Working Under Rick Pintino

Travis Hackery manager at Louisville:

 I went about getting my position at Louisville by coming down here the summer before my senior year of high school. I was born and raised in Michigan so I really had no connections into the program. My mother was born and raised here in Louisville so her side of the family lives down here. So that summer I came down and stayed with my Aunt trying to find some connections or ways to learn how to get into the student manager position. Anyways the summer rolled on and it was near the end of August and I was about to go back home for my senior year. It was a blessing from God that I even got on staff. The way I ended up getting on was I was taking care of my little cousin for that summer taking him to football practices 3 times a week in Louisville. So one day, one of the coaches asked me to baby sit his 2 year old son during practice and asked me if I was interested in getting into the basketball program at the school and that he had hear I was trying to find a way. I told him yes I've been trying for the majority of the summer. he said the way you took care of my son and the way you handled everything he said you deserve a favor from me and I have a connection to Louisville basketball. That night he called the assistant coach Steve Masiello (current head coach at Manhattan College) a good friend of his and got me a meeting with him the next morning. So the day I was suppose to go home I went to my internview and got hired on for the next season.

Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino

Here at Louisville we currently have 8 student managers. It usually ranges from 8-10 year-to-year but I'm currently a sophomore so it could vary. Serving the Cardinals basketball team as managers are jobs include doing the teams laundry, cleaning the floor before practice, play defense during individual workouts, handle the practice clock, video practice, and pretty much whatever else is needed to help make practice run smoother. My freshman year I worked extremely hard and put all the pride to the side in which I think has helped me become successful as a manager. Playing ball in high school and all it was a tough transition being at the bottom. You just got to work hard and realize you do a lot for the program that no one outside the program knows about.

 By working with the men's basketball team hear at Louisville I hope to expand my chances of becoming a Division I coach and figured being a student manager could only help me get there. I believe you have to start somewhere if you want to get somewhere.

Making the NCAA tournament as a manager was great. Its really the reward for the hard work we do during the year. Even though we had a disappointing tournament run last year just being able to experience it was a lifetime memory.

However, my favorite game would have to be when we played Kentucky last year since the rivalry is getting out of control since both teams are from Louisville.

For managers at other schools throughout the country looking at this blog I would just like to say, no matter what school your at the program couldn't run without you we do more than meets the eye. Always work hard!