In Gary I Trust

Gary. Strickland.

If you know, you know.

A legend. And, not only in his own mind.

Gary was enshrined in the legacy of Demon Deacon lore long before I arrived at Joel Coliseum. Gary. His dad. His sons. If any family is loved, admired and respected in the Wake Forest community, it’s the Strickland Tribe.

I had no idea who the man was. Is. Whatever.

The easiest and, most accurate, way I can describe the journey? Well, I genuinely had no idea of what was to come.

Gary was the official scorekeeper for Wake Forest Men’s Basketball.

Gary is an icon. He knows everybody. Coaches. Officials. Players. Fans. Sitting beside the man can be more-than-a-mildly-intimidating experience.

It was a textbook example of, “I didn’t know, what I didn’t know.”

I was the new public address announcer for the Demon Deacons and Gary was already the best scorekeeper in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He had been for a couple decades.

Sitting in side-by-side seats at the scorer’s table for 22 seasons changes things.

Gary and I don’t disagree about everything, but, it’s close. I can think of no topic we didn’t debate over the years. Nothing was off-limits.

Along the way, I learned enough to fill a library. Not just basketball, mind you. Although, Gary is gifted with an encyclopedic knowledge of hardwood policies and procedures. Whatever he knew, became my goal to remember.

Stories. Names. Places. Dates. Details. I’ve shared some – SOME – of our conversations. But, polite society is better off if 99% of what I heard between the whistles, stays in my noggin’.

I don’t think Gary had any desire to teach somebody how to announce a basketball game. So, he didn’t. That was my responsibility and I had to figure it out. It’s difficult to articulate the rewards of sitting beside one of the most-respected members of the ACC.

How to speak. What to say. When to listen. The importance of doing your job consistently and accurately.

I’ve said it before… if only people knew. Working with Gary Strickland was more valuable AND educational AND informational than a graduate-level degree in Business Administration AND Communication AND Organizational Leadership, rolled into one.

That’s probably not the way folks in HR nor recruiters nor hiring managers see it, but, it’s 100% accurate.

Sitting beside Gary is not for the weak-minded nor the faint-of-heart. Most people would not survive the moment. The man has something to say… about everything. Our conversations never-ever lagged.

We walked away from Wake Forest basketball, together. My journey concluded after 22 years. His path was significantly longer.

I don’t especially miss the games. I mean, it was great and I enjoyed the adventure. But, games are games. Players come and go. Trophies are won. Records are broken. It happens.

The people. The stories. The moments. That’s what mattered.

Walking past the same security guard and asking, “what are you reading?” A golden moment.

Watching Sophia and Miles sitting on the baseline, in their official “Ball Kid” shirts and black shorts? A memory etched in stone.

Halftime conversations with Gary. “How many in the upper bowl?” The words nobody else ever heard. I cherished every exchange.

He is, quite simply, the best scorekeeper. Ever. Or, was. Whatever.

If any one person defined my journey with the Demon Deacons, it was Gary Strickland.

The privilege was mine. He wouldn’t disagree. I trust Gary. Always.

Gary Strickland. He’s the one. In Gary I trust.