MARK MONTIETH: Four tales of grit and determination on the way to NBA glory
The path to a head coaching or key front-office job in professional basketball is often paved with sleepless nights and little or no pay.
Mark Montieth
Articles
MONTIETH: Welcome, Rodrigo, to Indy’s fraternity of nerds
The Colts new kicker joins an impressive list of local pro athletes who didn’t quite fit the cool jock stereotype.
MARK MONTIETH: Slicing and dicing the Pacers’ exhaustive search for a coach
Hiring a coach is one of the most important moves a franchise makes, but there’s no formula for success.
MARK MONTIETH: Indians once again contend with nickname politics
The only Native American to have played for the team thinks the franchise should keep the name and use it to educate the public.
MARK MONTIETH: Virus fuels big crowds at area golf courses
From Brickyard Crossing to South Grove, business is booming for a sport in which social distancing is par for the course.
MARK MONTIETH: Pacers had solid reasons to keep, fire Nate McMillan
Nate McMillan had the fourth-best winning percentage among Pacers coaches, but he also had a 3-17 playoff record.
MARK MONTIETH: At 94, an NBA veteran tells tales of league’s hard-scrabble start
Terre Haute’s Duane Klueh remembers long, cold road trips and teams that pinched pennies to pay the bills.
MARK MONTIETH: Bryant giving back to kids on the playground
Indiana’s oldest living Mr. Basketball, now 86, shares his passion for the game and life lessons at a park not far from the outdoor court where he got his start.
MARK MONTIETH: Gene Keady’s winning retirement
Former Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady knows a thing or two about stepping away from the limelight and enjoying life.
MARK MONTIETH: Rainbow-colored robes and orange jerseys
Evansville basketball was known for more than its national titles.
MARK MONTIETH: Most successful investment? $10 to save a baseball team
When the city was threatened with losing the Indianapolis Indians, the public rallied in ways big and small to keep the team here.
MARK MONTIETH: Basketball wasn’t the only takeaway from the 1980 Final Four
In an era when most college cheerleaders were still wearing bulky sweaters and pleated skirts, or at least nothing more risqué than a skirt, blouse and vest, UCLA’s eight-girl dance team broke the mold.
MARK MONTIETH: The journey of a player and a championship ring
Getting his ring back from the 1980 NCAA championship was nice and all, but David “Poncho” Wright would regain something more important several years later: his life.
MARK MONTIETH: Coach’s exit followed Purdue’s 1980 Final Four run
Coaches don’t usually leave for a smaller program after a big tournament run, but this divorce made sense.
MARK MONTIETH: This man brought Barry Collier to Butler—and that changed everything
Before we get to the fluky set of circumstances that got Barry Collier to Butler in the first place and meet the man who made it happen, let’s establish a premise: Without Collier, there is no Butler Way.