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When recruiting his Belmont roster in the early 1990s, Rick Bryd thought there was an area standout who was being overlooked. He wanted that player to be on his team.
Casey Alexander was tough and was like a coach on the floor. Byrd, leading what was then an NAIA program, offered Alexander some scholarship money to join his team, but Alexander initially rejected. A big Volunteers fan, Alexander decided to enroll at the University of Tennessee.
Shortly into his time in Knoxville, Alexander decided that he missed the game. He called Byrd, asked if there would still be a spot for him at Belmont, and he quickly transferred schools.
That decision paved the way for a successful playing and coaching career at Belmont, which resulted in Alexander becoming one of the best mid-major coaches in the country. Now, he's making his first jump to coaching at the highest level after being named the new head coach at Kansas State.
"I think it's the kind of place that will let Casey put together a program," Byrd, a College Basketball Hall of Fame coach, said. "I'm proud of him like a brother or a big brother would be. I hope that he saw some things in the way that we did things that helped him."
Alexander played three seasons under Byrd before he was immediately hired as one of his assistants. Alexander coached alongside Byrd from 1995 to 2011, during which they often played competitive ping-pong matches and led the Bruins' transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division I and to four NCAA Tournaments.
After Alexander landed his first head coaching job at Stetson, and before a successful six-year stint rebuilding Lipscomb, he was hired to succeed Byrd at Belmont upon Byrd's retirement in 2019.
Alexander called Byrd his biggest coaching influence when he was hired to coach the Wildcats.
"He lives a half-mile from my house, comes to every game, and I talk to him multiple times a week," Alexander said. "There's nobody that's come close to having the impact or imprint on my life, much less coaching life, than he has."
Upon joining the Belmont basketball team, Alexander quickly beat out the starting point guard, a position he held for the remainder of his playing career.
Among Byrd's favorite coaching memories were from Alexander's senior season, when he led the team to the NAIA semifinals. The Bruins had multiple scorers around Alexander who could put up big numbers, so Lipscomb elected not to guard him in a conference tournament championship. Alexander took advantage, knocking down eight 3-pointers and scoring 30 points.
"Casey would do whatever it took to help his team win," Byrd said. "He didn't care about scoring the points, but if they were going to leave him open, he was gonna make shots. It just tells you exactly who he is and who he is as a coach."
Byrd has developed an impressive coaching tree from his former players. Very few of them, Byrd looked at while they were playing and thought they would one day be coaches, but Alexander was an exception. Players could put in great effort, but Alexander always had the ability to do the right thing on the floor to get a good shot for himself or someone else.
It was a no-brainer to add Alexander to his staff upon graduation. The two coached alongside each other for the next 16 seasons, developing Belmont from an NAIA power to becoming one of the most respected mid-major programs in the country.
Along the way, the two developed a relationship in which Byrd saw Alexander as a son or younger brother. The ping-pong matches in the locker room were legendary, showcasing Alexander's extreme competitiveness. Byrd saw how driven Alexander was, often passing on golf trips to be in the weight room with the team.
"He knows what he is, what his purpose is, and he's not distracted at all," Byrd said. "He's trying to build the best team he can build. It will matter to him in a big way who he chooses to be in the program and how they represent K-State in everything they do on and off the floor. He's not going to back down. He's going to go into every game thinking he can win this game."
Alexander left Belmont for his first head coaching job at Stetson in 2011, where he coached for two seasons before returning to Nashville to lead Lipscomb, Belmont's intercity rival. He led Lipscomb to its first NCAA Tournament by his fifth season and an NIT runner-up finish in his sixth.
Belmont then hired Alexander in 2019 to succeed Byrd, making Alexander the Bruins' only other head coach since 1986.
"When it comes to coaching teams, he doesn't need any help from me," Byrd said. "It's mostly a friendship more than a mentor situation to me. I went to games and sat in a suite away from everybody. It's hard to come in and succeed somebody who's won.
"I would love to receive and take all credit for it, but he started out that way as a high school player. He had it."
Alexander immediately won. His first team went 26-7 and won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. Unfortunately, the pandemic canceled the 2020 NCAA Tournament, which would have been his only March Madness appearance in his seven seasons on the sideline.
Alexander led Belmont to 20-plus-win seasons each year as head coach. He led the Bruins' transition from the Ohio Valley to the Missouri Valley Conference, keeping Belmont as one of the country's best mid-majors. This past season, Belmont went 26-6 and won the MVC's regular-season championship.
Throughout it all, Byrd watched Alexander take the extra steps that were needed to maintain Belmont's success. He watched Alexander address boosters shortly before each game, something Byrd wasn't a fan of doing when he was coach. There was an effort to be involved in the community, and he did so in a way that made him college basketball's Skip Prosser Man of the Year in 2018, and be named a finalist for the award three other times.
"It's just who he is all the time; he's a man of character," Byrd said. "Casey will just do whatever he can to do the right and best thing for anybody. You just see there's a consistency about his character that is unavoidable."
Byrd watched Alexander's Kansas State introductory press conference from afar, and he plans to be in Manhattan when he leads the Wildcats onto the floor for the first time. Byrd said those in the Belmont community are happy for Alexander's success and will continue to root for one of their own as he takes on his newest challenge.
Byrd sees Kansas State as a place where Alexander can build a program, meaning he'll be the one to retain players and build a team that Wildcat fans can connect with. At the same time, Byrd thinks he'll win and will lead K-State to NCAA Tournaments and potential championships.
"I think fans will appreciate him putting together a team that plays like a team and can retain those players for a period of time these days," Byrd said. "I think that's his goal. I don't think everybody thinks that way."
Alexander will prepare to move from Nashville, where he has spent all but two years of his life, to Manhattan. He and Byrd won't live half a mile from each other soon, but they'll continue to talk frequently.
After all, the two haven't stopped talking basketball since Byrd received a call from Alexander all those years ago, who hoped there was still a spot for him at Belmont.
Byrd is sure glad he received that call.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Rick Byrd reflects on Casey Alexander's path from Belmont to K-State
Continue reading...
Casey Alexander was tough and was like a coach on the floor. Byrd, leading what was then an NAIA program, offered Alexander some scholarship money to join his team, but Alexander initially rejected. A big Volunteers fan, Alexander decided to enroll at the University of Tennessee.
Shortly into his time in Knoxville, Alexander decided that he missed the game. He called Byrd, asked if there would still be a spot for him at Belmont, and he quickly transferred schools.
That decision paved the way for a successful playing and coaching career at Belmont, which resulted in Alexander becoming one of the best mid-major coaches in the country. Now, he's making his first jump to coaching at the highest level after being named the new head coach at Kansas State.
"I think it's the kind of place that will let Casey put together a program," Byrd, a College Basketball Hall of Fame coach, said. "I'm proud of him like a brother or a big brother would be. I hope that he saw some things in the way that we did things that helped him."
Alexander played three seasons under Byrd before he was immediately hired as one of his assistants. Alexander coached alongside Byrd from 1995 to 2011, during which they often played competitive ping-pong matches and led the Bruins' transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division I and to four NCAA Tournaments.
After Alexander landed his first head coaching job at Stetson, and before a successful six-year stint rebuilding Lipscomb, he was hired to succeed Byrd at Belmont upon Byrd's retirement in 2019.
Alexander called Byrd his biggest coaching influence when he was hired to coach the Wildcats.
"He lives a half-mile from my house, comes to every game, and I talk to him multiple times a week," Alexander said. "There's nobody that's come close to having the impact or imprint on my life, much less coaching life, than he has."
Casey Alexander impressed Rick Byrd as a player
Upon joining the Belmont basketball team, Alexander quickly beat out the starting point guard, a position he held for the remainder of his playing career.
Among Byrd's favorite coaching memories were from Alexander's senior season, when he led the team to the NAIA semifinals. The Bruins had multiple scorers around Alexander who could put up big numbers, so Lipscomb elected not to guard him in a conference tournament championship. Alexander took advantage, knocking down eight 3-pointers and scoring 30 points.
"Casey would do whatever it took to help his team win," Byrd said. "He didn't care about scoring the points, but if they were going to leave him open, he was gonna make shots. It just tells you exactly who he is and who he is as a coach."
Byrd has developed an impressive coaching tree from his former players. Very few of them, Byrd looked at while they were playing and thought they would one day be coaches, but Alexander was an exception. Players could put in great effort, but Alexander always had the ability to do the right thing on the floor to get a good shot for himself or someone else.
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Casey Alexander was a motivated assistant
It was a no-brainer to add Alexander to his staff upon graduation. The two coached alongside each other for the next 16 seasons, developing Belmont from an NAIA power to becoming one of the most respected mid-major programs in the country.
Along the way, the two developed a relationship in which Byrd saw Alexander as a son or younger brother. The ping-pong matches in the locker room were legendary, showcasing Alexander's extreme competitiveness. Byrd saw how driven Alexander was, often passing on golf trips to be in the weight room with the team.
"He knows what he is, what his purpose is, and he's not distracted at all," Byrd said. "He's trying to build the best team he can build. It will matter to him in a big way who he chooses to be in the program and how they represent K-State in everything they do on and off the floor. He's not going to back down. He's going to go into every game thinking he can win this game."
Alexander left Belmont for his first head coaching job at Stetson in 2011, where he coached for two seasons before returning to Nashville to lead Lipscomb, Belmont's intercity rival. He led Lipscomb to its first NCAA Tournament by his fifth season and an NIT runner-up finish in his sixth.
Belmont then hired Alexander in 2019 to succeed Byrd, making Alexander the Bruins' only other head coach since 1986.
"When it comes to coaching teams, he doesn't need any help from me," Byrd said. "It's mostly a friendship more than a mentor situation to me. I went to games and sat in a suite away from everybody. It's hard to come in and succeed somebody who's won.
"I would love to receive and take all credit for it, but he started out that way as a high school player. He had it."
Casey Alexander made Belmont his own after Rick Byrd's retirement
Alexander immediately won. His first team went 26-7 and won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. Unfortunately, the pandemic canceled the 2020 NCAA Tournament, which would have been his only March Madness appearance in his seven seasons on the sideline.
Alexander led Belmont to 20-plus-win seasons each year as head coach. He led the Bruins' transition from the Ohio Valley to the Missouri Valley Conference, keeping Belmont as one of the country's best mid-majors. This past season, Belmont went 26-6 and won the MVC's regular-season championship.
Throughout it all, Byrd watched Alexander take the extra steps that were needed to maintain Belmont's success. He watched Alexander address boosters shortly before each game, something Byrd wasn't a fan of doing when he was coach. There was an effort to be involved in the community, and he did so in a way that made him college basketball's Skip Prosser Man of the Year in 2018, and be named a finalist for the award three other times.
"It's just who he is all the time; he's a man of character," Byrd said. "Casey will just do whatever he can to do the right and best thing for anybody. You just see there's a consistency about his character that is unavoidable."
Why Rick Byrd thinks Casey Alexander will have success at Kansas State
Byrd watched Alexander's Kansas State introductory press conference from afar, and he plans to be in Manhattan when he leads the Wildcats onto the floor for the first time. Byrd said those in the Belmont community are happy for Alexander's success and will continue to root for one of their own as he takes on his newest challenge.
Byrd sees Kansas State as a place where Alexander can build a program, meaning he'll be the one to retain players and build a team that Wildcat fans can connect with. At the same time, Byrd thinks he'll win and will lead K-State to NCAA Tournaments and potential championships.
"I think fans will appreciate him putting together a team that plays like a team and can retain those players for a period of time these days," Byrd said. "I think that's his goal. I don't think everybody thinks that way."
Alexander will prepare to move from Nashville, where he has spent all but two years of his life, to Manhattan. He and Byrd won't live half a mile from each other soon, but they'll continue to talk frequently.
After all, the two haven't stopped talking basketball since Byrd received a call from Alexander all those years ago, who hoped there was still a spot for him at Belmont.
Byrd is sure glad he received that call.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Rick Byrd reflects on Casey Alexander's path from Belmont to K-State
Continue reading...
