Meet Indiana University basketball’s standout student manager
Bloomington, Ind. (WISH) — “We never intended or probably even wanted coaching to be what was next for him. But he’s kind of stood the test of time and showed us his passion and understanding of the profession,” said Todd Howard.
Todd has been the head basketball coach at Brebeuf for the last 8 years. Before that, he spent twenty seasons as either an assistant or head coach for the IUPUI Jaguars. In a couple of weeks, he will watch his oldest son, Adam, graduate from IU.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have been around the game of basketball my whole life. Kind of tag tagging along with my dad was very special,” Adam added, “I wanted to play my entire life, like anybody does, but wasn’t good enough. So went to Indiana to be a manager, because you’re a part of a team. You’re in the locker room, you’re in the huddle, you’re in the practices, you’re in the games, and it’s been very, very rewarding for me. I’ve been a part of a team for my entire life.”
Adam remembered the moment he told his dad that he wanted to pursue a similar career path. He said, “I told my dad and he was not really on board with me being a coach. But as he saw my passion and my interest grow and kind of that was putting the work in and learning from great people. He was all on board.
Little by little, Howard’s parents warmed up to the idea of having another Coach in the family. They observed four dedicated years of service towards the Indiana Basketball team as a student manager, Adam gained the respect of two coaching staffs, earned the Head Manager role this past season.
In fact, just last month Adam was named the best student manager in the country, an award given by the Grow the Game Organization.
“Our guys love him, our coaches love him. He’s a really likable guy. He’s got a great personality. He’s easy to connect with and I think it was deserving. He spends so much time here with us, on the recruiting trail,” Indiana Basketball assistant coach Brian Walsh added, “He’s committed to the craft. He wants it.”
Howard said he is humbled by the award, but said, “I’m no better than anybody else. But I have worked hard and I have decided this is my passion and this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. So there’s really no better honor than being the best in the country.”
Adam’s goal is to start his coaching career in the coming months, hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps with a graduate assistant position post graduation.
He said, “My coaching shoes will come on soon. You think you want to be a coach for a long time, but it’s different when you take the role on. I’m very optimistic for the future, I’m looking forward to what’s next.”