I’m having so much fun with our podcast. Everyone person has a riveting story to tell, and I get to figuratively sit down with a cup of good coffee and enjoy the stimulating conversation.
And, most of the guest have been good friends. It allows to visit with old friends, talk important, stuff and usually have a laugh.
This episode, "Pour into the Root", my co-host, Jonas Cain and I sat down with Griff Aldrich. He’s been a friend for a few years and haven’t seen him much lately.
But, you may have….
On TV or a national newspaper/magazine.
Griff is a college basketball coach, currently serving as the head coach of the Longwood Lancers in Virginia. In his first four years of leadership, he has led the team to their first ever Division I NCAA Tournament appearance, a Big South Championship, and a Big South regular season title. As a result of Griff’s influence, the Lancers have become one of the most drastic turnarounds in all of college basketball.
Before this, he was part of the history making team as an assistant coach at UMBC when they because the first #16 seed to defeat a #1 seed, UVA. (I got to know Griff while he lived here in Baltimore and go to that historic game.)
But perhaps what’s most impressive is these accomplishments came after a 16 year gap in his college basketball coaching career, during which time he forged a name for himself as a partner with the Vinson & Elkins law firm, as the founder of a major oil and gas company, and as a managing director and chief financial officer for a private investment firm.
Yet even while engaging in these business ventures, coaching has remained a passion, and over the years he continued to coach elite-level AAU high school basketball players, going on to found the HIS Hoops program in one of the most impoverished areas of Houston, where he poured into their roots the fundamentals of faith, academics, and basketball. As a result of Griff’s efforts, his players have gone on to play for elite college and professional teams both nationally and internationally.
Griff’s example is powerful testament of what is possible when you engage in the fundamentals of great execution, consistently pouring into the roots of worthy effort, attitude, and focus.
Check out this episode of It’s the Climb to hear the whole story.