Happy Birthday Zac!!!!

Today is the birthday of future superstar equipment manager, Zac Cook. Zac is in his second year as a Wildcat Equipment Manager. Among the many ways Zac helps all of us out, his biggest responsibility is over seeing all of our laundry needs. He is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University which is in the Cincinnati Ohio area.

Zac is one of the easiest choices for a hire I have ever had to make, but one of the hardest hires to make. Fresh out of college and a long ways from Tucson Arizona, Zac was looking for an opportunity to get into the business. He, like many before him, had to make a very difficult decision and one that is NOT easy to make. He had to decide if he could leave scores of GREAT friends, family and an area he loves dearly.

I know it was tough for him early on, just like it was for me when I left Texas for Washington State. Lots of home sickness. Even though there has been tough times every now and then, Zac has done a TREMENDOUS job and has done a great job of adapting to the desert of Arizona.

He lit up like a light bulb when we hired Sean Miller from Xavier!!!! Zac's best friend, Kevin Schappell is an assistant coach for the West Virginia Mountaineers basketball team and last year he got tickets for Zac and I to go to Phoenix and watch the Mountaineers and the Xavier Musketeers play in the Sweet Sixteen. Zac was very familiar with Xavier being from the Cincinnati area. After watching that game, Zac and I knew Sean Miller would be a GREAT replacement for Lute Olson.

So know we have some new Cincinnati people working in McKale, and that has helped out with Zac alot. Of course, Frank Busch, the best swim coach in the world, and our Swimming and Diving Head Coach is from the same area as Zac. Coach Busch has had Zac over to the house so he can have some Skyline Chili, just like they have in Cincy. They say Coach Busch's wife can make as good or even better.

There are so many things to love about Zac, but my favorite things are his passion for life, sports, college athletics, his teams, and most importantly, his passion for service to athletes, coaches and those around him.