dedicated gym rat and trained shoulder to shoulder with Olympians, top college athletes, and professional athletes, all who looked like they were carved out of stone like statues of Greek gods and goddesses. My motivation in...
I am delighted to introduce a new member of The Stark Center staff—Patty Fendick-McCain, who will need no introduction to fans of UT tennis. Patty was head coach of the UT women’s tennis team from 2005 to 2014, and before that was ranked as one of the top players on the WTA women’s pro tour...
The Nike story actually begins well before Jordan, however. It began when legendary Oregon track and field coach, and co-founder of Nike, Bill Bowerman began trying to make a better track shoe. In 1948, Bill Bowerman moved his family to Eugene where he took the head coaching job for the track and field team at...
