Louisville native, former UofL star DeJuan Wheat announced as Simmons College basketball coach

Anyway, welcome to Simmons College of Kentucky. I appreciate everyone coming. Thank you all, Reverend Cosby. For being here with us today and all the people in the back, all the TV stations, we appreciate you all coming out. We’ve got *** huge announcement to make, but we’ve got *** lot of things we’re going to do and we’re gonna present *** person to you that is well deserving of this opportunity. But first and foremost, I just wanted to thank the student athletes that are all sitting behind you all Reverend Cosby, the men’s team, uh, we spoke about what is expected of you, student athletes first, understanding that uh. Your reputation precedes you. How you carry yourself precedes you. Be bigger than just athletics and basketball. Please don’t put yourself in that box. That’s the bottom line. Juan We is not here to win games. He’s here to raise men. So we just wanted to make sure that everybody understood that we’re here for that. But at the same time, uh, we’ve got *** young man that, uh, is well deserving of this honor, and we’ll get to you. First and foremost though. We all know we have to start with *** prayer here at Saint Stephen’s and uh Simmons College, and that’s only one person that can handle that, Doctor Frank Smith, please come to the podium Provost. You have to understand there’s my boss, there’s my boss, there’s my boss, but there’s only one boss though that can fire all of us. We’re gonna start with her first, Rev. you know who can get us out of here. When Blackburn, were you? There we go. None of this happens, you all, without Gwen Blackburn’s direction. Gwen, you know I love you. She’s *** newer girl too, Rev. You have to understand new bird. We ruled the roost, but, uh, Doctor Frank Smith is going to give us *** prayer. Let’s all bow our heads, and then we’ll start with the proceeding. *** gracious God, we come to you grateful and thankful for the influence that fills this room. For every life that is committed to the uplift of this community, we thank you for the heritage of this institution. For the heritage of athletics and what it has meant to this institution across over 140 years. We’re thankful for those names, those trailblazers that came before us to pave the way that we today could have an athletic program. We’re thankful for the vision of our president. For the labor of our athletic director, continue to bless the team that works for the upbuilding of our student athletes. Not only do we acknowledge our heritage, but we Thank you for the hope that we have. We thank you for the hope of *** bright future and continued success in the athletic program of Simmons Nation. Be with those athletes as they study as they prepare themselves for meaningful careers but also having fun and banding together as they play sports bless our incoming coach we are thankful for those who have served before him and we ask that you bless him. This is our prayer in your holy name. Amen. Thank you, Doctor Smith, appreciate that. Great words. Guys, there’s always *** reason and *** purpose why we’re here. And you all heard me playing around. Hey, how are you doing, Susan? Coach Crum’s wife’s here. I just want you to know that real. Susan Crum, you know Coach Crum was the best, but there’s always *** reason and This gentleman and I go back way back. You have to understand, Reverend Cosby and I have known each other from Ballard High School, so we’re talking, we’re not gonna tell our age, but you’re older than I am. It’s all I’m gonna say, you’re older than I am. But the vision to bring back Simmons College of Kentucky. The vision to say I’m gonna have an athletic program. The vision to say I want to have women’s programs and *** track program which we’re going to introduce all our coaches after Reverend Cosby. The vision to let the student athletes know that they’re bigger than just athletes. We’re not athletes. We are students. We play sports second. We’re here for *** reason, and I want our kids, we spoke about it earlier, all the players, I mean that that’s why when it comes to the basketball piece, I told you to go to Coach Wheat. Come to me if you want to talk about your grades, but I don’t want to hear anything about athletics because that’s not the purpose why we’re here. So many of our young African Americans get hung up and we have to be great athletes to be great people. And that’s just not true. The people that built this school and the heritage of this school, even though we did have great athletes, we had the first black. All American out of the state of Kentucky is from Simmons College of Kentucky. That’s what. Moss woods, but still that wasn’t the purpose they built these walls. They put up these bricks, they brought them to educate students. That’s why you’re here. So just know, without this man’s vision. Honestly, hard work, determination, not taking *** salary, making sure to get this going, none of this is possible. So before I bring Reverend Cosby on, I just want everybody, we have to give him *** round of applause. He deserves it for all the work. Ray, I appreciate what you do, and come on out. Thank you. Thank you, uh, coach and athletic director Yves, who has given me too much credit. The fact of the matter is we have an outstanding program because we have an outstanding leader in Jerry Eaves. Outstanding In any way you measure excellence. Um, scholarship. Character, vision, discipline. Jerry Eaves personifies it, and we are so fortunate to have Jerry Eaves as our athletic director. So let’s give him *** round of applause. And we’ve gathered to make *** *** um *** stellar announcement. About *** new coach. Usually when you think of the word coach. Athletics comes to mind. And that is *** mistake. Because in its origin, the word coach. Has nothing to do in its origin with athletics. It has to do with. Transportation. So if you’re on an airplane, there’s 2 compartments. Those who sit up front with *** lot of leg room. That’s called first class. Those who sit beyond the curtain of first class. It’s called coach. When I was younger and we used. Watch West. Uh, and, um, settlers and pioneers were crossing the Oregon Trail. They would cross the Oregon Trail in something that was called *** stage. Coach Because *** coach has nothing. In its origin. To do with athletics. It has to do with transportation. And in *** sense, coaching still has something to do with transportation. Because the primary purpose of *** coach. is to transport. *** person From immaturity. To maturity. And you don’t get that way. Unless you have *** coach. And that is why when it comes to not just sports. But when it comes to business. Or any important endeavor. We now apply coaching, not just to sports, but to anything. We all need coaching. You will never become so competent that you will not need someone else to help you to transport you to where you need to go. And we’re fortunate that we have had great coaches. In the past And we shall continue to have great coaches into the future. So to Brother Dewan Wheat. And that’s something we There’s *** cereal, it’s called the Breakfast of Champions. And we’ve got the the breakfast of champions into one, weedy, I mean wheat. Who’s going to make us champions. Congratulations, my brother. Welcome to Simmons Nation. Thank you, Reverend Cosby. Uh, again, I would like for Dewan’s parents to stand up. I wanna make sure that we recognize you all. Please stand up in the back. Thank you all. For what Dean’s done to this community, University of Louisville, Valley High School, IU Southeast and now Simmons College of Kentucky, so we appreciate you all. I want all former cardinals that are in this room to stand up for me, please. There’s somebody That uh Could you come up front, please? Yes, you. Without *** doubt, I just want you, Reverend Cosby, I wanna introduce you to somebody, the greatest guard ever to play at Louisville other than Darryl Griffith and Butcher Beard is Jim Price. I couldn’t let, I couldn’t oh yeah without *** doubt. Without *** doubt, then baptized at Saint Stephen’s Family Church. Come up here one quick second. I want y’all to know something. First thing he’s *** relative of mine. People didn’t know that. Bad, oh, bad man, no question. He comes back from his professional career, All-Star games, all the above, played for Danny Crum’s first championship team. And puts his arm around me and says, Young man, you want to be *** good player? And I said, Of course I do. He says, I think I can help you. And one we in 2 weeks, and I mean this, Coach Curl, my junior year, we started 2 and 7. Everyone remembers that we won it, Susan, you remember we started 2 and 7. He says, I think I can make you the player you want to be in 2 weeks. I went from averaging 8 points *** game to 19.8 points *** game for 21 games in *** row, and we won 18 in *** row because this gentleman right here without *** doubt named Jim Price. And what he told me and that’s the truth, and you know that’s the truth so I just want people to know Indianapolis boy right here but uh I’m so glad to see you and I just want you to have *** few words, just *** few words, but honestly the reason Jerry used to play pro is this gentleman right here. No question. No question. You know it’s the truth. Given all glory and honor to God. I’m reminded of, uh, I’m paraphrase, scripture. That um Um, That uh God told the children of Israel. He said, don’t forget Don’t ever forget where you Or your ability to make *** living, I’m paraphrasing come from? Sometimes we can We can forget We could forget success can be intoxicating. And I’ve always told Jerry he’s from Good Roots. He loves information. And he’s *** humble man. Humility means teachable. And um I’ve always told him that and uh. Uh, it’s it’s, it’s all about passing it on. You know, you, um. You find out I call it the three S’s. Uh, sports will allow you to um The first answer is security, pay the bills. Secondly, it offers you *** platform to become successful in an individual in *** team setting. And uh somewhere down the line you learn the third has significance. Why am I doing what I’m doing? And basically it’s um. To start Uh, with your team. Whatever success you um you garner, you share with your team. Your university or your organization, your city. And you, um. Um, It’s not to be *** self-centered type journey and um. Kind of caught me off guard. I, I just come up, but here, no, you know, I’m, uh. I watched *** movie with Wiley. And I, you know, I watched *** lot of things with him. And uh he’s *** great teacher. He’s *** great teacher. He’s, uh, he’s more than *** coach. He’s *** counselor, he’s, uh, *** lot of things and he does it passionately. And I, I believe he, uh, loves kids. Uh, he wants to develop kids from their head down, not just their shoulders down, but enough of that, um, Jim, Reverend Cosby, everybody needs to know this is factual, this is factual. Two weeks of practice with him after practice. There’s *** game. I score about 12 in *** row. I come sprinting to the bench. I sit down, I’m happy as *** larkweed. He leans behind me and says, What are you excited about? I looked at him I scored 12 in *** row. He says, isn’t that expected? That’s why we work. I looked back at him again and never did I come running into that bench again after that first team all conference we, we won 18 in *** row to win. The guy had to hit *** 40 footer or we win another one. I mean, he had *** 60 footer, US Reed. This gentleman is the person that told me hard work is expected and good things happen when you work hard, but do not come over over here like you’re. Heads on fire like look at me, look at me, walk to the bench like it’s expected, and that’s for you all. This man is the one who told me that. And from that day on, Rev, never was I surprised at my ability. Thank you, Jim. Thank you. Thank you. So guys, Wyer Brown couldn’t be here today. That’s uh Dean’s head coach at IU Southeast, my teammate. But I was gonna tell him *** funny story and I have to do it anyway. After we decided, oh yo, can you believe? This is part of it. Please come and take my seat. This is Coach Houston. Come sit down, coach. Without it, coach, you walked in perfect timing, perfect timing. He’s sitting right there, he’s sitting right there, perfect timing. Coach Houston knows this is true. OK, everyone understands that Wiley Brown was gonna shoot the first shot of every game. Y’all got me. We had Darryl Griffith on the team. The only person that scored more points than the one we in Louisville history is Darryl Griffith. Darryl knew while he was gonna shoot the first shot. So when I called Wiley to say, look, we’re gonna steal thewan wheat from you, I said I know I’m gonna have to fight Brown over this. So I called Brian. I said, Brown, I’m stealing your assistant coach. He says to me, You’re not taking him coach. I said, yes I am, Wiley. He says, Well, I’m gonna have to say what Coach Houston used to say to you, Jerry, sitting on the floor. This is the truth. Do I need to bring my dog and give to you? Anytime it was *** big game, my sophomore season, the year we won it. I was *** little shaky. Coach Hua would come up to me, you ready to go? I’m like, yeah, he said, do you need my dog? I told Wiley when I called him *** month ago, I don’t need my dog anymore. That story is stuck. Coach used to say at every game, Jerry, you need your dog. I’m like, Coach, I’m all right. Coach Houston, appreciate you being here. It’s *** great day. We’re getting ready to introduce, of course, you know, Dean Wheat and all the things that Coach Houston has done for the Louisville family. People just don’t know. Yeah, we need to give Coach Houston *** round of applause. Before we introduce the Juan Weed, I just have to, *** few things I didn’t know. I really did not know until I read his bio. Weed is one of the most accomplished players in Louisville basketball history, ranked second in points behind only Darryl Griffith, 12,183 points. He’s got 300, he’s made 323 pointers, unbelievable. 5th, he’s got 498 assists. In his Louisville tenure, he’s the first player in NCAA history to register 2000 points, 450 assists, 300 3 pointers, and 200 steals. So, I mean, what an accomplished career, but before that, We gotta do something else. I got honest more people before we pull you out here. People sitting directly behind you are some of my coaches that I wanted to introduce. Earl Ruffin, my women’s coach, been back to back for the championship, 11, came in second this year. Earl, please stand up. Women’s basketball coach and Kentucky. My new track coach Shauna Johnson, please stand up and women’s and men’s track coach. Other than she’s *** University of Kentucky grad, uh, other than that, Rev, we’re good. She’s the best coach in the city. Appreciate you all coming. Sha, your assistant coach. What’s your name again, young man? Zachary Brooks, her assistant, so I wanted to make sure we honored you all for coming out. So we, we’ve introduced your parents. We’ve told funny stories. I got Coach Houston sitting here. It’s now your time, guys. I want y’all to stand to your feet and bring Deuanheat as Simmons College new men’s basketball. We, we Congratulations. Uh, this is amazing. Uh, thank you guys for coming. I, I mean, I got *** lot of family, friends, former, former teammates. See the media back there. Some of them guys, uh, there’s, that’s, that’s been here since I played uh at Uille always been good to me. Thank you guys for coming. Uh, *** lot of, *** lot of things I, I wanna give out, uh, one being my coach behind me, Jerry Es, uh, you know, for hiring me, uh, you know, we talked about *** year ago and, you know, talked about the possibility of, you know, me becoming the Simmons coach and we danced around it and and came together and said this is the place I should be, um, I wanna thank Reverend Cosby for, for, for, for welcoming in. Welcome me to this, this program, and you know, only thing I can tell you is I’m gonna get my very best and then in the man so it’s all I can do and just do what I do and it’s what I’ve been doing. um, I wanna thank, uh, Tony Branch, um, he was *** former coach here last year. He, he really 100% deserved those applause, um. When, uh, when I was told, uh, I was, uh, gonna, when, when he was told I was gonna accept the job, he was the first one to call me and, uh, you know, he, I remember, uh, and it was like *** month ago he was like coach we I think you need to be here uh at this uh all star game for, for high school kids. I’m like, oh wow, coach, you know, you, I appreciate that, appreciate you telling me that, and I’ll be there. So the next day I get there and Coach Branch is there, you know, he’s, he’s there with his Simmons gear and his pen and his pad, notepad. So I sat down with him and he was like, uh, the one, this is *** player you need to watch this, and I’m like, wow, coachman, I really appreciate that, man. So that just goes, that just goes to show what kind of, you know, head coach he was really, and I I really appreciate that seriously. Uh, coach Wiley Brown, awesome guy, man, uh, you know, this time around 4 years ago he hired me to, uh, you know, coach with him at the University of IU Southeast, and when I tell you we have some great seasons in 4 years, uh, won *** lot of games, uh, took our team to the, uh, national, uh, championship twice, *** conference, uh, championship, and, uh, that guy is *** winner. You know the guy’s *** winner and he done so much for me. We welcomed me into his program, and I really appreciate him for that, um. It’s been *** lot of people. Especially my parents who are sitting back there, I really appreciate them. That’s been instrumental in me getting to this 0.1 is, is, is, is Denny Crome. I mean I can’t, I can’t, I can’t say enough, uh, good words about him, you know, he’s *** great man, great person, uh, I remember me being 6 ft and, um, you know, he, he, he never really recruited small guards, but he saw something in me and he saw something in me and, and from day one I started as *** freshman and I started all 4 years and you know the rest was history and I really thank him, uh, for, for, for, for what he done for me. Um, I got *** lot of stories, uh, one being when, when he recruited me, uh, you know, I, I grew up, you know, about 5 minutes from here in 550 apartments and, uh. You know, Coach Curm came to my mom and grandma’s house and uh. You know, he, he, he got there and all the, all my friends in the neighborhood was excited because that’s coach Crum, you know, he’s coming to see me, so, uh, you know, it gets in my house and, um. My mom and grandma had baked them *** cake. And uh Before he got there I was like, oh my God, I can’t believe that he’s not going to eat this cake, you know, not, not Denny Crumb, you know Denny Crum don’t eat these type of cakes. So, uh, you know, Denny Crum got in there and my mom was, my mom and grandma put that strawberry cake in front of them and cut them *** slice. And I was just like, man, just please just, just take *** bite. Not only did he take *** bite, he ate the whole piece and asked for another piece, and I just, I was like, oh that’s amazing, you know, and I, and and that just shows what kind of person that he was, you know, just down to earth, genuine, you know, just, just, just loved everybody, you know, he came to my neighborhood and you know he’s sitting at my table, you know. eating cake with us all and and that just shows what type of person he is besides that we all know him as *** Hall of Fame coach and, and what he done for for University of Louisville, but he was *** great person, man, and I just wanted to share that with you guys. Uh, another person that I, I, I really love and, and, and has been instrumental in me getting to this point is, is coach Jerry Jones. I don’t know if you all guys. You know, in here know who who Coach Jones was. He was the, uh, you know, the right hand man of Coach Crum, uh, you know, he was the glue to our, to our teams and, you know, never took credit for anything, but he was, he, he was there for each and every one of us, you know, you talk about ***, ***, ***, *** fatherly figure. He was one of those, he was one of those people and, um, you know, I just remember *** time where, you know, I used to go in his office at the class when. In between practices and uh you know I used to go to his office and and and sit down and talk to him about anything. I mean you can talk to Coach Jones about each and every any anything that came to your mind family, personal life, basketball he was there to listen and what Coach Jones used to do was he was uh he was, he was in he was in charge of, uh, the classes, make sure all the all the players was in class and on time. And and if you wouldn’t, we had *** rule if you didn’t, if you wasn’t in class and wasn’t on time to class, you had to go to practice at 6 a.m. in the morning. And all of us guys really hated that, you know, we really, really hated it and then. And uh you know it was one time I don’t know if you guys are familiar with the student activity center Uville. Well, I was in the cafeteria one day and uh and in the cafeteria there’s *** glass and and outside that glass is *** walkway where everybody goes through, you know, everybody goes through that walkway. You can see everybody going and coming. Well, uh, one day I was, I was supposed to been in class. I was supposed to been in class that day and, uh, you know, I just happened to see, uh, Coach Jones walking down, uh, walking down the little, uh, ramp. And the first thing I thought to myself is, oh my God, I know I’m, I’m gonna be the first person’s class he goes to. So I remember just grabbing my stuff and I wasn’t gonna walk that way where he walked. I was gonna go around the building and try to beat him because, you know, coach has some age on him, and I think I can get to my class before he got to my class. So you know I just remember running with my books in my hand and, and I got to the building and uh I seen him leaving, so I just put my head down like oh man but you know it was *** couple other players. In that in that building too, so I’m thinking, well, maybe he didn’t go to my class, you know, maybe I can, you know, get around that. So, uh, I would go to Coach Jones’s office, you know, *** couple hours later right before practice, and when I walked in his office, I said, uh, you know, how you doing, coach, and he gave me one of these. Hey, you know, didn’t even look at me. It’s like, oh man, I wonder if he seen my, if I want if he stuck his head in my class. So I sat down. He was watching the game. I was like, uh, you know who you, who are you watching, coach? What, who, who, who we got? uh, you know, didn’t look at me the whole time. So by that point I already knew that he, he, he seen that I wasn’t in class, um. So you know 5 or 10 minutes later I understood that you know he wasn’t happy with me so I just, you know, kind of easily walked out of out of his office like, OK, coach, I see you, see you practice and uh I just heard *** voice before I got to the door he said, Well, I guess I’ll see you at 6 a.m. in the morning also. But I’m telling you what *** great guy. I mean, I, I can share so many stories and you know I just have to share you know those stories with you guys because they instrumental in me being here like seriously they really are, um. My players, man, what, what, what *** great bunch of guys, you know, I, I, I think we’re gonna hit the ground running. I’m excited. I’m prepared for this job and, and, and I hope you guys are ready to go. I talked to *** couple of you guys, um. Couple of you guys yesterday last night and um. You know, one of the questions I asked you was like, are you ready to make sacrifices? You know, sacrifices is is not everybody’s prepared for them. You know, I mean sacrifices in life, sacrifices in school work, sacrifices in, in, you know, you might have *** party that you wanna go to your friends, but we might have an 8 o’clock practice the next morning, you know, uh, you gotta go to class, sacrifice you’re gonna, you’re gonna come in contact with them all through your life, and I just wanna share with with my players that, you know, one of the sacrifices I had to make was. When I decided to retire in in in ’09 or 2010, 1 of those years, I, I had *** choice that I had to make. I had *** decision I had to make. I had to make *** sacrifice. Uh, the last, my last year when I knew I was gonna retire the day before I was scheduled to fly home, the general managers asked me into the office. And I thought they was, I didn’t really know what they was asking me, you know, in there for, so they, they sat me down and They asked me to be their head coach. And I was, I, I thought, and I, I never forget, I just sit there and thought because I wasn’t prepared, you know, I’m 34, 35 years old. I was retiring, you know, I had already had plans on going home and and being *** father to my two young kids that I had, you know, one was in elementary school, one was in in middle school, middle school, and they was playing sports and all that was going through my mind like, man, I really, you know, I really wanna do that but. You know what *** great opportunity, you know what *** great opportunity that I have you know that’s you know I’m retiring. And, and, and, and, and, in, in, in, in, in two seconds I could, I could say yes and accept this job and, and you know my career is, you know, the second part of my life, my career is, is, is off and running. So I had to make *** decision. I remember sitting there for for literally 10 minutes, you know, I was in the I was in the office for 10 minutes, and I know they probably thought I was crazy because I just sit my head back and I was just like this, just looking at the ceiling like, wow, you know I can make *** lot of money for the next couple of years. My next phase of my life is right in front of me. I do I go home, be the father that I’m supposed to be, raise my kids continue to raise my kids because I, you know, in our profession you miss *** lot of, lot, *** lot of time with your kids, you miss *** lot of, you know, PTA meetings, you know, taking them to practice, buying them shoes, all of that, and I wanted to do that. So I was all of that was going through my mind. And so one of them just said, you know what, Dean, go home, just go home, think about it, and you know, just, just let us know. And some clicked when he said just go home, you know, he just like just go home, and that clicked in my head like, that’s what I’m supposed to do. That was, that was, that was my plan. Just go home and I declined the offer and I, I went home, I, I, you know, and, and I got to see my, my daughter play at Mayo High School all four years and you know that was the greatest time for me, you know, and, and which brings me to this point, you know, and. I say to my players, man, sacrifice is gonna have to make, and it’s gonna be tough. It’s gonna have some tough decisions that you gotta make, you know, so I’m being, uh, you know, when we’re in *** game and, and you know it ain’t your night, can you clap for the person that comes in for you? You know, are you willing to sacrifice, you know, with *** smile on your face? Yeah, I wanna play too. I know I hated coming out of the game, but if it’s *** player that, that, that, that, you know, was playing in front of me, that’s better. I got the clout, and that’s *** sacrifice that some of you guys have to make, man. Thank everybody for coming. I really appreciate you guys, man. Like I said, this means the world to me. I wasn’t expecting this turn out, but I really appreciate this. Thank you. Mhm. That’s like. Of course, uh, we do appreciate everyone coming out sharing in this, uh, announcement. Dean will be available for everyone to, uh, speak with before you all leave with the media. Coach Houston, Coach Price, Susan Crum, anybody else I’m missing my former Cardinals, appreciate you all coming out, no question. I, I hate to interrupt, coach, but. I, I, I didn’t expect Coach Houston to show up and he’s one of my all-time idols really and, and Coach Houston recruited me to go to Tennessee, but I remember when I, I went to Highland Middle School when I was in middle school and everybody knew who Coach Wade Houston was the best recruiter in the world, and, uh, I remember I was in high school it was *** game that we played. And Coach Houston walked in the building. Highland Middle School. I’ll never forget Coach Houston walked in the building and uh he was just standing there and I remember I was playing and I looked over and all my teammates was like, Man, Coach Houston is, uh, Coach Houston is over. I’m like, oh man, he must be there to see me. So, so I’m planning and I really, I really, I, I really started getting my bag then, you know, because Houston’s there. I’m in middle school, maybe he’s come to see me. I think he’s coming to see me. But when we got in the locker room out of the game, it’s like, oh yeah, y’all y’all didn’t know y’all didn’t know Coach Houston’s uh niece, she, she, uh, she’s *** cheerleader for camera. So I guess coach used you didn’t come and see me. I just said I’m sorry, coach. I just had to say. Coach, there’s *** lot of stories about Coach Houston. But coach, you know, we do appreciate everything the Houston family’s done and your wonderful wife. Uh without Alice, none of us get the University of Louisville back in the 70s and 80s. You’re right, I mean, without *** doubt, without her nurturing, we don’t get it done, but we appreciate everyone coming. Reverend Cosby, if you don’t have anything else, um. You don’t have to leave here, but you got to go somewhere else. We have *** great day.

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