ESPN’s Buster Olney Chronicles Life of Winningest Coach in College Basketball History

As an ESPN Sportscaster, which has included covering the Yankees, Buster Olney has certainly seen his share of moments, but fans would be surprised by what he considers the most exciting venue he ever covered. Logged early in his career, it led him to his latest book and had him at Border's Wednesday night to discuss How Lucky You Can Be: The Story of Coach Don Meyer.

Meyer, who most recently coached Northern State University, had a long career at multiple schools, notably with Lipscomb University.

"The games were like wars," he said of the rivalry between Lipscomb and Belmont University, both members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). It was called the "Battle of the Boulevard" rivalry. As they both achieved powerhouse status in the NAIA, even more dimension was added to the drama, from Olney's perspective, because of the quality of the kids and the programs that developed them.

Olyney said there was just an air of integrity surrounding a bunch of good kids and schools that didn't put themselves ahead of their students. For instance, from Meyer's side, only one of his students failed to graduate in a 38 year career. 

Otherwise, the rivalry really serves as the backdrop to this story and it's the near catastrophic car accident suffered by Meyer in 2008 that precipitated the book.

"He fell asleep at the wheel and hit a semi head on," Olney said.

Meyer's ribs were broken, his diaphragm was torn off and his left leg was so badly mangled that it was eventually amputated below the knee. After being airlifted to a second hospital, the uncertainty of his immediate survival was not the only problem. He had malignancies throughout the liver, said Olney.

Nonetheless, after two months in the hospital and given two years to live, it seemed he hadn't lost a step. From his wheelchair, Meyer was back at practice, and once again realizing how lucky a person can be when working with young people.

Meyer would go on to break the record for most wins in college basketball history but only coached for a single season after the accident. "He felt he couldn't demonstrate the game to his players from a wheelchair," said Olney.

Meyer continues to talk basketball four or five times to groups, clinics and coaches but not everything has remained the same. Over the years his demanding coaching schedule had essentially put he and his family on parallel courses, according to Olney

So while his first conscious communication was about coaching again, it was the messages coming soon after that his family rejoiced in. He was telling his kids how proud he was of them and that he loved his wife, Olney said. His children were also upfront about the struggles they went through to get his attention.

In response, upon reading book, he told his biographer, "Well, it's an honest book," Olney recalled about the conversation. It was not a rebuke, and Meyer was resigned to taking the lumps that were due him.

In the end, the accident created a collision that Meyer is now grateful for, according to Olney. It brought him and his family together in a way it had never been before, he concluded.

For a 2008 ESPN story that Olney wrote about Meyer's return to coaching, click here.