Loyal and Dedicated, Borne Excited to Serve in New Capacity

By: D. Scott Fritchen

Marco Borne is excited. Hired on March 30 to serve as Chief of Staff for the Kansas State men's basketball program, Borne brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to Manhattan. He is plenty busy in his new role between scheduling, academics, setting up recruiting visits and breaking down film.

When Borne does leave the office, he feels good. That's because everywhere he goes, he sees "K-State." In fact, he says that he hasn't seen anything but "K-State" since he arrived at Manhattan Regional Airport a couple weeks ago.

Borne joins head coach Jerome Tang, assistants Ulric Maligi and Jareem Dowling, and newly-hired director of player development Austin Carpenter at the Ice Family Basketball Center, where they have rolled up their sleeves and getting to work putting together their team for Tang's first season.

"If you just look at our backgrounds, we come from championship programs, and we all are coming with the same mindset," Borne says. "The NCAA Tournament and a Big 12 Championship is what's on the plate as we move forward to a national championship."

K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen speaks with Borne about his first impressions of Manhattan, his relationship with Tang, the message to recruits, and what K-Staters should know about him:

D. SCOTT FRITCHEN: What are your early impressions of Manhattan?

MARCO BORNE: The one thing I've noticed that really stands out — I've told so many people this — I have yet to see any other college gear but K-State from people walking, and as we've been house hunting and going through different neighborhoods, all you see is K-State, and as we walk on campus, it's K-State, K-State, K-State. I've been on many campuses where somebody is wearing a different brand or color to match an outfit, but what's stood out to me, the one thing that's most stood out, is I haven't seen anything other than K-State in the neighborhoods and restaurants and on campus. That's tremendous. That really excites me and the staff. It's not normal. I've been on different campuses in the Big 12 and you'll see SEC and ACC schools, but in Manhattan, from the airport throughout the city, it's all K-State.

.@CoachJTang continued to build out his coaching staff with the addition of @CoachBorne as Chief of Staff.

Welcome Marco Borne to the K-State Family!

🔗https://t.co/ypKmbniG8Z #KStateMBB x EMAW pic.twitter.com/C5NleC41bU
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) March 30, 2022

FRITCHEN: When was the first time you met Jerome Tang and how did you meet him?

BORNE: The first time I physically met him was probably 1999 or 2000. I was a high school coach in New Orleans and was fortunate enough to have some talented guys. One guy, Greg Monroe, was the No. 1 player in the country. Baylor recruited him. Coach Tang came down, and as he came to visit, we started talking. You talk to all the coaches during the recruiting process. But then Coach Tang started coming back and he was impressed with the things we were doing. Once the recruiting process ended, he and one other coach were the only two coaches who stayed in touch. Greg could've probably gone to any school in America, and when he decided which school he was going to, all the other coaches, you'd see them, and they wouldn't speak, and nobody would return phone calls. Coach Tang still stayed in touch and came by. The relationship began as a professional relationship and over the course of time, I think he appreciated my work, and we stayed in touch, and it led to this opportunity.

Before COVID, I was working with the Haitian National Team, living in Dallas, and I'd go down to Haiti for 11 days and come home for five days, and it was back and forth. Well, when COVID hit, it restricted my travel. To better myself, I visited schools around the area. I spent a lot of time at Baylor observing and watching Coach Tang and Coach Drew and the entire staff. They were great in welcoming me in. Eventually, they even started taking some input. Once COVID hit, for the most part, I almost like volunteered that National Championship year and was there every day. I couldn't travel to Haiti, so I was there every day with that championship team. During that process, I think I caught Coach's eye as far as my eye and understanding of the game. I had a very small role, but maybe a few of the things I suggested, they took some of my advice, and once they saw it worked a little bit, they allowed me to say a little bit more. It was just a blessing. It was one good thing that came out of COVID and such a terrible situation.

When the K-State opportunity came, I was associate head coach at Alcorn State, and we had just won the SWAC championship. Coach Tang asked me if I'd be receptive to the role that he had in mind for me. I think a lot of people looked at it like, "Why would you go from associate head coach to chief of staff?" I think it's more about the environment, more about the people, and more about the staff that we put together. Our whole entire staff is not ego driven. We're all in here rolling up our sleeves trying to get the job done. It's about being around good people with the right mindset. That's what made it an easy decision to accept this opportunity.

FRITCHEN: What all does your job as Chief of Staff for K-State basketball entail?

BORNE: It seems like I'm doing a lot of things. Mainly I just make sure everything with Coach is OK. It's scheduling, academics, setting up visits, helping with the film breakdown, looking at guys, giving my input on recruitable guys and guys that fit what we're looking for. For the most part, I think it's a lot of the things that are behind the scenes that's important like making sure apartments are set when the guys come and making sure the locker room is in order. Coach is busy and the assistants are busy, so I'm doing my part to do things that are important for success. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes things that a lot of people won't see but that are important for the success of a program.

Everything I do I take pride in. I'm a prideful, competitive guy. You have to understand the big picture. Being a former head coach and former associate head coach, I know the importance of my job, because coming from a smaller institution, you basically handled everything. I understand that I can make Coach's life easier by taking care of these things, and I know it'll be valuable to our success.

FRITCHEN: There are a lot of moving parts with the K-State program right now. What can you say about the chemistry that's being built with you and Ulric Maligi, Jareem Dowling and Coach Tang?

BORNE: I think the important thing is that all of us have had a previous relationship with Coach Tang in one way or another. Coach has a vision. It didn't just happen when he got the job. He had a plan in place. I think we all complement each other the right way. Everybody is getting along because we all are here for the same goal of helping Coach be successful and helping K-State win a national championship, but we also fit different avenues that Coach needs, and everybody understands and respects each other. We all know each other from the business. Ulric comes from a championship program, we come off a championship, and Jareem is coming off a championship. We're all winners in our one way. We're just combining our knowledge and ability. Coach Tang was a part of that 2021 National Championship. As we put the staff together, we trust in Coach in knowing he's putting the right people in place, and we welcome each other with open arms. It's been a blessing. Everything is moving smooth.

FRITCHEN: Coach Tang said, "I didn't come to rebuild. I came to elevate." How exciting is that message?

BORNE: If you just look at our backgrounds, we come from championship programs, and we all are coming with the same mindset. The NCAA Tournament and a Big 12 Championship is what's on the plate as we move forward to a national championship.

FRITCHEN: What have you learned about Coach Tang and what makes him tick?

BORNE: Success. He's driven to be successful and to be successful the right way. That's what I respect the most. There've been other opportunities, but when you talk with somebody, it's got to be the right fit. Coach Tang wants to be successful and do it the right way. I'm the same way. People are going to respect your work when you do things the right way. That just takes hard work. People say you have to do this and do that, but we're not going to cut corners, we're not corner-cutters, and we're doing to things right, and we're going to make sure we get the right guys. We're not trying to get players, we're trying to get a team. When doing that, you've got to make sure you're bringing in the right caliber guys, guys that fit what we're doing, who are going to represent K-State and the community on and off the court the right way.

Sometimes what people don't realize is these opportunities sometimes change these young men's lives. You might be taking a kid from a high school, neighborhood or environment that might not be the safest, and you give them an opportunity not only to play in front of 14,000 but to get a Kansas State degree and to travel the world, and that changes your life. I was blessed to have a basketball scholarship and get my degree, and my degree allowed me to get into coaching and travel the world. It's exciting to see it come together and recruit a kid that maybe a lot of schools didn't, and you see him have success that's really rewarding.

FRITCHEN: These kids come in and they see the basketball facilities and Bramlage Coliseum. What kind of assets does K-State have within its basketball program?

BORNE: Our facilities are second to none. Everything is in place and needed to build what we intend on building. It's not only about the structure and the outside. I think our biggest selling point is that we have the bells and whistles, but we also have the love and care and family environment that a young man is going to be comfortable coming and that parents are going to be comfortable in knowing these coaches are going to look after their son and make him an outstanding citizen. The facilities are awesome. From the day we came in, it's knocked me off my feet. Everybody can have facilities, but it's that inner part that's going to help us stand out amongst others, and it'll make sure guys realize that we truly care about them as a student-athlete, and making sure they progress and move forward not only in basketball but in their academic career.

FRITCHEN: As you said, all you coaches are champions, so what's the message you share with recruits about potentially coming to K-State and the plan moving forward once they do come to K-State?

BORNE: The main thing that we all focus on is just being honest with recruits and their families and we explain to them that we're trying to build a team. A lot of people can look at things and say numbers are numbers, and it may not be a guy with the greatest numbers, but it may be a guy who fits what we're doing. You look at that Baylor team that won the national championship and they had some transfers. When Adam Flagler transferred in, I don't think anybody was impressed with his numbers coming from a smaller school compared to some of the bigger names, but Coach Tang understood and was able to bring in transfers that fit. After they won the national championship, three guys went to the NBA, and then last year they have some injuries, but they still win the Big 12 with a couple more transfers. At Alcorn State we had 11 transfers, but they fit, so when they got in, it was just a matter of turning that fit into success. That's what excites me about K-State. We've done it before. This is not like we're just going to pick up whatever transfers. It's going to be guys who fit, and that fit is going to equal success.

FRITCHEN: You bring 20 years of coaching experience, including 14 as a head coach at both the high school and NAIA levels, and served as head coach of the Haitian Junior National Team. Can you walk us through your coaching path what has made it special?

BORNE: It started as a student assistant for Coach Jerry Loyd. I'm so grateful to Coach because he took me in. I'll never forget the first practice, I showed up in a t-shirt and some shorts, and he pulled me aside and said, "Where are you going?" I said, "Practice." He said, "This isn't how a coach looks." He took the time to take me to the bookstore and make sure that I presented myself correctly. He broke down every detail. He took the time to teach me pretty much everything I know. He's also the first person to suggest that I coach high school. Everybody's coaching mission is different. If you don't coach high school, you don't know if you want to coach college. That's what led me to coaching high school. I was blessed to have some guys who listened to me, who took instruction, and we had some talented kids. We had success at all the levels, the NAIA level. I did a couple of years without an assistant because of the budget, and we might have a student assistant, but they can only give you so much, and I think that helped prepare me for this opportunity, because a lot of the things I'm doing now I've done in the past. It's just at a different level.

The Xs and Os, I owe so much to Coach Loyd for that. Throughout my career, every time somebody has observed, they've been impressed. When Coach Tang first came, he was impressed with our workouts and practices, and that led him to come back. The Haitian program started with a guy just coming to watch practice, and he was actually coming to watch someone who didn't practice, but they told him about me, and he came and watched my workout, and then he invited me to work his guys out, and then it led to, "Would you like to coach a team?" I feel a lot of my accomplishments have come off my work. That's one of the things I'm proud about.

I wouldn't necessarily call it paying my dues because you're enjoying it so much. My grandmother always raised me on doing something I enjoy and making a difference in other people's lives. I don't feel any type of success unless I'm contributing to somebody else's growth and development. Along the way I've been blessed to always have someone I could touch and mold and help grow and develop. This opportunity is another step and another journey to help another group of young men mold and develop. I personally don't see any difference from here and being at high school. There are still young men who are hungry. We're in nicer facilities and we have nicer gear, but the heart of the job for me is making a difference in young people's lives, and that's what I'm doing. This is another opportunity to be around great people and to contribute to the lives of young folks.

FRITCHEN: A lot of K-Staters out there probably haven't been to Haiti, Poland, Puerto Rico, Barbados or the U.S. Virgin Islands. You coached all those places. How fun were those experiences and how did that enrich your experience as a college coach?

BORNE: I don't know about the fun part because there were third-world countries, but it was very eye opening, and it was very humbling. I wish guys from the states could come over and see the passion these guys have and to see the willingness they have. I mean, we had guys where it took three days for them to come workout with us. They sacrificed three days just to come to workouts. When you hear those stories — who am I, that you take three days to workout for me? Some of the guys didn't have shoes. If they wore a 12 and we had a 14 they put a 14 on. If they wore a 14 but we had a 10 they put a 10 on.

These guys did whatever it took. That's what kept me going back and going back, because of their commitment just to be a basketball player. I tell this story to a lot of guys because they don't understand how blessed they are. We complain about a lot, and we might complain that we don't have ESPN+, well, these guys don't even have TVs. It's little things like that, that just sets it apart. We're in a gym with no AC and we're living in a dormitory setting with no AC. It was hard work. It wasn't too much fun, but it was definitely rewarding. I'll never not appreciate.

FRITCHEN: You just spent this past season as associate head coach at Alcorn State, helping a team picked seventh in the SWAC to the regular-season title — the program's first conference championship in 20 years — and a spot in the NIT. What were some of the keys to Alcorn State's success?

BORNE: First, Coach Landon Bussie, it was his second year, and the first year was COVID. Coach was able to identify and remove some people that didn't fit what he was trying to do, and once we got the people into place, I mean, Coach is tremendous at getting guys to play hard and buy in and work, and then you add that with a good staff he put together, and we worked well together. We had two younger coaches who were hungry and worked their butts off. We just worked and the guys bought in. We had 11 new faces and from day one it took a little time to gel.

Our preseason schedule, if you're familiar with the SWAC, we didn't play our first home game until January 15. We had Gonzaga, and we played three No. 1 teams in the country, but we got them to understand that it wasn't as much about the final score as it was preparing for the SWAC. When we played Gonzaga, we held them to their lowest output at that time. Although they had a 25-30 point victory, there were so many things we could take from that. We stayed positive. I'm a positive thinker. We showed them the positive and that prepared us for SWAC. You have to give Coach Landon so much credit. We were a high-energy, hard-working team.

FRITCHEN: What have you most learned about yourself over the course of your career?

BORNE: Just how important coaching is and the impact you have on young people's lives. I receive phone calls daily. Some of them are All-Americans and some just graduated, but they still value you and the things that you did and instilled into them. That's the part that sticks out the most throughout my career. The wins and losses are great, but I appreciate the call like I did yesterday, "Coach, I'm getting engaged. Hopefully, you can meet her." He put her on the phone, and she said, "Coach, he talks about you so much." I said, "I didn't even think he liked me." But you realize the messages you sent and what you tried to instill in the young men, they really pick up on it.

FRITCHEN: What would you like K-Staters to know about you?

BORNE: That I'm a loyal guy, dedicated and a hard worker. We're going to turn the program and make them proud and we're going to do things the right way. I'm more than welcoming and easy going, and they can reach out if they see me publicly, stop and say hi. I look forward to meeting as many people as possible. I think I speak for myself and our staff, we're going to work and we're going to do this thing to where they can be proud, "I'm a K-State fan," and, "I'm a K-State alum." Hopefully we can play in that last game on Monday night.

The most impactful person is really my grandmother and playground coach. Even today, the things he taught us were the three Ds — Discipline, Dedication and Determination. I carry that into today. At age 8, 9, 10 years old, he taught me a disciplined person is going to do all the things it takes to be successful, and we're not just talking about basketball. You're going to get up in the morning, eat your breakfast, go to class, be attentive. If you're dedicated, you're going to prepare yourself as best you can to be successful. If you're determined, nothing will stop you from accomplishing your goals. Those things he preached to us daily.

I went through some personal trauma in my life, and those words helped me to get through those things. I was in a horrible car accident in 1998 and through that accident I was told I would never walk again, that I may lose both of my legs, but the determination, discipline and dedication to getting back to what I wanted to do — I got back to coaching, and that came from the things my coach instilled into me.

Kansas State University Athletics

Loyal and Dedicated, Borne Excited to Serve in New Capacity

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