Shane Rinner: Understanding the man behind the whistle

Former TAMIU head men’s basketball coach Shane Rinner (in white) was one of more mercurial and successful coaches I’ve covered in my seven years as a sports journalist. Here he is talking with me (in black) along with star guard Ryan McLucas after winning the program’s first conference tournament championship in 2011.

(Since 2009, I covered Shane Rinner’s stint as head coach of the Texas A&M International men’s basketball team. I was the beat writer for the program – and was from June 2007 through January 2012 – and recently learned of him leaving the program last week for a job in California. As one of the more mercurial and successful figures I’ve had the joy of reporting on in my career, here is my recollection of Rinner’s tenure in Laredo, Texas).

One of South Texas’ most brilliant and calculating basketball minds resigned last week to head to California for a better gig. But what Laredo’s Texas A&M International men’s basketball program lost in head coach Shane Rinner was not only a man who revived what had been a scandalous doormat of an athletic institution, but an individual presided upon ethics who embraced right from wrong and expected his staff and players to follow suit.

As complex as Rinner, who will be the first assistant head women’s basketball coach at Fresno State, may seem, he’s actually not. The fiery, no-holds-barred tornado that whirled the sidelines in the “Gateway City’s” north side is actually, in essence, an affable, thoughtful, considerate human being without a selfish bone in his body. All the evidence necessary is the reason why he took the Fresno State gig, and that was to get his wife Amanda, a Cali native and Fresno State alum, back home to be with her family, knowing that’s what she’s wanted all along. That was priority No. 1: do what’s right by his family.

See, there’s Shane Rinner, the coach, and there’s Shane Rinner, the person. It’s important to learn how to differentiate between the two.

In a brief but substantially rewarding three years at the helm of the Dustdevils, Rinner – who accepted what appeared to be a career death sentence in 2009 when he accepted the position following a cheating scandal the prior spring in which the program had six players who cheated on a spanish exam, resulting in the NCAA stripping the program of all wins in 2008-09 and putting it on probation for following seasons – led TAMIU to its first NCAA conference tournament postseason appearance in his first year and earning two consecutive conference championships in his next two seasons. He won a school-record 21 games in each the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, and in 2010-11 he guided the program on an epic run toward the NCAA Division II tournament, where the Dustdevils fell to No. 1 seed and site host Central Oklahoma by nine points in overtime in the first round. In his three years at TAMIU, Rinner’s Dustdevils won 54 games. In his final campaign last year, he earned the conference’s Coach of the Year honor and helped Evan Matteson (his first recruit to TAMIU) nab MVP.

It was easy to assume that basketball is all Rinner eats, sleeps and drinks. It’s true that his work ethic is legendary. It’s also true that he is incredibly meticulous on all matters in his program, nothing was void of his fingerprints, and is the definition of “hands-on,” from the style of marketing posters made for the team to the way a player closes out on a potential shooter. But there is certainly a method to his perceived madness, and if you can say one thing about Rinner it’s that it’s blatantly clear that he cares way too much. That goes for any waters he dips his toes into. If he pleads his allegiance, it will be done, and it will be done right.

But basketball is not the end-all, be-all with Rinner. In a sit-down chat right after a heated practice before the start of the 2011-12 season last winter, I found out a few cool things about a leader who is as multi-faceted as he is demanding. Rinner actually does not necessarily aspire to be a head coach at a prominent Division I university. He’d be perfectly fine as an assistant coach at a mid-major DI. He boasts other interests, vastly different from his current vocation. He loves politics. He’s been known to sit in on campaigns and craves that kind of stuff, even going as far as tinkering with the idea of running for office back home in Alaska.

He also likes fundraising. Loves it, in fact. In previous conversations, he has mentioned how he doesn’t necessarily have to coach and he would still be happy in college athletics. He’s talked about his passion for building a program. He also joked that he would like the lifestyle involved in fundraising, which is “little more than playing golf and going out to dinners.” He has a passion for helping others, for building, for structure. It’s a cliche, but Shane Rinner is all about the journey, all about being immersed in the process.

While I was taken aback a bit at the sudden nature of Rinner’s departure for Fresno State last week, I was far from totally surprised. His move not only achieved the goal of getting his wife closer to her family and back home, but also opened the door for former player, longtime associate head coach and dear friend Bryan Weakley to run his own program and keep TAMIU afloat all at the same time. It was a no-brainer for Rinner. It was a calculated move. It was an unselfish move. No one loses. Everyone wins.

It’s the end result to a past three years that have been hellaciously tiring and emotional. It’s why Rinner busted his tail in otherwise deplorable circumstances.

Consider:

– The Dustdevils are one of three Heartland Conference teams not fully funded. TAMIU, in the 2011-12 conference championship season, played with 5.2 scholarships. The rest of the 5.9 went to redshirts. TAMIU played with 5.8 schollys this year, 6.8 total.

– In the Heartland Conference, Laredo is considered the second-least desirable attraction other than Oklahoma’s Panhandle State. The program is also second-worst in scholarship allotment, also behind OPSU, and TAMIU has the fewest number of students on campus (approximately 600). The next fewest is 1,600 in Odessa at Texas-Permian Basin.

– Any increase in Rinner’s budget has come from his own fundraising, which is approximately $2,000 in his three years. That money helped for upgrades in the men’s locker room as well as the women’, due to Title IX. He was the program’s chief fundraiser and drove the initiatives, finding little support from department administrators.

The only plus of being in the situation in Laredo, Rinner told me, is how bad it was before he got there. It was a program mired in scandal and mediocrity; a program of apathy and a revolving door of head coaches, philosophies and principles. For a first-time head coach, it was also a beneficial one. Anything and everything Rinner and his staff would be able to accomplish in Laredo would be seen as the next great thing, simply because the program had never escaped the depths of college basketball purgatory. Had Rinner failed, it would have been thought of as nothing. But if he succeeded – he would be seen by university leaders as nothing less than a savior. It was win-win. Low risk, high reward. Much like his move to leave TAMIU, interestingly enough.

Give Shane Rinner this: No move goes unplanned. He’s always thinking 2-3 steps ahead, on and off the court. He is a throwback to the old age of coaches who demanded excellence on the court, off it and in the classroom. The plus is that TAMIU won’t skip a beat with Weakley. Weakley shares Rinner’s thrill for helping student-athletes succeed, in the classroom first before on the court. And while I have no doubt the Dustdevils – who graduated eight seniors and are in an ideal rebuilding situation with a motivated, hungry teacher like Weakley running the show – will maintain the program’s integrity and growth initiated three years ago, it’s important to take a moment and understand what Rinner truly accomplished, coming to Laredo like a dark knight from his home of Alaska, willing to put his career on the line and sacrificing for the greater good of the university.

And now that sacrifice has been rewarded, for the greater good of his family.

TAMIU’s “game-changers”

TYREE MURRAY.

JOE REID.

JAYVIN REYNOLDS.

The following story I wrote as a preview for TAMIU men’s basketball’s conference opener earlier tonight, which they won 65-59 over rival Texas-Permian Basin.

The Dustdevils initiated defense of their conference title and are off to a fast start. If they are to repeat, they’ll need to expect big seasons from JUCO transfers Tyree Murray, Joe Reid and Jayvin Reynolds.

Here’s my story on TAMIU’s “game-changers.”

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In sports lexicon, they’re called “game-changers.” In other words, players that can change the complexion of any game simply by their presence on the court or field.
For the Texas A&M International men’s basketball team, they’re sophomore forward Joe Reid, junior guard Tyree Murray and junior center Jayvin Reynolds, all junior college transfers acquired this year to bring more depth, speed and strength to an already blossoming program coming off its first NCAA Division II conference championship.
Through 13 games, 10 of which are wins, the answers are clear for the aforementioned trio. There is no more uncertainty, no more doubts about whether coming to Laredo was the right move, and no more questions about how they fit into a veteran roster that returned eight players from last year’s champion.
Whether it’s via Reid’s length and athleticism, Murray’s pure scoring or Reynolds’ stability in the paint, know this: As the Dustdevils initiate defense of their conference title with a four-game road trip starting today in Odessa against rival Texas-Permian Basin, they do so as a more dynamic group than the one UTPB saw last spring when it fell to TAMIU in the conference tournament title game.
“I’m excited,” TAMIU coach Shane Rinner said of his prized recruits. “We brought them here to help us get some wins. All have the chance to really do that and to help us there at the end when it’s time to win a championship.”

Balanced bigs

When the Dustdevils produced the finest campaign in the program’s nine years last season, they did so deliberately.
They were methodical in approach, relying upon a dominant defense to accompany an efficient offense predicated upon motion and sharp shooting from 3-point range.
But when Rinner went shopping for more talent during the summer, he sought speed, athleticism, quickness. He wanted a team that could play just as easily in transition as it did in the halfcourt.
A little less than halfway through the season, consider that goal accomplished. While TAMIU does not officially keep track off fast-break points or points off turnovers, there is no question the Dustdevils get easier baskets.
Most of that starts with the 6-foot-7 Reid, who is averaging 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and is second on the team in blocks. After struggling early in the season staying on the floor, thanks to his happy hands on defense, Reid has settled into a groove, adjusting to Rinner’s disciplined system sooner than many thought.
“Playing in a system was tough at first,” Reid said. “I haven’t really played in a structured system before, and that was hard. I had to take awhile to learn not to be as loose as I used to be on the court.”
While Reid figures to be vital against the Arkansas-Fort Smith’s and UTPB’s of the world, Reynolds holds down the fort inside, surely to be an asset against the likes of St. Mary’s and St. Edward’s.
His numbers are modest (4.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg), but there’s a reason Reynolds has started eight of the 12 games he’s played. Alongside Reid, he gives Rinner nice depth and balance at a position that is perhaps the most evolved in college basketball.
“Jayvin stepped up early and was really good in the wins against Incarnate Word and on the road against West Texas A&M and Abilene Christian, and here lately Joe’s stepped up of late and Jayvin hasn’t had as much time,” Rinner said. “But I’m fine as long as one of them steps up.
“They’ve kind of taken turns and that’s nice to see.”

TAMIU’s wild card

The true wild card, however, may indeed be Murray. After posting a gaudy 17 points per game on 48 percent 3-point shooting at Los Medanos Community College last year, the 6-foot sharpshooter had to all but reform his game.
When you shoot as well as Murray, almost any shot is a good shot. But under Rinner, where the ball and offensive possessions are valued, that’s not the case, and instead of learning how to get open, Murray had to also learn how to reverse the ball, look for open teammates and pass up good looks for better ones.
Not the easiest assignments for a player that’s been a top scorer all his life. Interestingly enough, however, they weren’t the toughest.
“The hardest part, to me, was defensively,” Murray said. “I’ve never been known as a defender, but coming in and playing with a group of guys that emphasize defense, it changes your mentality.
“With everybody else out there working hard defensively, it forces you to straighten up and not be the one that gets beat.”
Murray has certainly grown in that regard, and his offense is improving as well. While his 7.6 points per game on 41 percent shooting aren’t near his standards, he’s doing other things like getting teammates involved, moving the ball quickly and just knowing when and where to be offensively.
Just as he’s learning how to adapt to Rinner’s style, Rinner is also learning how to adapt to Murray.
“If Tyree can continue to grow into what we do offensively and score the ball for us, it’s going to be a huge advantage for us,” Rinner said. “I’m worried about getting him more shots and him learning where to get those.
“He’s got to continue to learn where to get shots in our offense, but we also do need to get him a few more shots per game.”

Game time

Throughout the season, players have raved about how this team is more talented than last year’s. That has to do with Reid, Murray and Reynolds.
On more than one occasion, each has affected a game significantly and made more than their share of footprints en route to the best start in program history.
“They’re huge for us. I really think they’re the key,” said senior center Evan Matteson. “They provide a whole other dynamic altogether for this team. They’re great guys to have and they’ve fit in just fine.”
But, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. As a result of their vast skills and game-changing ability, much is resting upon the shoulders of the three to help lead the Dustdevils to not only another conference title, but also a NCAA tournament win or two.
It’s why as conference play tips off today, there is a great sense of anticipation amongst them.
“It’s more anxiety than anything,” Murray said. “These guys won a championship last year. There’s some pressure on the new guys to continue the excellence, but we don’t feel it.
“The guys who came back are making us feel comfortable and we really do feel like we fit right in.”

Hoops!

During the fall and winter, men’s college basketball and high school basketball are my primary beats. Therefore, you will be reading quite a bit on those from here until mid March or so.

TAMIU athletics recently put out some introductory videos for new TAMIU men’s assistant coaches Kemmy Burgess and Mark Laird.

Kemmy:

Mark:

The videos are courtesy new TAMIU SID Michael Blake. Enjoy.

 

NCAA finally hands out punishment for TAMIU

On Friday afternoon, the NCAA finally handed out its punishment to Texas A&M International due to the cheating scandal that took place two years ago.

The NCAA  forced TAMIU to vacate all nine victories from the 2008-09 season and the men’s basketball program is on probation the next two years, effective Aug. 18.

The scandal involved six student-athletes from various sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, volleyball and men’s golf. The reason the men’s basketball program was hit hard was because it had two athletes involved, and both apparently competed while ineligible that season.

Here is the formal report from the NCAA: TAMIU case.

You can read a detailed report of the NCAA’s findings here.

Now, a couple of things: To TAMIU’s credit, immediately after the scandal was revealed and brought to their attention in April 2009, they fired those involved – former men’s basketball coach Stephon Leary, athletic director Debbie Snell and others.

The athletic department underwent an entire overhaul that summer.  The probation depicted upon now current coach Shane Rinner’s program is strictly a compliance one. The Dustdevils are still eligible for the postseason and can go forward as it has been since Rinner and his staff had nothing to do with the scandal; they were hired four months after it took place.

In fact, the only player remaining from that ’08-09 Dustdevils team is junior forward Justin Lafitte, who redshirted that season and was not one of the student-athletes involved. None of the student-athletes involved, in fact, remain at the university.

The past two years, TAMIU athletics has been clean. In fact, 2010-11 was a banner year for the university, with three conference champions (men’s soccer, men’s basketball and softball) and NCAA tournament appearances by the men’s basketball and softball teams.

So while, at first glance, this may seem like a big deal, it’s really not. The NCAA has merely finally handed out its punishment for a disgusting incident that took place in April 2009, and that punishment is considerably light due to the fact that none of the perpetrators are still with TAMIU.

I can’t say enough about the job TAMIU President Ray Keck and interim athletic director Claudio Arias did in quickly doing what it took to get the right people in place and pave the way for a cleaner, more organized and committed department.

The good news is this sage is officially complete. TAMIU, the athletics department, Rinner … they can all move forward and put this behind them once and for all.

Since their hirings in the summer of 2009 or later, they’ve been given the task of rebuilding the department. They have done so admirably, in my opinion, and quickly, with a sense of purpose and commitment to bringing the department back to its feet.

In a matter of two years, TAMIU has transferred majestically from mediocrity to elite competitors in a tough Heartland Conference. They have worked tirelessly to move forward quickly from the mess that was left for them.

While “probation” is never a healthy word – particularly when associated with sports – Friday’s was simply a declaration of closure, for the better of the university.

 

College athletics are on life support

On Tuesday, Yahoo! Sports broke the news of a Miami football booster providing thousands of impermissible benefits to more than 70 players of the university’s football and basketball programs.

You can read the report here. It’s quite extraordinary.

I was more surprised by the Shirley Field debacle than I was when I read that story. (And I wasn’t at all surprised by Shirley, so that should tell you something.)

But, anyway, there is a significant crisis going on in college athletics. Miami joins a dirty laundry list of schools who have crossed the lines extravagantly in recent months: USC, Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, UConn, Kansas …

Football, basketball, it doesn’t matter. College athletics is in a pathetic state right now, and no longer can its fans and supporters attest to the purity of the game as a reason to hold it all high and mighty.

We’ve come to a point where college sports is barely a notch below the pros. So it’s time for the NCAA to wake up and realize it is what it is.

A business. I know it. You know it. Apparently, it’s taken the NCAA a bit longer to see it.

It’s time for the players to get paid. It’s time to stop acknowledging them as “student-athletes.” It’s time to do something to stop this madness, because signs are pointing that this will only continue.

For every booster who is caught like Nevin Shapiro, there are hundreds getting away with cheating.

We are in an age where a full scholarship is not enough for a college athlete. That needs to be acknowledged, not ignored. We’re at a point where people are cheating, not because they’re stupid, but because they feel they can get away with it.

There is no respect for the system. Zero. Zip. Nada. And to blame the booster Shapiro, or the players or the school AD would be simplifying it. They are scapegoats. They are not the reason this is happening.

They are doing it because the system is allowing them to. They are doing it because there is no fear of retaliation.

To clean this up – NOW, not later – you start by scrapping the current system. College athletics have always been dirty, but never more so than now.

The NCAA needs to figure out a way to stop this; they are getting ANNIHILATED every time a report like this emerges. They need to figure out how to pay players and they need to start establishing a foundation in which to weed out the dirt of programs; the dirt being the boosters or hangers-on who boast no agenda but their own.

NCAA President Mark Emmert talks a good game. He boasts how he wants to change, how he will embrace change and how things cannot and will not remain the same.

The NCAA is powerless. It seems that they realize as much. But little has been done, and certainly not enough to warrant promise on the current obliterated landscape.

Emmert has initiated meetings for reform of college athletics. That’s a start, though it should have been done months ago, not weeks ago. What he needs to do is not “meet” and discuss; he needs to put the hammer down.

Make an example of someone. Strike fear in the hearts of the ill-willed. If that means giving Miami the death penalty, so be it, but do something, anything.

Essentially, stop talking and start doing.

It’s time to go back to square one. What we do know is what’s working is not good enough. Far from it. So you start over, and starting over would not bring a round of ridicule, if that’s what the NCAA fears.

Starting over would bring rounds of applause.

(EDIT: Just read this on SI.com. Outstanding column saying the problem is likely one the NCAA just can’t fix as the way things are.)