Dusty May, FAU Men's Basketball Coach

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Find it wherever you buy laundry products. We continue this Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. We've all seen the news by now. Yesterday, the legendary coach Bobby Knight passed away at the age of 83. Let's go out to the guest line right now and welcome in the head basketball coach at FAU. We all remember their great run from a year ago into the Final Four in the NCAA tournament.

And now they're ranked number 10th in the country to start off this basketball season. And Coach Dusty May is with us, who was a student manager for Coach Knight at Indiana. And he's kind enough to join us right now. Coach, appreciate the time. Sorry to do it under these circumstances. My condolences to you and your family. And I appreciate you joining us today.

Well, I appreciate you having me on, Zach. It's been an odd last 12 to 24 hours where you reconnect with so many people sharing stories and experiences. But once again, just trying to celebrate Coach Knight's life and the impact he had on a lot of us. When you got the news yesterday, and like you said, a lot of people reach out and you reflect.

You know, he is 83 years old when he passes away. So there's a lot of years and a lot of great memories to celebrate. But what was that immediate thought and what were some of those memories that came back to mind? Well, well, I was actually at the Heat game and I started getting a wave of text messages. So when that happens, typically it's a group chat going wild.

But in this case, it was more just guys started immediately sharing stories and even put pictures of letters. And I think when you work for someone as great as Coach Knight, just we played a very, very small, small role in the program success. But you have a common bond that you went through something that's very difficult. The thing with Coach Knight, he was so demanding on everyone around him. And so everyone there has went through a very difficult experience. But also, we're all aware that we wouldn't be where we are without it. And he prepared us for what was next. And we're all very, very grateful just to have, like I said, a small piece in Indiana basketball history. With what you just said, how do you look back at your experience with him?

Just wondering. Well, I think I don't want to say I would have a zero percent chance to be where I am now. But I would say it's more likely a 0.001 percent chance of being where I am today if I didn't have that experience of working for Coach Knight. Every job I got, it was the thing that opened the door and the thing that gave me credibility. Because if you can work in the environment at Indiana, that demanding that was ahead of the curve in so many areas at the time, then you could bring something positive to the table at your next job.

You know, especially for someone like myself with no background, no connections. His name on a resume or him making a phone call carried a lot of weight. Talking to Dusty May right now, remembering Coach Bobby Knight who passed away yesterday at the age of 83. So when you get to Indiana and you're a student manager for him, he's king.

Like he is the guy, right? The god on that campus. What do you remember about your first time meeting Coach Knight? Just how intimidating he was and obviously as a manager, you want to have a relationship with the coaches. But I think I was so terrified, I just wanted to be unseen.

Just please don't do anything to screw this up and stay out of the way until you get a little bit of confidence around him. And I'm not usually starstruck, but Coach Knight, because he's so imposing, he definitely has you walking around on eggshells a lot of the days. Did you ever kind of see a side of him where he kind of warmed up to you and he kind of mentored you a little bit and showed you actually some love? Because I know a lot of times it's tough love, but was there ever like a calmer side to Coach Knight behind the scenes? Of course, and I spent a couple summers working in the office answering the phone and getting ready for basketball camp and helping with the camps and whatnot. So you got to see all sides of Coach, but most of the time it was more of he would ask a question and then he would challenge you to go find the answer.

And he'd make comments, you know, that's the problem with you young guys these days. You're not curious enough or you're not inquisitive enough or whatever the case. And it was always just to challenge us to learn, to grow and to be probably more inquisitive than anything else. But I just looked at it as every single day. I have an opportunity to go in and observe at a world-class performer and learn and take notes. And so I knew I was aware that I wasn't very important in the scheme of things, but I was also going to take advantage of that opportunity. I saw an interview that you did. I think it was actually a few months ago and you know, any one, any time that you're doing an interview, eventually Coach Knight is going to come up. And you were, you were discussing these three by five note cards and all the notes that you guys would have to take. And you still have some of his notes right now.

Tell us a little bit more about that. Well, Coach Knight first of all had a system for everything. And there's a checklist for every bag, for every road trip, for the carts of practice. So one of the responsibilities as a manager, everyone at all times you're dressed in the same uniform, the gray shirt, red shorts, candy striped socks. And, and at that time, Converse shoes. And then in your pocket, you had a three by five note card. You had three by five note cards with black or red or both flare pins. So at any time he asked you to do something, it's kind of like when you're at a restaurant and the waiter tries to memorize your order.

Well, that's not impressive. If you get the order, you just write it down and get my food right. So it's kind of same thing where he told you to do anything. You wrote it down.

So you made sure you got it done properly and correctly. And then even with that, when he gave you an assignment, we typically didn't leave the building until the assignment was done. He'd give you a video project.

And that was before technology is what it is now. And we would stay all night to finish the project just because you didn't know. He may ask for it in a week.

He may ask for it the next morning. But we knew that if we wanted to have to earn his trust to have to have responsibility that we needed to have it ready when he asked again. So so many important lessons, but the sense of urgency that we had to work with obviously prepared us all for what was next. I'm sure there was a lot of people on Indiana's campus that were like, I want to be a part of the basketball program. I want to be a student manager. How did you get through to eventually become a student manager? I played Division two one year and and at that time there weren't walk ons, there weren't video coordinators. So the managers, there's a hierarchy system back then where the senior managers were essentially director of operations, video coordinators. Junior managers were phasing into that.

And then freshmen and sophomore managers did the more menial tasks. But I had I had done some work for Dr. Larry Rink and he can't. He followed high school basketball closely in the area and knew me. And he always said, if you want to coach, you need to go work for Bob.

Obviously, I didn't. I never called him Bob. But he'd say you need to go work for Bob. And so that was always kind of in the back of my mind and I wanted to be a high school coach in Indiana. So I thought that was the best way for me to get a varsity coaching position in the state of Indiana at a young age.

And from there, I just saw some opportunities opened up to be in college. But yeah, my sole reason for going to Indiana was to learn from Coach Knight. Coach Dusty May here with us from FAU.

They did go to the final four last year, as everyone remembered. And he was a student manager for coach Bobby Knight. Yeah, I'm just wondering, coach, because the film sessions we always hear were legendary and so detailed oriented.

I wasn't able to be a fly on the wall during that time. But how would you kind of look back at the film session still to this day with coach Bobby Knight? Well, he used film daily and a way to teach the game at a deeper level. And he was just so clear and concise with with his words, with his messaging. He was a master teacher and he could he could make complex basketball concepts seem really simple. And, you know, he studied the game. He always it was amazing who he had around the program.

I remember just being a fly on the wall around Pete Newell or Tony La Russa or Mark Maguire. He just there were always athletes, businessmen, and he was searching for a better way at all times. So, I mean, I think part of my growth as a coach has just been trying to learn from different people and different businesses and fields. And he he was doing that way back when. I mean, I remember Rick material spending a week just watching practice. So so you'd have all these guys that were the top of their field come in to watch the way he taught practice and conducted and ran a program and conducted workouts.

So if they're all doing that, obviously we were gaining something pretty valuable from it. Yeah, I'm not comparing my experience to your experience, but I got a chance to intern for the legendary radio host in Philadelphia, Angelo Cataldi. And I'll never forget being around him. And we've become very close. And you're right, like what you were saying earlier, you get afraid at the moment to do something wrong.

And it's an intimidating setting, but it makes you so much better. Was there one moment? I'm sure there's more than one moment where you're like, oh, my goodness gracious, Bob Knight.

You know, I just got yelled at. He doesn't like me. Was there a low moment for you when dealing with coach Bobby Knight?

No, there were several teachable moments that I still still used to this day. But there are examples where he would be on the phone and he a lot of people wanted his time and attention. And maybe I wouldn't put gas in his car and I put his keys on his desk or whatever the case. And then an hour later, he calls where my keys.

You never gave them to me. And, you know, it was always just a matter of like he had a lot going on. But, you know, you learn to think ahead, try to have every problem solve. But that's that's what he taught you to be thinking ahead.

And I know as I have three young sons is being around teenagers and young people. If you can think ahead and problem solve and anticipate, then you're probably way ahead of the game in today's climate. So before we let you run, like, let's say 20 years from now, someone comes up to you and they're like, I've never seen coach Bob Knight before. I've never seen him coach. I don't know much about him. How would you describe him so that person gets a real understanding of the legend that he was? Oh, wow.

That's a great question. He's such an intimidating, imposing figure. I always tell people jokingly that when you see him, he looks like a big grizzly bear who's huge and he's about as intimidating as a grizzly bear. But his ability to elevate the focus, intensity, attention in any room that he went into was something that I don't think I've seen since. He can walk into a building with 10000 people and 10000 people would be on pins and needles, just anxious to see what he had to say, what he did, how he moved. So just a really unique situation where because of this stature that he had created, because of success and how he was, everyone was just curious of what he was going to do next. And he was fascinated. And you know this when you're in the moment coaching like you're so wired on not only day to day, but second to second, where sometimes you don't you're not able to have an appreciation for what you're doing and all the people that you're impacting.

I thought it was awesome. Now, looking back at it even more than a few years ago, he finally did go back to Assembly Hall because that reaction that he got that day from the fans and then also having his players and you saw the emotion from him. It was just so special. As a young coach, relatively young coach, I think I aspire to have to have the type of impact on the players that he had on his. The guys would come back 20 years later, and what he did for them, it was a lifelong relationship. As soon as they were done, their eligibility was up.

He worked harder for them then, whether it was to help them get a job, get into coaching, get into professional sports, whatever it was, they had him for life. And that's something that our staff, we strive to do to make sure our players know that we're going to try to prepare them for what's next, but also we're going to be in their corner for the rest of their lives hopefully. Last thing I'll ask you, just getting it to your team here in the year of 2023, we all remember the great run from a year ago. Expectations are sky high. You guys are ranked 10th in the country right now before the season tips off.

You know how this works, though. Everyone appreciated what you did last year. Everyone was loving you last year. Now you guys have a target on your back, and everyone's going to give you their best game when they go up against you.

And if you lose a few games, people are going to be like, oh, was it a one-year wonder for FAU? What's your message this year, Coach Dusty May, to your basketball team before the season tips off? Well, as it's early November, our message is that we weren't a very good basketball team last year on November 1, and we're not a very good basketball team in November 1, 2023. We've got a long way to go. We have to get better quickly. And it's going to be a roller coaster ride because of how we scheduled. But we're excited for the challenge. Obviously, we can't be the team we were in April now, but we've got to try to, I guess, trace the footprints that we took to get to that point. It's not going to be easy. We understand what kind of task is in front of us, but we're excited for the challenge. And then last thing, and then we'll let you run, Coach Dusty May. I really appreciate the time.

I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you this. I know you probably have a ton, but is there one moment for you that's your favorite Coach Bobby Knight moment? Wow. You know, my moment, I grew up in a small rural community in Indiana, and he would bird hunt, and he had a favorite restaurant there. So he would typically mess with me about Salisbury, Indiana, because he had a couple of spots there, and very few people even knew that the town existed.

So usually he would give me a hard time about Rusty Dusty from Salisbury. So those were the times I got a good laugh. Well, good luck this season. Once again, my condolences to you on the loss of someone that's really near and dear to your heart, and I appreciate you carving out some time. I'm sure we'll be talking to you throughout the season. Thanks so much. I appreciate it, Zach.