Customer Reviews

Birds, Dogs and Kangaroos: Life on the Back Roads of College Basketball

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I love this book for it is written from a coach's perspective and that perspective is from working at a lower NCAA Division 1 experience where these jobs are very difficult in terms of funding, getting recruits, and just the daily battle of surviving and keeping one's job in the midst of aspiring AD's that no zero about running athletic programs. Besides turning out a great book Coach Z is a fantastic motivational speaker and TV color analyst for ESPN to boot!

Who hasn't been called into the boss's office to hear the most-times devastating and often surprising news that the boss is about to become your ex-boss?

Rich Zvosec, now an ESPN commentator and motivational speaker, was shocked and devastated upon receiving exactly that news on the morning of his 46th birthday. Fired. No longer the head coach of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos -- one of the lesser-known Division I NCAA basketball programs. No longer mentor, disciplinarian and friend to an ever-rotating cast of characters arriving on campus each year at a particularly impressionable time of life.

UMKC's loss. Our gain. The compassionate portrait Zvosec paints of "life on the back roads of college basketball" is a story for the Everyman in all of us: Those cut from the junior varsity, those who don't get to kiss the girl, don't make it to the intersection before the light turns red.

For some, NCAA basketball is "One Shining Moment." This book puts a leash on that image and helps us remember that sport -- any sport -- unfettered by the need to be "worthy" of prime time TV, is sport in its truest form. An honorable occupation where kids makes mistakes, learn, and move on.

This book will make your Sweet 16 of favorites.

If you enjoy college basketball, you'll enjoy this book. Coach Zvosec shares the behind the scenes stories of players, administrators, etc. that don't end up on the nightly broadcasts. Truly a fun read.

This is a great book for all college basketball fans. In this book Coach Zvosec provides great insight to his thoughts, preparations, and challenges he encountered at the lower D1 level of college basketball. Coach Z is an entertaining story teller. Losing your court time because the intermural flag football game was rained out....what....is this D1???? Book is entertaining and informative. Highly recommend

I would reccomed this book to anyone to loves college basketball. Coach Z gives you the vire from the "other side of the tracks." The book is an easy read as Zvosec takes you inside the locker room of his journey. I loved this book becuase of the in-depth detail in which the story was told. Zvosec's path is much traveled thru college basketball & you will love to hear his story!

As a former D3 player and low D1 head coach, I strongly reccomend this accurate account of chasing every players and coaches dream of winning an NCAA Championship. Coach Z's 20+ year account of his journey to reach this dream will enlighten you, humor you and at times create a sense of anger while bringing you to the verge of tears. Rich gives specific insight into all the Highs and Lows that accompanied his rise up the D1 ladder, including winning games he wasn't suppose to win, watching his young warriors grow physically and emotionally under his careful eye, while in the end, having one single individual snatch the dream away from him during one short meeting. In his writing, Coach Z puts on display the true meaning of totally un-selfish dedication and committment to a profession he truly loved. Birds, Dogs and Kangaroos is a must read, well worth the price of admission.