Cover Feature Theresa McDermott
Photo by Eric Francis << But Theresa’s life doesn’t consist of just showing up to basketball games to root for the Jays—she also has a household to maintain, a marriage to support, kids to raise, a community to help, all the while looking fantastic, staying healthy and setting a good example. No pressure there…. Even with all these demands, McDermott manages to balance it all with grace and a sense of humor. But then again, she’s had lots of practice. Theresa met husband and Creighton head basketball coach Greg at the University of Northern Iowa in the ‘80s during the summer of their sophomore year when they both worked at a family-housing department as recreational assistants. She describes her dynamic with Greg today as “really good friends trying to raise a family.” That family consists of their three kids: Nick, Doug, and Sydney. Nick, 22, is an outgoing senior at UNI and is a very good golfer. Theresa jokes, “He didn’t get the basketball genes. He got my height and Greg’s speed.” Doug, 20, is a laid-back sophomore at Creighton and is a forward on the basketball team. “He got Greg’s height and my speed,” she laughs. Sydney, 11, attends a small Catholic school in Omaha and is a good mix of both her brothers’ personalities. “[With Sydney] it’s sort of like raising an only child because of the age difference, and she’s the caboose… Sydney is Greg’s princess.”
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Her Living • February/March 2012
Before they came to Creighton, Greg was head basketball coach at Iowa State University. Theresa said the transition to Nebraska was easy since they had previously lived in Nebraska when Greg coached at Wayne State College; and it helped that it was still the Midwest with “good Midwest people.” The family has moved a few times for Greg’s coaching career, with which Theresa has had no problem. “I’m a person that loves change,” she says. “It’s a very positive thing for me. We move every four to five years, but hopefully not anymore. We love Omaha, and we’d love to stay for the rest of our lives.” The only thing that was hard about moving each time was leaving the schools behind. “It’s always hard when you move to a new school. You leave them, and you feel like you’re betraying them, but it’s a business. It’s the best option for Greg’s career, but it is sad that you’re leaving the school colors you wore for how long…” Creighton fans know exactly what she means. The last head basketball coach, Dana Altman, was well respected and supported by the community, so it came as no shock that many were upset to hear of his leave. However, fans were very welcoming to Theresa and her family. “We had big shoes to fill,” she says. “With that in mind, the Creighton family and community—and Omaha—had accepted us exceptionally well.” www.OmahaPublications.com