About 10 years ago, I went over to Baylor coach Scott Drew’s office for an interview, and ended up in a Bible study.
I got to the Ferrell Center a little early, so Scott asked me to join him and assistant coaches Jerome Tang, Paul Mills and Grant McCasland at a table to read and discuss a few Bible passages for about 15 minutes.
Then we talked basketball.
Frankly, it was pretty inspiring. It reaffirmed to me where Scott’s priorities were then, and still are as he’s reached unparalleled success building the Baylor men’s basketball program, capped by the 2021 national championship.
If you want to understand what makes Drew tick, dive into his new book “The Road to J.O.Y.,” which he wrote with veteran writer Don Yaeger. Drew will make an appearance at the Baylor Bookstore for a book signing from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday.
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Faith trumps all in Drew’s life. His positive approach and eternal optimism are rooted in his faith. His basketball program’s motto is “Culture of Joy,” an acronym for “Jesus. Others. Yourself.”
I think a big reason Drew has stayed at Baylor for nearly two decades is because he can express his faith, and make it a fundamental part of his program. He couldn’t do that just anywhere.
Without faith, Drew would have never accepted a Baylor basketball job that nobody else wanted in the summer of 2003. The program was in shambles after Carlton Dotson was arrested for the murder of former Baylor teammate Patrick Dennehy, and former Baylor coach Dave Bliss tried to cover up NCAA rules violations.
After one season as Valparaiso’s head coach, Drew could have continued to build the program that his father, Homer, raised to great respectability with Scott as his assistant.
But Scott wanted to lead a program that had a better chance to go deep into the NCAA Tournament annually and potentially win a national championship one day, as unlikely as that seemed at the time.
“Sometimes God calls us at the times when it doesn’t seem to make much sense,” Drew wrote. “So we have to rely on Him and seek His hand in all of it.”
Without faith, Scott would have had difficulty dealing with both parents being diagnosed with cancer as the Bears were making a run for their second Elite Eight appearance in three years in 2012. Both Homer and Janet survived and have been huge supporters of sons Scott and Grand Canyon University’s Bryce Drew throughout their college coaching careers.
Without faith, Drew could have seen the COVID-19 shortened 2019-20 season as a lost opportunity that could never be repeated. With a 26-4 record, the Bears were in line for their first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before the rest of the season was canceled as they prepared to play in the Big 12 tournament.
Instead all the key players from that team – guards Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague and forward Mark Vital – returned in 2020-21.
The Bears were better than ever as they went 28-2, won their first Big 12 title, and rolled to their first national championship by averaging double-digit wins throughout the NCAA Tournament.
Drew’s book describes how he’s regularly held chapels and Bible studies with players and coaches during his 19-year tenure at Baylor. But they became more intense during the three weeks that his team was in the NCAA Tournament bubble, and the Bears drew closer than ever.
“It was an amazing spiritual and competitive advantage,” Drew wrote.
Throughout his career, Drew has never made success about himself. He’s always credited God’s guidance, many talented assistant coaches, and of course his players.
If he needed another reason to stay humble, there’s his younger brother. Bryce Drew hit one of the most memorable shots in NCAA Tournament history in 1998 when he buried a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Valparaiso a 70-69 win over Ole Miss.
A few months after Baylor won the national championship, Scott was on the road recruiting when he handed a taxi driver his credit card.
“Scott Drew,” the taxi driver said. “I know a Bryce Drew. He hit that famous shot.”
That’s one of many great anecdotes in “The Road to J.O.Y.,” a book that’s definitely worth your time.