SE: Southwell, Weber Trace Road Back Home for Newest Assistant
Apr 01, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Shane Southwell posted on Twitter last week.
It was only a quick message, as Southwell shared one of the many proposed brackets for the 2020 NCAA Tournament, after it was canceled to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
One game in particular caught Southwell's eye: his Robert Morris Colonials in a 16-seed vs. 1-seed matchup with Kansas.
Turns out, Southwell won't have to wait much longer for another shot at the Jayhawks.
Bruce Weber officially announced the addition of Southwell to his coaching staff on Tuesday, after one year as an assistant coach at Robert Morris. In his first season in Pittsburgh, Southwell helped lead the Colonials to a 20-win season and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
"This team is bringing a lot of talent back to Manhattan and that's exciting for any coach," Southwell said. "It's like coming back home."
For Southwell, his return to K-State will mean a chance to close out a decade of unprecedented success with the Wildcats. Since he arrived on campus in 2010, the Harlem native has been a part of six NCAA Tournament teams and two Big 12 Championships as a player and coach.
"It was a no-brainer for me," head coach Bruce Weber said. "It just made a lot of sense. He's got a great future and I think he's got a chance to be a long-term coach, have success and hopefully down the road, be a head coach at some point in his career."
The relationship between Southwell and Weber that made Tuesday's announcement possible began before Southwell's junior season.
The newest K-State assistant remembers sitting by his locker in 2012, when he learned that Weber would be the next head coach of the Wildcats.
"I knew what he did for Illinois, going to the national title game, and having so much success with a bunch of different players," Southwell said. "As a basketball junkie, I was excited."
But Southwell also said his teammates at the time would be surprised to find him now, as Southwell prepares for a season just a few seats down from Weber on the K-State bench.
"When you are a young player, you think your way is the best way. That's not how it goes in college basketball," Southwell said. "Our relationship has grown so much, even from my senior year to my professional career. He takes time to reach out to his guys, to check in and see how they're doing, whether it's in basketball or any type of job."
It's hard to argue with Southwell's resume during his playing career in Manhattan.
As a three-star recruit from New York City in 2010, Southwell joined a K-State team coming off an Elite Eight appearance. All he did during his college career was help the Wildcats to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and the first Big 12 regular season title in school history.
"He figured out how to get that rebound and push it, be a guard and have those opportunities." Weber said. "He was one of our smarter players, better decision-makers and better passers. He loved the game and I always knew he wanted to be a coach. You can always tell."
Southwell played professionally in Mexico, Australia and Switzerland before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at K-State.
Joining Weber's staff was an opportunity for Southwell to continue to learn from someone that he considers a mentor.
"Our relationship has grown so much," he said. "Coming back as a graduate assistant, just being around him more, learning more and then obviously our time spent in Greece with Team USA."
That trip to Greece was a pivotal moment in Southwell's coaching journey, as Weber included him as a member of his staff with the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.
But even as Southwell helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in Greece, Weber thought the best road for his former player could take him away from Manhattan.
"I always tell them, I think it's important to leave," he said. "If you were a player, you're still going to be considered a player…You don't want to be one of the boys, you're our coach."
As an assistant with Robert Morris, Southwell said he experienced the realities of coaching at a mid-major program. Non-conference road trips took the Colonials to eight different states and Southwell's team began the 2019-20 season with a 1-6 record.
"When you're playing at K-State you have a lot of home games and play in a few tournaments," he said. "At Robert Morris, a lot of your games are on the road. You've got to kind of gear your guys to understand that this opportunity is a learning lesson, more than about wins and losses."
It's a role that Weber knows well, after he got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Western Kentucky.
"That's one of the things that prepared me," Weber said. "When you go to the other level, you find out about budgets, bus trips and driving in the car to go recruiting…It just shows his maturity and understanding of what it's about."
Southwell's team at Robert Morris rebounded after that rocky start, as the Colonials finished 13-5 in conference play and won the Northeast Conference Tournament.
While the NCAA Tournament – and any dreams of a matchup with Kansas – were lost due to COVID-19, the next chapter of Southwell's career will bring him back to where it all began.
As one of the youngest assistant coaches in the conference, the 28-year-old Southwell will always have someone to lean on in Weber.
"I was the youngest assistant in the Big Ten for at least five years. It might have been longer than that," Weber said. "Because of my experience, I don't think it's that big of a deal. Did you help prepare yourself? Did you do your work as a graduate assistant? Did you do your work as a player, learning the game and studying the game and being around the coaches?"
Maybe the answer to that question is summed up best by Southwell – who after a season of long road trips and shattered tournament dreams with Robert Morris, might finally be ready to catch his breath and enjoy the next opportunity in his coaching career.
Not quite.
"Maybe next year if we can do some good things," Southwell said. "Then, I'll enjoy it."
Shane Southwell posted on Twitter last week.
It was only a quick message, as Southwell shared one of the many proposed brackets for the 2020 NCAA Tournament, after it was canceled to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
One game in particular caught Southwell's eye: his Robert Morris Colonials in a 16-seed vs. 1-seed matchup with Kansas.
Y'all know I was ready for this!! pic.twitter.com/Zcimiu7jhh
— Shane Southwell (@Mr_SSouthwell) March 22, 2020
Turns out, Southwell won't have to wait much longer for another shot at the Jayhawks.
Bruce Weber officially announced the addition of Southwell to his coaching staff on Tuesday, after one year as an assistant coach at Robert Morris. In his first season in Pittsburgh, Southwell helped lead the Colonials to a 20-win season and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
"This team is bringing a lot of talent back to Manhattan and that's exciting for any coach," Southwell said. "It's like coming back home."
For Southwell, his return to K-State will mean a chance to close out a decade of unprecedented success with the Wildcats. Since he arrived on campus in 2010, the Harlem native has been a part of six NCAA Tournament teams and two Big 12 Championships as a player and coach.
"It was a no-brainer for me," head coach Bruce Weber said. "It just made a lot of sense. He's got a great future and I think he's got a chance to be a long-term coach, have success and hopefully down the road, be a head coach at some point in his career."
The relationship between Southwell and Weber that made Tuesday's announcement possible began before Southwell's junior season.
The newest K-State assistant remembers sitting by his locker in 2012, when he learned that Weber would be the next head coach of the Wildcats.
"I knew what he did for Illinois, going to the national title game, and having so much success with a bunch of different players," Southwell said. "As a basketball junkie, I was excited."
But Southwell also said his teammates at the time would be surprised to find him now, as Southwell prepares for a season just a few seats down from Weber on the K-State bench.
"When you are a young player, you think your way is the best way. That's not how it goes in college basketball," Southwell said. "Our relationship has grown so much, even from my senior year to my professional career. He takes time to reach out to his guys, to check in and see how they're doing, whether it's in basketball or any type of job."
It's hard to argue with Southwell's resume during his playing career in Manhattan.
As a three-star recruit from New York City in 2010, Southwell joined a K-State team coming off an Elite Eight appearance. All he did during his college career was help the Wildcats to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and the first Big 12 regular season title in school history.
"He figured out how to get that rebound and push it, be a guard and have those opportunities." Weber said. "He was one of our smarter players, better decision-makers and better passers. He loved the game and I always knew he wanted to be a coach. You can always tell."
Southwell played professionally in Mexico, Australia and Switzerland before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at K-State.
Joining Weber's staff was an opportunity for Southwell to continue to learn from someone that he considers a mentor.
"Our relationship has grown so much," he said. "Coming back as a graduate assistant, just being around him more, learning more and then obviously our time spent in Greece with Team USA."
That trip to Greece was a pivotal moment in Southwell's coaching journey, as Weber included him as a member of his staff with the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.
But even as Southwell helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in Greece, Weber thought the best road for his former player could take him away from Manhattan.
"I always tell them, I think it's important to leave," he said. "If you were a player, you're still going to be considered a player…You don't want to be one of the boys, you're our coach."
As an assistant with Robert Morris, Southwell said he experienced the realities of coaching at a mid-major program. Non-conference road trips took the Colonials to eight different states and Southwell's team began the 2019-20 season with a 1-6 record.
"When you're playing at K-State you have a lot of home games and play in a few tournaments," he said. "At Robert Morris, a lot of your games are on the road. You've got to kind of gear your guys to understand that this opportunity is a learning lesson, more than about wins and losses."
It's a role that Weber knows well, after he got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Western Kentucky.
"That's one of the things that prepared me," Weber said. "When you go to the other level, you find out about budgets, bus trips and driving in the car to go recruiting…It just shows his maturity and understanding of what it's about."
Southwell's team at Robert Morris rebounded after that rocky start, as the Colonials finished 13-5 in conference play and won the Northeast Conference Tournament.
While the NCAA Tournament – and any dreams of a matchup with Kansas – were lost due to COVID-19, the next chapter of Southwell's career will bring him back to where it all began.
As one of the youngest assistant coaches in the conference, the 28-year-old Southwell will always have someone to lean on in Weber.
"I was the youngest assistant in the Big Ten for at least five years. It might have been longer than that," Weber said. "Because of my experience, I don't think it's that big of a deal. Did you help prepare yourself? Did you do your work as a graduate assistant? Did you do your work as a player, learning the game and studying the game and being around the coaches?"
Maybe the answer to that question is summed up best by Southwell – who after a season of long road trips and shattered tournament dreams with Robert Morris, might finally be ready to catch his breath and enjoy the next opportunity in his coaching career.
Not quite.
"Maybe next year if we can do some good things," Southwell said. "Then, I'll enjoy it."
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