The Great Sports Parent- Ernie Maul

In September of 2003, I accepted the head men’s basketball coaching position at Black Hawk Community College in Moline, Illinois.  The program was a complete rebuild and had suffered a 5-55 record the two previous years before I accepted the job.  During my interview, I communicated to the committee that I would recruit locally first and then move outward across the nation.  This recruitment led me this story about a best parent of a student-athlete I ever had the opportunity to coach.

That summer while recruiting in Indianapolis, Indiana I went to a local elementary school to watch an AAU team practice.  I evaluated a young man who didn’t play high school basketball as a junior or senior due to transfer rules and illness.  His name was E.J. Maul.  His father, Ernie Maul contacted me about his son so I decided to check him out. E.J. was skilled, but small and weak physically.  He needed a redshirt year under his belt to gain weight, strength, and more game composure since he hadn’t played in a game in two seasons.

After evaluating E.J. and speaking with Ernie, I offered the young man a spot in our program as a redshirt.  Ernie played college basketball himself so he knew how tough the transition would be for E.J. He liked the idea of redshirting.  E.J. visited, accepted the offer and then the real story begins.

Shortly after official practices began, E.J. and another teammate from Indianapolis failed to show up for practice on a Friday afternoon.  After practice I called both to see where they were…no answer.  Then I called each parent to let them know that their sons were not at practice and if they could reach them.  I was hoping nothing bad had happened to them and they were safe.

Both sets of parents told me that their sons were enroute to Indianapolis, and that I had given them permission to miss practice.  Their kids had lied to them.  So I just told them the real truth. My other player’s parents made excuses for their son, but not Ernie Maul.

Indianapolis is about a five-hour drive from Moline, Illinois.  When E.J. showed up at his father’s door about 6:00pm, Ernie met his son at the door.  He didn’t allow him in the home and told his son to get in his car with his belongings.  As usual, E.J. did what his father told him to do.  Without saying one word to his son, Ernie drove E.J. to the Greyhound bus station in Indianapolis.  He then told him to unload his belongings, and bought him a one-way bus ticket back to Moline, Illinois.  Ernie watched E.J. get on the bus, called me and asked me to pick his son up at the bus station at 3:00am.  I did.

When E.J. stepped off the bus he didn’t know I was going to be there.  I was the guy he least wanted to see in the world, but there I was waiting for him.  You can imagine the shock on his face.   Starting the next week E.J. and I met on the track at 6:00am every day, and I ran him to his limit for about an hour.  On the fifth day, a Friday, we met at the track and drove to the Denny’s in town.

I told him he could begin stretching out, and that I was going to go inside and eat, and if I beat him back to campus (which was about five miles away), I’d kick him off the team.  He knew this was an impossible task.  He began stretching out anyway.  I waited a few minutes, allowing him to stretch and then I told him to come in with me so we can eat.  A great smile came over him and our relationship changed forever.  I appreciated that he didn’t argue or give an eye roll.  This built trust with me, and I knew that he would do anything for me now.

Almost immediately, our relationship changed for the better for everyone involved.  During E.J.’s redshirt season he gained 30 pounds of muscle, was the first player at practice, the last to leave, hosted nearly every recruit, and treated every practice as if it was a game.

He earned a scholarship for the next two years of his education.  Over those two seasons he led the Arrowhead Conference in scoring and was All-Conference First Team selection twice.  He led us to the NJCAA National Tournament in 2005 and to the Best Record in School History in 2006.

After graduating from Black Hawk, E.J. accepted a full-ride basketball scholarship to Florida A & M University for the remaining two years of his eligibility.  In 2007, he was FAMU’s starting point guard and led the Rattlers to a MEAC Conference tournament championship and and an NCAA Tournament bid.  I had the pleasure of sitting right next to Ernie to watch E.J. live his dream of playing on the biggest stage in college basketball. Since that time E.J. has graduated from FAMU with a degree in economics and started his own company in Indianapolis.  He’s getting married this December, and I will be there too.

E.J. Maul

This sent E.J. down a path that none of us could have imagined.  The path that leads to embracing personal responsibility, the path that leads to toughness, the path that leads to growth.   THE PATH THAT LEADS TO SUCCESS.  

This is why Ernie Maul of Indianapolis, Indiana is the best parent of a student-athlete I have ever known.  He had the courage to let go.  He made E.J. face his own mistake and accept personal responsibility for his actions.  He trusted me when he placed his son in my care, and we were able to reach our potential.  There is nothing I wouldn’t do for Ernie or E.J. Maul.

Ernie Maul, I salute you. You truly are one of the greats.

Ernie Maul