Jerod Haase: His love for the game of basketball started in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A large group of family, friends, teachers, and the community gathered at Champion's Plaza in South Lake Tahoe Thursday to honor Jerod Haase.

"This means a lot, truly is a community here that is so supportive and helped me every step of the way," said Haase as the ceremony was about to begin.

Haase, who is the current head coach of the Stanford University Basketball Team, was honored with a brick in the plaza that was created to celebrate local athletes who represent South Lake Tahoe on the national and world stage.

"The love of the game started here," said Haase of his lifelong passion for basketball. "It felt natural, fun, and easy."

"I slept with a basketball until I graduated high school," joked Haase. He told a story about how he beat the challenges of winter in South Lake Tahoe by shoveling the snow from his family's backyard basketball court so he could practice. He'd shovel after every snowfall unless it got to be too much - then he just shoveled out the free throw line and under the basket (then the ball would bounce back to him). Then, if too much ice formed on his backyard court, Haase would chip away with an axe. His sister, Karin Holmes who is the principal at Sierra House Elementary, now lives in that family home and attested to the fact that the axe marks are still there.

Haase took that love to South Tahoe High School where he was the Nevada Player of the Year and part of a Viking team that was ranked #17 in the nation in 1992. That team won the state title after beating Western in a thrilling overtime game, 71-66. He became one of the first national recruits in Northern Nevada basketball history.

He said he took the hard work, sacrifice, and humility that were part of his South Lake Tahoe upbringing through all levels of his career. Haase said his mom made him run cross country at STHS since he wasn't good at it, teaching him humility. Out of his upbringing came his integrity, sportsmanship, character, and work ethic.

"It's easy to stay humble at my house," said Haase with a big smile. He said his son knows of all the local Olympians who have bricks in Champion's Plaza. As he left his Bay Area home to head to South Lake Tahoe, he said his son said, 'Remind me again why you're there'."

Haase also said recognition should go to his mom Carol who still lives in South Lake Tahoe. She and his dad Gary raised five children, all of who ended up as Division 1 athletes in college. He said he got his competitiveness from Carol who still wants to win on the softball field in family games.

The parade held in South Lake Tahoe after the 1992 state championship featured the players and coaches moving through town. Haase said his dad's car horn stopped working before the end of the parade as he was honking so much.

The Stanford coach thanked his South Lake Tahoe coaches along the way including Austin Angell, Gene Rasmussen, and Tom Orlich, as well as former teammate the late Austin Price.

"The only request to consider. This award represents everyone here and includes effort and energy from the community," said Haase. "The community who goes above and beyond to make things happen deserves bricks too."

"The journey is so important," said Haase. "It's been such a heck of a journey."

Haase's daughter, 11-year-old Gabi, introduced him (he and his wife Mindy also have Gavin, 16, and Garrett, 13) to the gathered crowd after the person who nominated him, Nancy Dalton, told of the many reasons Haase should be honored with the brick. Gabi, Jerod, and Carol then lifted the cover off the brick for all to see.

"I'm proud to be here," said Haase in closing. "I'm much more proud to call Tahoe home."

Highlights of his career, to date:

University of California, Berkeley (1992-1993) where he was recruited as a junior at STHS, and the University of Kansas (1994-1997). He played in four Sweet 16 tournaments and played for Kansas as they were ranked between number five and number one. While a Jayhawk, Haase was named a Wooden and Naismith Award finalist despite playing several games with a broken wrist, he was Big Eight Newcomer of the Year and named to the Big Eight all-defensive team. He started 99 of 101 games with the Jayhawks and his record in three years with the Jayhawks was 89–13. The Jayhawks went 34–2 in the 1996–97 season, Haase's final year. He was named a co-captain and was in the starting lineup with Jacque Vaughn, Scot Pollard, Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce. Haase averaged 12.0 points per game his senior year.

At Kansas, he averaged 12.5 points per game, scoring 1,246 points over the span of his career. He was a member of the Big Eight all-defensive team as a junior and played at the World University Games in 1995 when his team won gold.

After Haase's senior season at Kansas, he co-wrote a book entitled Floor Burns with author Mark Horvath. The book describes the 1996–1997 season when the Jayhawks were ranked number one for 15 consecutive weeks but lost to Arizona in the NCAA tournament. Haase then had a brief career playing professional basketball in Macedonia. When his short career in Macedonia ended he decided to self-publish his book Floor Burns and revisit towns around Kansas giving instructional basketball camps. Haase visited around 40 towns and conducted over 100 basketball camps.

Haase was an assistant coach under his Kansas Coach, Basketball Hall of Famer Roy Williams, then followed him to North Carolina where he continued to serve under him. Haase won 255 out of 317 games in nine seasons as an assistant coach for Roy Williams, with both Kansas and North Carolina. He then left to be the head coach for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 2012, taking them to the big dance during his third year.

Haase continues his coaching career in the Pac-12 Conference after returning to the west coast as the Stanford University head coach in March 2016.