‘It takes a village’ to turn around a program and shoot for excellence on and off the court.
Coach Mike Hopkins arrived at Washington last year with one key goal in mind: to foster a culture that empowered his student-athletes to determine the quality of their competitiveness and the quality of their character.
“We believe that unselfish action, unrelenting attack and uncommon preparation will always keep us moving forward and pushing ourselves to be better. It’s part of our mindset of being tougher together,” Coach Hop explains. “We also believe in the quote, ‘how you do anything is how you do everything.’ What we teach on the basketball court reflects what it will take to be successful off the court.”
The first-year coach and Pac 12 Coach of the Year led the Huskies to a 21-13 (10-8 Pac-12) season record — the most wins since 2011-12 — and a trip to the NIT tournament. But those achievements took more than team culture.
“It takes a village to create a great team and, more importantly, great young men,” he says, adding that Tyee Club donors are integral members of that village. Private funds enable Husky Athletics to attract and retain the best coaches, pay for travel to away games and to meetings with recruits, and cover everything from uniquely-tailored nutritional programs created for each student-athlete to innovative training technology.
The big home crowds that cheered on the Huskies this season also contribute to team success and pride, along with leadership that emphasizes the overall student-athlete experience, Coach Hop maintains.
“It’s exciting to be part of a university that has strong values about developing people,” he concludes. “Our student-athletes work so hard, they study, they practice, there’s so much going on in their lives. It’s incredible to know we have so many people backing us.”
