Good Sports: Rodney Terry

Friday, March 25, 2016

Beyond his 25-10 record or the 'Dogs first postseason appearance since 2001, Terry is a master at getting his players to graduate.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Rodney Terry enjoyed his best season as a head coach of the Fresno State Bulldogs in 2016. But beyond his 25-10 record or the 'Dogs first postseason appearance since 2001, Terry is a master at getting his players to graduate once their bulldog careers are over. "I know he pushes us, on and off the court."

Julien Lewis is one of three bulldog seniors on track to graduate this year. Juice and Mountain West Player of the Year Marvelle Harris should graduate this summer. Point Guard Cezar Guerrero will beat them by a couple of months by graduating in the spring. All of them say coach terry preaches no shortcuts in the classroom.

"Just a great person. Somebody you can look up. Somebody you know you can call in future. Call now, he's always going to have your back. And somebody who's going to go to war for you. So, we appreciate everything coach has done for us." said Harris.

Since Terry's arrival in the Central Valley in 2011, every men's basketball player who's made it to their senior year has graduated. So these next three that are on track to do so, will make it 11 for 11 since Rodney's first full recruiting class entering the 2012-13 season.

"A lot of times for guys and their families, it's the first time someone from their family's had a chance to graduate. We place a high emphasis on our academics and we want our guys to get their degrees." added Terry.

"If you're having a bad time on the court, he's still pushes us to go to class every day. Do study hall, do all the right things to be a man. He helped me grow up as a man, and lay the fundamentals down so when I become a father or have kids or something, that knows how to team him the right ways and make the right choices and that's what he preaches to us every day after practice. He gives us a speech to tell us to make the right choices when we're home or anything." Said Lewis.

Anything for them on the court and in the classroom.

"For as much as those guys win ,I want them to win the game of life." said Terry.