Coach Keith Guy (B'98) has taken the Muskegon Heights Tigers men's basketball team to the state finals, compiling a two-season record of 51-4. As he walks down the high school's hallway between classes, Guy points to one student after another, asking them if they've turned in their ACT scores making it sound more like a command than a question. In addition to being a varsity coach and school counselor, he's also on the Muskegon Heights City Council. Guy talks to C&G about coaching, playing the game, mentoring and giving back to the community.
Crimson & Gold:
What year did you graduate from Ferris?
Keith Guy: I graduated in '98, in Business
Education with a minor in Phys. Ed. and coaching. I've done all my
coursework for a master's in counseling. I'm just finishing up my
thesis.
C&G: How long have you been coaching at
Muskegon Heights?
KG: As head coach, I'm in my third year.
I was the assistant coach for two years before that. My coaching background
actually got started at Ferris. I was a graduate assistant in 1998.
After that, I went to West Michigan Christian and coached freshmen
for a while, then went to Muskegon Community College and was an assistant
coach. Then I came here.
C&G: You've been pretty successful.
KG: We're 51-4 over the last two years going
in to the current season. We had the opportunity to play our regionals
at Ferris in 2003 and '04 and won both times. The first year here
we went to the state semi-finals. Last year we went to the state finals
and finished state runner-up. It's a hard act to follow; the only
thing we have left to do is win the whole thing. That's our goal this
year.
C&G: How do you like your chances this year?
KG: We have quite a few good players coming
back. Before the season even started, we had five guys who had been
offered full-ride scholarships to either NCAA Division I or Division
II schools.
C&G: What are your strengths?
KG: We play up-tempo, full-court, man-to-man,
in-your-face, guard-you-the-whole-game. It's pretty fun to watch.
Last year it was essentially a guard-oriented team. I think this year
we'll be more an inside team with some dominating guards on the outside.
C&G: What are the kinds of things you like
to stress as a coach?
KG: The first thing I stress is academics.
As a coach, I've never had a kid become ineligible. Before we take
the floor, we do a mandatory study table an hour a day. Every senior
who played for us has had the opportunity to play at a college, whether
that's junior college, or Division I, II or III. We try to get to
the next level. The next thing we stress is family and togetherness.
We just try to teach young guys how to become productive men. We want
them to go to college or be successful in whatever they do. It's not
just about basketball. This is just a tool we can use so the players
can see other parts of life.
C&G: You've been successful while stressing
these other aspects.
KG: I've had some good guys, and the parents
really support me around here as well, which makes my job a lot easier.
C&G: What's the toughest thing about coaching?
KG: In Michigan high school basketball you
can only keep 15 players. Sometimes we get 30 guys who come out for
the team. Cutting some of the kids is the hardest part of the job.
The second thing that's hard is coaching kids for a couple of years,
and then it comes time for them to graduate. You're just getting used
to these kids when it's time for them to move on. Another thing is
the expectation around here. No one puts more pressure on the program
than I do, but the outside pressure is that people expect you to win
every year.
C&G: You're also a counselor at Muskegon
Heights. What are some of those challenges?
KG: One thing I like about the job is there's
something new every day. Today I might be working on scheduling. Tomorrow
I might be working on ACT preparation. The next day I might work on
individual counseling. We deal with a lot of less-fortunate kids who
have different problems than other students. We work on scholarships,
taking kids back and forth for college visits, getting kids ready
for the next level. We make sure the transcripts are right and send
them off to college, set up colleges to come here and visit with us,
organize MEAP tests. You name it, we do it.
C&G: In addition to all that, you're on
the Muskegon Heights City Council.
KG: I'm in my second full term. The term
is four years, but I was appointed for the first year or so after
a member resigned. The council sought me out, asked me to apply and
chose me to fill the seat. After that I ran and was elected. I was
25 years old when I first got the seat.
C&G: You're a busy guy. What motivates you to take on
that additional responsibility?
KG: I always wanted to give back to the
city of Muskegon Heights. Growing up I knew that. I just didn't know
that it would be in politics. When they approached me, I thought,
"What better way to do that than being on the city council?" I love
people; I love my community. If I'm going to live here, I might as
well have a say in trying to better the place where I live. I grew
up here and graduated from here. It's like a dream come true for me.
C&G: How did you happen to go to Ferris?
KG: I played basketball in Muskegon, then
went to Muskegon Community College where I played for two years, then
got recruited to play at Ferris. I loved it there. And to be honest,
since I've been coaching, Ferris has taken more players from our program
than any other college. We have a lot of players now at Ferris, and
players who will be going to Ferris. It's been great. I go up there
and take kids not just basketball players to Big Rapids just to
see the campus, which has changed a lot. It's evident that enrollment
is rising every year. We always try to participate in the team camps
over the summer. Bill Sall, the basketball coach, was assistant coach
when I was there. It gives Ferris and Big Rapids a little more exposure,
because teams want to play us right now since we've been to the finals.
C&G: What do you remember most about your
time at Ferris?
KG: The campus is very student-friendly
from the instructors to the students to everybody you encounter.
The basketball experience had a family atmosphere. I keep in contact
with a lot of the players and Coach Sall. I remember we were trying
to make the playoffs. We had to win six straight games and also needed
someone else to lose. We won the six straight games and thought we
were going to be in the playoffs. Grand Valley was ranked number one
at the time. All they had to do was win one game out of two for us
to make it, and they lost both. But that was a great run. The other
thing was walking across the stage to get my degree. It didn't take
me long after graduation to get my first job at MCC as an admissions
officer. I had that job within two weeks of graduation, which says
a lot about the reputation of Ferris.
C&G: Is there anything else you'd like to
say to your fellow alumni or to students thinking about coming to
Ferris?
KG: I loved the whole Ferris experience.
I tell people about it all the time. In addition to the athletes from
Muskegon Heights that have already gone to Ferris, we're probably
going to have a couple more this next year. Ferris has been good to
us, and we're trying to take care of Ferris.M
