Faith and basketball may be an odd combination to some, but it's not to Ed Schilling.
Schilling, an assistant coach for the University of Memphis men's basketball team, announced last week he was leaving the team in pursuit of a higher calling.
A native of Indiana, he is returning home to pioneer Champions Training Academies, an effort to combine ministry and basketball.
"We're starting from scratch," Schilling said. "I'm the owner, the director, the whole deal."
Through CTA, Schilling hopes to pass on his knowledge of basketball to young athletes while also incorporating his faith.
"We want to make a difference in teaching fundamentals to the young talent," he said.
Schilling said he believes athletes were more fundamentally sound entering college 10 to 15 years ago than they are today.
Schilling will begin his mission on May 2 and will be working with the likes of David Logan and Romain Sato.
Logan, a senior guard for the University of Indianapolis, was recently selected as the 2005 Division II Bulletin Player of the Year. Sato, a guard out of Xavier University (Ohio), was selected no. 52 in the 2004 draft by the San Antonio Spurs.
Schilling is excited about the chance to help further develop the skills of players like Logan and Sato at his academies.
But how will he implement his faith with his basketball lessons? It starts with the trust between teacher and student.
"(When athletes) see that you don't have an agenda," Schilling said. "Then they know you're just trying to make them better. There is a natural trust that begins to build in the relationship. They get interested in what makes you tick."
Once a solid foundation of trust is built, Schilling said he weaves faith and devotion to God in with basketball.
Waki Williams, a junior forward at the U of M, benefited firsthand from this combination.
"He taught us that if you believe in something," Williams said. 'Everything will work out through the power of prayer."
Schilling regularly held a chapel service before games, but he didn't force the service on any of the players.
"It's not something he wears on his sleeve," said Tony Barbee, an assistant coach.
Schilling strongly believes in the combination of ministry and basketball and believes it is something that he was meant to do.
"I felt that the Lord wanted me to do this," Schilling said. "I've been coaching since I was 22. This is how the Lord wants me to use the talent he's given me."
Although he is looking forward to the opening of the new academies, he leaves Memphis with a heavy heart.
"I'm grateful to the University and city for how great they've been to me and my family," Schilling said.
The University is grateful to him as well.
"We'll be losing a great basketball person, but more importantly we'll be losing a close friend," Barbee said. "He's a genuine person. When he says something he means it."
As for the team he'll be leaving behind, Schilling said the Tigers would be just fine.
"I think the sky is the limit for them," he said. "...(But,) no matter how much talent you have, you have to keep that edge by staying dedicated. The kids all know this now."
Schilling will also leave behind a close friend in head coach John Calipari. Schilling and Calipari have coached together at the University of Massachusetts, the New Jersey Nets and The U of M.
"If he's with you, he's on your side through the good and the bad," Schilling said. "He'll be there for me whether it's basketball deals or contracts. Just to have a resource like him is great."
While Calipari will miss his long time assistant, he understands why Schilling is leaving.
"This is an incredible opportunity for Ed," Calipari said in a statement released last week. "Ed is passionate about his faith and the game of basketball, and this will allow him to combine both of those desires."
