Nebraska Reaches Out to Tyronn Lue, Vince Ferragamo

Randy York’s N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

Nebraska Athletics builds relationships with shared values, mutual respect, great expectations and personal outreach, and last weekend exemplifies the power of that fundamentally sound approach.

Last Friday, Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst, NU Executive Associate A.D. Marc Boehm and Husker Men’s Basketball Coach Tim Miles flew to Los Angeles to attend the 16th Annual Harold and Carole Pump Foundation cancer fundraiser, which Miles calls the who’s who event for NFL and NBA stars.

“It was a great privilege and honor to spend time with Tyronn (Lue) and Vince (Ferragamo) in Los Angeles this past Friday,” Eichorst said. “They are wonderful people and ambassadors for the University of Nebraska.  We are very proud of their accomplishments and friendship.”

Boehm said the trip to LA was planned for months. “It was a golden opportunity to spend meaningful time with two legendary athletes who we welcome back to Lincoln as true ambassadors for two primary programs,” Boehm said.

“It was a great event,” Miles said. “Having dinner with Shawn, Marc and Tyronn was really a fun night. We got to spend a few hours with each other and talk about Cleveland Cavaliers’ basketball and Husker basketball and anything else that was on our minds. It was really fun.”

The Nebraska contingent included Lue, UCLA Basketball Coach Steve Alford and his father, plus Dennis Haskins, who played Richard Belding in Saved by the Bell, a popular TV show.

Tim Miles: Tyronn Lue a Genuine Person and Very Deserving of His Contract

“Tyronn is such a genuine person,” Miles said. “He meets and greets everybody the same. He took dozens of pictures. I asked Tyronn what kind of transition it was going from a player to an NBA Championship coach, and he said ‘Coach, this is unreal.’ It’s good for him, and he’s very deserving of the new contract he has.”

Ferragamo and his wife “are excited to come back to Lincoln at some point and see what’s going on at the University of Nebraska,” Eichorst said. “We look forward to throwing out the red carpet.”

Lue “likes our basketball program and wants to help it grow, develop and be a contender on a regular basis,” Miles said. “Here’s a guy who’s a three-time NBA champion as a player and a coach. He coaches Lebron James, and if you were just standing next to him in a conversation, you’d think he’s a young guy who’s very down to earth and really enjoyable to be around. There’s no pretense that goes with him.”

With Tyronn, “what you see is what you get,” Miles said. “He’s such a genuine person, and I’m so happy for him. That was an unbelievable NBA Championship Finals. He was the first coach ever to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win an NBA Final. It was just amazing. He’s got a lot of Husker heart in there, and it beats like crazy.”

According to Miles, Lue pays close attention to Nebraska’s program. “A couple years ago, when Terran Petteway was struggling and Tyronn was still an NBA assistant at Cleveland, he contacted me and wondered if he could get Terran’s number, so he could reach out to help him," Miles said. "He’s so encouraging. That’s just the type of guy Tyronn is.”

Ferragamo: Foundation Attracts a Cavalcade of Stars Who Played in the NBA

Last Friday’s fundraiser included football’s Troy Aikman and basketball’s Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Penny Hardaway and Jamaal Wilkes. “It was just one great player after another,” Miles said. “It was amazing stuff.”

The Pump Foundation “is really into basketball,” pointed out Ferragamo, an All-American at Nebraska before going on to quarterback the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl.

“I enjoyed being with Shawn. He’s a great guy,” Ferragamo said. “We had a lot of fun. Nebraska people are so down to the earth, and we enjoy seeing and talking to each other. Tyronn is such a great guy. He looks so young and is so personable. I’m sure he’s a great guy to play for.”

Ferragamo is convinced that Lue understands what he’s known for decades. “Wherever you go in sports, even if you travel everywhere, you run into great Nebraska people,” Ferragamo said. “Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne set the stage for that heritage and that tradition, and it’s always fun to be around people who love Nebraska.”

Husker fans are so enthusiastic about the game, “they still follow guys from years ago,” Ferragamo said. “They keep track of people. You can see how Southern California relates to Nebraska’s tradition just by the way they’re recruiting. They have Mike Riley as the head coach now. I think he understands the importance of the running game, and he recruits players who really know how to throw and catch the football.”

Ferragamo Does TV/Radio Shows for the Rams, Eager to Return to Lincoln

“I really enjoyed meeting Shawn, Marc and Tim,” Ferragamo said. “We had a great time at a very nice event. My wife Jodi is from Omaha. She represents Nebraska very well. We’ve been married for 37 years.”

Ferragamo still owns a real estate company. He also dabbles in his own wine business, growing his own grapes. “It’s a hobby. We only make 100 cases a year here in Orange County,” he said.

For several years, Ferragamo (above) was a television analyst for top high school football games in Southern California. His commentary earned him the privilege of weekday reporting on the Rams via the local Fox television station. He also does Rams’ pregame and postgame analysis on a local radio station.

“I’m hoping I can get away on a Saturday and head back to Lincoln,” Ferragamo said. “It has to be a quick trip because I’m working on the air on Fridays and Sundays.”

Ferragamo said Riley “knows his stuff. Oregon State was one of the worst teams in college football, but when he got there, his teams could compete with anybody,” Ferragamo pointed out. “He’s a good guy and a good coach. I sure hope this is a good year for him and the team.”

Send a comment to ryork@huskers.com (Please include city, state)

Follow Randy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RandyYorkNsider

N-Sider Archives

Voices from Husker Nation

Great article about Nebraska reaching out to Tyronn Lue and Vince Ferragamo. Enjoyed the comment Ferragamo made about Osborne and Devaney setting a standard and seeing and meeting people from Nebraska. I agree – they are everywhere. I see Nebraska fans here in Pennsylvania all the time. The comment Vince made is so true. Steve Muntz, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.