Welcome Coach Z

FINALLY....the loooong awaited announcement came this week. The Minnesota Lynx announced their new coaching staff at a press conference Wednesday at 11am at Target Center.

This has been an announcement fans have been eager to hear since the resignation of Susie McConnell-Serio in July. It's been an announcement staff has been anxious for, as with it comes a lot of fan feedback...both good and bad, and we really just wanted to get it over with and begin looking to the 2007 season through fresh eyes.

I didn't know much about Don Zierden when our staff was formally told of his hiring on Tuesday morning. I knew the basics: he was born and raised in Minnesota, coached alongside Flip Saunders with the Timberwolves for five years before moving onto the Detroit Pistons with Flip for about a season. I had heard that he's a "great basketball mind," and "an amazing teacher of the game, which is just what this young team needs."

I had begun to buy into the sales pitch I was receivig about Coach Z, and the rehiring of CJ and bold move of bringing women's basketball legend, Teresa Edwards in were huge selling points of course. The coolest part of this very long, exhilarating, and tiring week was the way that God revealed Himself amidst the chaos.

Tuesday morning, our business staff came together with our operations staff so we could formally meet our new coaches before the media craze began. Coach Z gave our staff a very warm greeting, telling us that he, personally, is there for each of us...and whatever he can do as the head coach to make our jobs easier, he will gladly do. Following the breakfast meeting, Z said it is important to him to get to know each one of us better, and asked us each to spend some 1-1 time with him in his office.

What impressed me most about my meeting with Z, was that he didn't once ask me my title or what my job responsibilities were until the last 5 minutes of our time together. He began by asking me about myself...my hometown, my interests, my family. As I started to answer his questions I noticed a daily devotional sitting on the empty desk in front of him. Immediately I thought, "how awesome! this guy has just flown in...he gets thrown in this office with barren walls and hollow desk drawers...and brings 2 things in with him, a pen and paper to jot down notes on who I am, and his devotional. Very cool."

As I began to talk to Z, I expressed how Blessed I feel to be doing what I'm doing both professionally and personally...I mentioned that some of my future aspirations include finding a way to combine my passion for basketball with my love for Christ. As soon as those words rolled off my tongue, Z began to reveal how important God is in his life and to his family. With grattitude to the Lord he expressed his thanks in meeting another Christian in our office so quickly. His words were honest, kind, and Spirit-lead.

I was and am overjoyed. To listen to our new leader sit at the press conference yesterday and praise God first in his list of thank you's was awesome. To hear him sit in a meeting full of org VPs and Managers and ask them to pray for our team's direction, players and organization was admirable. I feel very Blessed to be a part of a team that's being lead by a man of God...who's being lead by the Holy Spirit.

This week has just been another example of God's continual presence in every situation. I'm so thankful for Coach Z, most of all I'm thankful for God's constant reminders of His awesome power in our lives.

Go Lynx!!!!