(NBC 26) — Back in late January, Freddie Owens was named the interim head coach of the UW-Green Bay Phoenix men’s basketball team after Will Ryan was let go.
After the season, the University hired Sunny Wicks as their new head coach along with a new staff.
Now, the former Badgers player is embarking on a new exciting journey that’s still in the Fox Valley area.
“Getting out of college coaching after 17 years and being able to give back to the community that my family and I are embedded in is important to me,” said Owens.
Owens may have exited the college ranks, but he’s still coaching.
“Seeing kids have the sort of brightness in their eyes and have those goals of playing at the next level, for me that’s exciting and refreshing,” he said.
He is now a part of the Wisconsin Blaze basketball training staff. An Appleton-based non-profit AAU club focused on positive competitive experiences and player development.
“To be able to reach back and teach kids who are a little bit younger who are trying to prepare and have those goals and aspirations of playing at the college level, I couldn’t be more excited to help them in their journey,” he said.
It wasn’t easy for Owens to depart coaching at the college level after nearly two decades. He’s spent time in places like Madison and even out to Missoula, Montana and a few others – but now he gets to spend more time with his wife Carmen and son Quentin. He gets the best of both worlds.
“Whenever I sort of get that competitive edge, I get to work out with kids in the community and help them be the best versions of themselves,” he said. “And then be home at a decent time to have dinner with my family and take walks with my wife and son.”
He’ll be working with kids from 3rd grade all the way to the college level.
“It’s definitely a big contrast between the age groups and what I’ll be teaching, that’s what I’m excited about,” Owens said. “It’s going to be something new and it’s going to be something fresh and take the experiences which I’ve learned over the years and being able to give back and applying the information to them and help them in their journey.”
The new member of Blaze brings a vast array of coaching knowledge, he’s worked with and been coached by some of the best in the nation.
“Dick Bennett, Tony Bennet, Bo Ryan (and) guys that I’ve coached under coming up through the ranks, Greg McDermott, Craig Robinson, Wayne Tinkle, I’ve just been really fortunate along the way to have some really good mentors and guys that I’ve worked for who I’ve learned a lot from,” said Owens
All Owens wants to do is make sure the kids have fun while becoming the best versions of themselves on and off the court.
“Seeing guys who I coached ten years ago, now they’re in their early 30s they have a family, they’re playing professionally or off in corporate America working, they’re reaching and back and saying how important their time playing for me and developing under me was and how much they learned and how much they’re applying those skills that they’ve learned on the court to their life now, now that they’re in their early 30s. That’s important and that’s what it’s about,” Owens said.
Owens said it’s unfortunate the way things turned out at UW-GB over the last few years, but at the end of the day, it’s all about giving back and helping players grow.
