Originally published
Dec. 2, 2012
Rick Majerus, the most successful basketball coach in the history of the U, died Saturday in Los Angeles at the age of 64. His longtime girlfriend, Angie Kvidera, confirmed his death with USA Today. Majerus battled the heart problems that took his life for more than 20 years.
Hired in April 1989 by Utah athletic director Chris Hill, Majerus guided the Runnin’ Utes to national prominence throughout 15 years. They won or tied 10 conference championships and made it to the NCAA Tournament 10 times. Utah reached the 1998 NCAA title game where it fell just short of the title against Kentucky. Majerus won 323 games at the U and 517 total in his coaching career, which included stops at Marquette, Ball State and most recently Saint Louis University after his time at Utah ended in 2004.
“He’s the most influential guy in my basketball career,” said Hanno Möttölä, a starting forward on the 1998 team, via Skype from Finland. “He taught me how to work and how a team works.”
The 1998 team embodies much of what made Majerus such a successful coach. Having seen the graduation of star Keith Van Horn the year before, Michael Doleac and Andre Miller led the Utes on the court — two players who hadn’t received a lot of national attention. But thanks to Majerus’ passion for the game, patience in teaching and attention to detail and teamwork, Utah went to the Final Four.
“No one really gave us a chance to do anything, and he took a team of role players and made it work and had a huge amount of success with just coaching the way he did every day,” said Nate Althoff, who was a freshman on that team. “He was very intense. He was very driven to make us better. He got the most out of [role players] like Drew Hansen and Alex Jensen, and that’s why we won. Just the way he pushed us — he just made it work.”
Möttölä remembered a loss at the Huntsman Center during his freshman year to Tim Duncan’s Wake Forest squad. The Utes spent eight hours on the practice court and in the film room the next day. Utah didn’t lose at home the remainder of Möttölä’s collegiate career. Möttölä has since played in the NBA, and at a high level in Europe, but said Majerus is the best coach he’s had in terms of teaching teamwork.
As successful as Majerus was as a coach, he could certainly be controversial. He became known as much for his occasionally poor treatment of players as he did for winning. Althoff was the recipient of one of Majerus’ public outbursts, but said he knows Majerus always had the best interests of his players at heart.
“For all the bad stuff he said, I hold no hard feelings,” Althoff said. “I respect him almost as much as my own dad. He was a hard guy to play for, but I learned a lot, and I’m thankful for the time I had with him … He did the things he did to try and get the best out of me just because he saw potential.”
Möttölä certainly felt the sentiment of gratitude for the chance to play under Majerus.
“I’m just one of the few lucky ones that was able to play for him,” Möttölä said.
As harsh as Majerus could be, he also became known for how much he cared about his players. Althoff remembered being a confused freshman in a new environment when he came to Utah from Minnesota, but he said he matured greatly as a person thanks to Majerus’ guidance.
“Through him I was able to learn not only about basketball but life in general, just dealing with different issues,” Althoff said. “He was always there … He always pushed us to work hard at whatever we did … He was always, ‘Do your best or it’s not worth doing.’ I learned a lot from him just about my work ethic in general … He was always very, very hard on us in practice, but he always really genuinely cared about us off the court.”
That is the way Hill remembered Majerus.
“Rick left a lasting legacy at the University of Utah, not only for his incredible success and the national prominence he brought to our basketball program, but also for the tremendous impact he made on the young men who were fortunate enough to play on his teams,” Hill said in a statement. “His standard of excellence extended beyond the basketball court and into the academic and personal success of his players. He will be deeply missed, and we grieve for his family and all of his friends.”
Through the many layers that made up Majerus the person, Möttölä said he will remember the man from Sheboygan, Wis., in one way.
“I think he should, and he will be, remembered as simply one of the greatest teachers of the game,” Möttölä said.