Feature: Community Mentor Program Connects Fort Wayne Leaders With Student-Athletes
By: Tom Davis
Over the past 13 years, the Purdue Fort Wayne men’s basketball program has had 23 former players sign professional contracts following their days as a Mastodon. However, every single one of them will have to, at some point, embark on a professional career that doesn’t involve navigating a ball screen properly.
With that in mind, 10th-year Purdue Fort Wayne coach Jon Coffman created a Community Mentor program for his student-athletes several years ago to help ease their transition from the basketball court into the workforce.
It is also the biggest positive of the new transformational rules of college athletics per Coach Coffman. “Three years ago, one of our players couldn’t go to breakfast, lunch or even grab a coffee with a season ticket holder to discuss their life goals after basketball due to the NCAA rules,” said Coach Coffman. “There was a separation between fans and student-athletes. Now, I’ve jumped at the opportunity with the new rules to connect our players with our fanbase and city to help them network to get the second job and skip a step—the job receiving the coffee in the meeting vs. serving the coffee to the meeting. This is what college is about and one of our program’s biggest assets—our community and their network.”
“It is an incredible program,” Dupont Hospital Chief Executive Officer Mark Dooley said.
Dooley is one of several mentors in the northeast Indiana region who have spent time with the Purdue Fort Wayne players in a myriad of settings to enhance their opportunities for later in life.
“The overriding goals are two-fold,” Dooley continued. “One is to connect a player with a community business leader. We get an idea from the player what career path they would like to go on. The second goal is to make the guys, who are mostly from out of town, more comfortable in Fort Wayne.”
That last statement is interesting because while the Mastodon student-athletes are increasing their comfort level in a new home, Coffman has emphasized the importance of getting “comfortable being uncomfortable,” according to former Mastodon player, and Fort Wayne attorney, Pat Murphy, who also serves in the mentoring program.
“If you talk with Coach Coffman for more than five minutes,” Murphy said, “you’ll know that he is very invested in these players, and not just basketball-wise, but gets them out in the community doing different things.”
Such as learning etiquette skills in various settings.
The Mastodon players hone their skills on the golf course, they learn to fish, and they even learn the nuances of ballroom dancing. If that doesn’t capture the extreme degree of being “comfortable being uncomfortable,” then it is unclear what you’re looking for.
“I’ve sat with players during an etiquette lesson on how to eat dinner properly,” Murphy said.
That would fall under the expertise of Professional Courtesy founder and owner, Karen Hickman.
“I am an etiquette and protocol consultant,” Hickman explained. “I have taught (the players) business etiquette, dining etiquette, and networking skills for the team members.”
Hickman works all over the country, with people of all ages in the corporate and educational worlds, and for the Mastodon players, she instructs them on how to traverse a business dining environment, as well as how to communicate respectfully in situations such as job interviews, business luncheons, and more.
“(Coach Coffman) believes that what I teach are essential life skills,” Hickman explained. “He said that these guys can’t bounce a ball for the rest of their lives, and they do need these skills.”
The Mastodon program sends its alumni, mostly overseas, to play professionally. As well, the Purdue Fort Wayne program has ventured to Italy, Spain, and Portugal for off-season competitions coupled with their study abroad program. Hickman’s lessons also have included “international etiquette,” which can vary from country to country.
“I do a briefing for them on those cultures,” Hickman explained, “and the do’s and don’ts (within those cultures).”
While Hickman helps the young men hone their skills in closing a sale or landing a job, other community mentors such as Murphy, Dooley, and others, help forge the necessary relationships that they’ll need.
“I’ll get an idea from the player,” Dooley said, “or maybe work with a player to think of (career) ideas. I’ll take them to breakfast or lunch or I’ll introduce them to other community leaders to help them down that path.”
Murphy, who has made Fort Wayne his lifelong home, takes a 30,000-foot view of the mentoring.
“A lot of these players are from out of town,” Murphy explained. “If they come here and just play basketball, then they are just going to leave.
“If they come here, and they meet people in town, people who are stakeholders in the area, and can learn from them and connect with them, then there is a better chance that some of these guys will stick around. I think that is good, not only for the university but also for the community.”
A recent example of that is former player Ra Kpedi.
Kpedi, who was mentored by Fort Wayne businessman Anthony Juliano, finished his playing career last May after earning both an undergraduate degree in economics and finance, as well as his master’s in business administration.
He had spent his final year in Fort Wayne working with First Merchants Bank in Fort Wayne, under the guidance of community mentor, and ironically, former college basketball coach, Jamie Matthews, who is the Market President for First Merchants.
“Ra worked with a primary focus on our private wealth side of our bank,” Matthews explained.
That work associated Kpedi with “high net worth individuals,” according to Matthews, and gave him “a little bit of analytical” exposure, as well.
Matthews explained that Kpedi also worked in the “commercial side of our bank.”
The latter experience led to his current full-time position with Kittle Group in Fort Wayne.
“The number one thing about Ra,” Juliano explained of his perspective on Kpedi, “was just his commitment to bettering himself.”
Murphy said that not every mentorship will be as fruitful as Kpedi’s was, though they could be. However, what is most beneficial is the foundation for future success that is put down for the young man.
“They all want that (professional basketball) opportunity,” Murphy said, “and credit goes to Coach Coffman, who talks with them about taking advantage of this situation here.
“Playing at Purdue Fort Wayne, you are in a great, thriving community. This is the second-biggest city in Indiana. It is a booming (city) with all kinds of businesses and all kinds of people that want to help.”
And Coach Coffman sees the bigger picture of how to leverage their basketball experience to position themselves for life after basketball. “I spent two years working in finance in San Francisco prior to joining the coaching ranks 26 years ago,” said Coach Coffman. My co-workers were predominantly former student-athletes and you could tell that we were targeted for our experience in college sports. Our players’ experiences working within a team environment, balancing school and a full-time job of college basketball and overcoming adversity daily, make them ideal candidates to succeed professionally outside of athletics. And I’ve seen it realized over and over and over during my coaching career.”
Mastodon Men's Basketball Community Mentors
Chris Lambert (Christopher James Menswear Owner)
Pat Murphy (Lawyer, Barrett & McNagny)
James O’Connor (Lawyer, Barrett & McNagny)
Mike Sinish (3 Rivers Credit Union)
Anthony Juliano (Asher Agency)
Scott Beasley (Northern Gills Menswear/Northern Lakes Insurance, Owner)
Jamie Matthews (First Merchants Bank, Market President)
Mark Dooley (Dupont Hospital CEO)
Thad Tegtmeyer (Sweetwater Music)
Tyler Nix (Patriot Engineering, Business Development Manager)
Brad Noll (The Noll Team, Owner)
Jason Russell (OPS)
Mickey Cassidy (Game-One)
Amos Norman (YMCA)
Dan Lipp (Walker & Hughes Insurance)
Jeff Davis (Hallmark Mortgage)
