Jacksonville State and a Jayhawk in the 80s under Larry Brown playing in the big eight and in the good old days and I kind of I kind of want to get a story or two out of that but how much has five years away I'm sure you've been asked this change your perspective on how you're going to approach coaching how you're going to do it this time

yeah that's a great question I I'm not taking myself as serious that's for sure I you know I just I I thought when I stepped away I realized I that no one cares as much as you do, but people don't really care as much as you think they do, right? There's some fan bases that do.

So I'm not gonna take myself as serious.

I'm gonna be much more relaxed.

I'm gonna put it all in God's hands.

And I'm enjoying it.

I'm enjoying it a heck of a lot more than I did.

But also, why Kansas City? Why was that the program that took you out of retirement and made you decide, I want to do this?

But how much has five years away, I'm sure you've been asked this, changed your perspective on how you're going to approach coaching, how you're going to do it this time?

Yeah, that's a great question.

I'm not taking myself as serious, that's for sure.

I just, I thought, when I stepped away, I realized, That no one cares as much as you do, but people don't really care as much as you think they do, right? There's some fan bases that do.

So I'm not gonna take myself as serious.

I'm gonna be much more relaxed.

I'm gonna put it all in God's hands.

But also, why Kansas City? Why was that the program that took you out of retirement and made you decide, I want to do this?

Talk first about returning to coaching and coming to Kansas City, an opportunity to improve the program and certainly have a lot of fun doing it.

Yeah, it's funny.

I never saw myself getting back into it.

If you ask Bill Self, I told him multiple times I was done.

My wife and I met at the University of Kansas, and we had talked about moving back to the Midwest, either Kansas City or Wichita, and then UMKC called.

When they called, it wasn't a very good job, but as I negotiated over the next two weeks, we made it a better job.

I wasn't going to take over the 358th best program in the country.

But the Roos, I know you're excited about the prospects of this season.

How did we get Turgeon? How did they get Turgeon? And so

how did we get Turgeon? Yeah, it's funny.

I was done.

I was really happy.

Um, I was retired for almost five years, um, out of coaching for four and a half years.

Um, I love my wife.

She loves me, but I stay busy.

What are you going to put out there on the floor for them?

Was it – Was the situation tougher than you anticipated? And how much have you been able to close the gap to get this program where it needs to be to challenge for a conference title and ultimately do what needs to be done to get to the next level? Yeah.

No, everything's better than I anticipated.

The campus, the community on campus, the people have been great, the city.

people around the program, people wanting to help.

I just can't lose that momentum.

We got, we got to keep it going.

So everything's been great.

There's a few players that I know better

What would you have been saying during that, you know, that lead getting blown?

Well, the Larry Brown in me would have been like, Hey guys, We're not trying to make this close.

We've got to keep playing.

They started walking it up and doing things and got a little cautious.

There's a point where you've got to be cautious.

You're up 12 with two to go, but you're always trying to win.

You're up 10, you're trying to win by 16.

Did you ever think you'd be uttering the phrases, to afford a team, I had to go younger? I mean, my God, where it's changed,

What would you have been saying during that, you know, that lead getting blown?

Well, the Larry Brown in me would have been like, Hey guys, We're not trying to make this close.

We've got to keep playing.

They started walking it up and doing things and got a little cautious.

There's a point where you've got to be cautious.

You're up 12 with two to go, but you're always trying to win.

You're up 10, you're trying to win by 16.

Did you ever think you'd be uttering the phrases, to afford a team, I had to go younger? I mean, my God, where it's changed, right?

What would you have been saying during that, you know, that lead getting blown?

Well, the Larry Brown in me would have been like, Hey guys, We're not trying to make this close.

We've got to keep playing.

They started walking it up and doing things and got a little cautious.

There's a point where you've got to be cautious.

You're up 12 with two to go, but you're always trying to win.

You're up 10, you're trying to win by 16.

Did you ever think you'd be uttering the phrases, to afford a team, I had to go younger? I mean, my God, where it's changed, right? Yeah,