Brotherhood News 1992

KWU Rmors: Coach Mike Kopmeyer is not coaching. He hates not coaching. He is working as a yough counselor at the Kansas State Juvenile Boys Prison in Topeka (Florence Gardner High School). He hates that worse than not coaching. Robin Wohler had a daughter, Karsen Dale. Todd Clark checked into a couple of assistant college jobs as did Stan Wyatt. Stan isn't coaching basketball now, but he should be. His record is a lot better than 80% of us after two years. Scott Wiltfong married to Brenda Krull in June. Was this the girl his mother set him up with? Russ Pleiman got his degree from KWU this summer. Russ says he loves Jan and Barry Trulson like his own parents. They kept him in school and he owes them so much. So do we all. Jan's "Adopt-A-Jock" made Salina like home for many of us. Russ's knees still bother him and he thinks it was that rubber floor.

When Billy Smith calls, it just makes my day8. There was no better recruiter for KWU than Billy. Although I'd usually be appalled to hear afterwards that guys (like Larremore) had stayed on the floor in Tillman's and Billy's room; it always seemed to work. Maybe because it was plain that Billy really cared about people. He didn't always say it, but he always showed it. He's always been a favorite and still is for me.

Ed Spears will finish law school this year. Ed was another favorite. He's a guy who educated KW some while taking a degree from the college. Kevin Brown is back in Denver. Is Carol with you? Matt Dow and Michelle are back in Aurora, CO. Matt finished his A.A. degree and is working on another. There are two little (If Matt's children can be little. Thank Heavens for Michelles's genes) Dow's.

Howard Alexander is going to Houston to get teaching credentials. Says the business world isn't for him. It[s impossible for me to see how a coach could mistreat the Zipper. Saw Grant Davidson in Salina. He's really grown and will do well if KW gets back to an up-tempo game. Rob Jackson sent his brother to visit IUSB. He's a lot like Rob - a whole lot like Rob. Not as tall. He told me Ed Spears and Rob both said,

Frederick would be mad if I didn't mention him. Dave certainly has a lovely wife (Lori) and child who are very undersanding, although Dave is domesticated now. He really has his house looking wonderful. Not like the garage he lived in at Salina at all. Hope to see the Parkers this summer.

Remember how I used to preach to you about "By the Book" Bobbie, the registrar; and Barb Lyon, The Dean's secretary, who kept the eligibility books for athlettics. Bobbie, you and I left earlier, now Barb is gone as well. Hers was the hardest passage battling cancer. Recall how after your sophomore year, Barb would call you by name. Until two years passed, you didn't really exist to her. It was the same with instructors and staff. You had to wait to belong to her KWU family. For 31 years she worked at Kansas Wesleyan. The world needs more people like her.

Brian Mitchell, wife Crystal, have a daughter, Jordon Danelle. Brian is the recreation director in Sublette, Ks. He's been holding summer basketball camps using the staff from Kansas University.' Terrence Phox, wife Kim, have a daughter, Kamri Jordan. Phox tells me this story. They moved into a high class (?) segregated neighborhood. He brought Kamri a dalmation, so she would have someone to play with. I told him Kim should kill him for such a story. He told me another one about how he is settling down. Kamri was born during the national slow-pitch softball tournament and Terrence's team qualified to go. He stayed to be with Kim as the baby was due.

Mike Cox & Julie were expecting while I was in Kansas. Didn't get an announcement. I've heard the second & third & fourth children don't get the same treatment as the first. Mike looks great. He scared me to death with warnings about Florida insurance companies going under. I'd just transferred my anneities to a Florida company. If it goes under, Mrs. Jones may put me there too. Jim Drake will be haunted by Beetlejuice Jones, as he talked me into it

Ryan Ellis wrote calling himself one of the old Jerry's Kids since he didn't know many of the names. He was to marry in June with Russ Pleiman as the Best Man. (Russ again a best man, yet not a groom!) Ryan is making a career of criminal justice. He feels he is on the side of the law because Todd Clark caused him to see the light from the night they spent in jail for eating cafeteria sandwiches. As I remember, the cafeteria was closed and there were three amigos involved (But they only drank a coke apiece.)

Billy Smith is engaged to Yvette Newsome. Bought a home. Playing bball six nights a week. Played in national slow-pitch tournament in Florida. New toys are an 18 foot ski-boat and three 4-wheelers. Still with Astro Aluminum and does some siding installing as a sideline.

Scott Polzin was at Tim Parker's wedding. He really looks Californian now. He's changed jobs and is still attending night classes. The responsibility was not worth putting in 6 and a half day weeks for. Although I never thought of Scott as a hospital administrator, there is no doube in my mind of his competence. He does look like one of the tv stars. I imagine there are a lot of the nurses who are interested in his future.

Barney Gray came by the Illinois Tech game. He looks great, as always a snappy dresser. Barney will graduate from Northwestern with an MBA in Financial Management this fall. He travels all over the USA. Dave Frederick told me that IBM stnds for "I Be Moving" and that is the case with Barney who is on that uipwards bound yuppie track. Remember Barney and Terrence rooming together. That was really the "Odd Couple."

Robert Jackson is in Falls Church, VA, awaiting word on a criminal justice job in Texas. He liked it in Dallas and wants to go back when a position opens. According to Robert, Ed Spears is in his last year of law school. Someday Ed may be lecturing at KWU.. Picture Ed as a judge.

Eric Smith is hoping to hook up with a minor league pro team. He's just not ready to settle down yet. He went to the final cut with the Atlanta Eagles, a USBL team. At the trails, he was invited to travel with an agent's international team overseas with the hopes of being picked up by an European franchise. In the meantime, Easyee is director of a youth club in Atlanta.

Eric reminded me how much Billy Smith and I are alike. Both of us blow up, forget it quick and move on. Too bad I couldn't have seen that earlier. Billy and I could have avoided a lot of spats just by realizing we were looking in a mirror.

Simon Emidy put in for submarine duty. I hope he doesn't bang his head against the side the way he used to do in the dorms. He attended Naval medical school and there was a chance he would be sent to Saudi, but I never heard from him after the wear was over.

Scott Wiltfong remains working at the bank in Long Island, KS. He is also part owner of an insurance agency and wants to warn Mike Cox that he is after more customers. He is now seeing a girl that his mother fixed hiim uip with. Says that at least his mother likes her.

Stan Wyatt is coaching great teams at Norton. He still hunts, traps, and fishes. Could KWU find a better man to be their new coach? I think not. Stan would be perfect for them. He is a scholar, a teacher, and a Christian gentleman. And Stan knows how to win. No children yet from the Wyatts. Says they are still busy.

Todd Clark expects a better year as coach at Kansas Newman. I saw him this summer. Todd is like Dick Clark. He never ages. He still looks like the little kid that went around holding hands with Jackie Jones. But he thinks maturely. His plan for getting the Kansas Newman job was a masterpiece.

I was sorry to miss Emice Dyck's funeral. I loved that grand old man. You guys were special to him. Going to the Country Club was always a marvelous time. He'd tell me to just bring the top seven, then 10, then 12, then 15, then the assistant coaches, and the chaplain, and the Dean. Like the character in the play, the "Matchmaker," Emice believed that money and fertilizer did a lot more good when spread around.

That wonderful lady who began the "Adopt-A-Jock" program (Jan Trulson), invited some of you to come over while I was in Kansas this summer. Chris Hutzler and Jane were there visiting her family. What a lovely couple. Chris is another player Big Al Tiller really favored. Al always felt drawing those damn pennies was the reason Chris didn't play again. Maybe it was - I hope not. Tillman, Chris, Billy, and Barney all deserved to plaly. Although I felt in my heart, Chris was playing the best, freshmen were treated all alike (like dogs as the sayhing goes.) By his nature, Billy probably got away with more than anyone else. Razor Ray was there. How could he let me mispronounce Kujawa an an entire year? at least I advised him right about math over pe. He'll be a head coach soon and a good one. I wish he were here getting ready to take over for me.

One of Kansas'w most promising young coaches, our friend and teammate, Kevin Wohler, died in an auto-train collision near Chase, Ks, where Kevin coached. His wife, Robin, is expecting their first child. I last saw Kevin at Ray's wedding. Tragedy can strike so swiftly and so unexpectedly. Kevin was my first recruit to dunk at KWU. I still remember Tiller's face. Big Al loved it, and although I's sure Kevin could never tell, Al loved him too. How about the "Sorry-Ass All-American" team? Kevin, Todd and the select few crew attracted more attention in the dorm than Street & Smith's when they put up that poster in the hallway.