Coach Abar Rouse shares his journey from moving from New York to Texas when he was growing up and then his decade of coaching college basketball at the DI, NAIA, D2 and JUCO ranks. He was a Student Manager at Midwestern State before transferring to Baylor to and immediately being named Head Student Manager and then returned to Midwestern State after graduating. His coaching dream took him to multiple states in different time zones just trying to move up the ranks. After having a tremendous squad at McClennan CC and interacting with numerous college coaches like Bob Knight, he accepted a job at his alma mater as Baylor's Director of Basketball Operations under Dave Bliss.

In 2003 a murder took place and one of their players [Patrick Dennehy] was the victim. Dave Bliss not only paid the tuition of multiple players and tried to make the late Patrick Dennehy out to be a drug dealer. Despite the potential allegations of extortion, obstruction of justice and witness tampering, no criminal charges were filed against Bliss.

Coach Rouse sought advice from coaching mentors and friends in the business as well as lawyers. He was threatened by his boss [Bliss] to go along with the scheme or he would be fired, and ultimately took the advice of his coaching mentors [some of whom are still in the business] recorded Bliss instructing players to fabricate the story of Dennehy being a drug dealer to the University's investigative committee and also said that talking to the McLennan County, Texas Sheriff's Department would give him the opportunity to "practice" his story. The tapes also showed that Bliss and his staff knew that Dennehy had been threatened by two of their teammates when they publicly denied such knowledge.

Afterwards Coach Rouse was the lone member of the staff who did not receive a show clause penalty from the NCAA, yet was essentially blackballed by the coaching fraternity. One of his idols Mike Krzyzewski, was one of the prominent coaches who publicly criticized him yet Coach Rouse didn't blame Coach K since he didn't have all of the facts. He managed to land back at Midwestern State for a third stint under Coach Jeff Ray, but ultimately left the business on his own terms after a successful season there. He began a career with overseeing and managing prison which was much more stable and allowed him to develop.

I personally look forward to Abar Rouse coaching basketball again after he can retire from his non-coaching career. He provides great insight for aspiring coaches as well as shares his opinions on the Adidas scandal as well as other current events.