11 minute read
From Coach to Cattleman
FROM COACHtoCattleman
Universtiy of Illinois Men’s Basketball coach steps into the show ring at the Illinois State Fair.
Advertisement
by McKenzie Davison
An Unlikely Encounter
Originally from the small town of McPherson, Kans., Brad Underwood’s journey to becoming head coach at the University of Illinois men’s basketball program was not something that happened overnight. The roots of his career as a coach and mentor on the court began at HardinSimmons University in 1986, and has taken him across the country to six different states before planting him in Champaign at the coaching post he holds today.
His travels have allowed him to meet many different people with a diverse set of backgrounds along the way, including influential leaders and noted celebrity athletes. When you coach high-profile basketball programs, you find yourself running in some prominent circles of people. But an unlikely convenience store encounter early in his career with a well-known Illinois cattle producer spawned a friendship that has carried the coach through years of swapping stories, and this past summer even landed him in a heifer show at Illinois State Fair.
What began as a mundane morning soda and breakfast run to the gas station in Macomb, blossomed into a lifelong friendship between the NCAA Division I basketball icon and noted cattleman and auctioneer Jack Lowderman.
It was years ago, early in Brad’s coaching days when he was building his reputation for winning games on the court with Western Illinois University’s Leathernecks men’s basketball program. He and Jack found themselves making small talk on a daily basis, running into each other many mornings at the local Ayerco – the coach headed to an early practice at the university’s athletic complex while Jack was grabbing a hot beverage between morning chores. It was out of these morning run-ins, and Jack’s enthusiasm for Western Illinois University’s athletic programs, that he and the coach, joined by a few other locals, began including an early morning social appointment at the convenience store before work each day. The group of six men sat at the gas station discussing any recent happenings in their lives and finding solutions to the world's problems while they enjoyed their
morning coffee and soda. "When I moved to Western Illinois University in the 1990s, it was as an assistant coach and I spent ten seasons there. I met Jack and his family, and came to appreciate their huge support of the basketball program. They are very prominent in the community, and I came to appreciate just how involved they were in the livestock industry, too," says Underwood.
The basketball coach may have grown up in cow-country, out on the Kansas plains, but his background didn’t mirror Jack’s. The Fighting Illini basketball leader doesn’t have cattle raising in his pedigree, but he had forged a friendship with someone who knew a lot about raising good cows, and also had a penchant for selling great ones.
Jack Lowderman was introduced to livestock at a very young age and says he has raised cattle his entire life. He spent a year at college and then decided to go into auctioneering. He graduated from auctioneering school at the age of eighteen in 1963 and sold livestock at five different auction markets. Jack and Tommy Williams, an Angus breeder, then partnered in an auction business for twenty years, which became the business many know today as Lowderman Auction & Real Estate Company. Through the years, Jack and his wife and sons have built a prominent auctioneering business outside of Macomb, where they also own and operate Lowderman Cattle Company.
The Lowdermans run a breeding program that’s noted for exceptional Hereford genetics, and they have sold winning cattle across the country through their annual sales. They pride themselves on the high-profile cattle they have marketed, and the success their cattle sales have helped create in other people’s show programs. And it was this reputation for marketing cattle that can build a winning program, that stitched a transaction into the relationship between Jack and the coach. "It was kind of an accident that Brad got into the cattle business," says Lowderman.
The coach did have exposure to agriculture, and understood the basics of raising good livestock. It’s hard to grow up in a farm town and not spend some time on a farm. For Underwood, this included several summers of his youth spent baling hay, attending the local rodeos and helping on his grandparent's farms in northwest and north-central Kansas. "My wife was very involved in 4-H while growing up. In my early days of coaching, I often spent my vacation time helping on her family's hog operation," says Underwood.
After hearing about Jack's career, Brad gradually became more and more interested in buying and raising cattle. In 2021, Brad attended one of Lowderman's cattle auctions where he purchased a Horned Hereford heifer. Following the auction, Jack introduced the idea for Brad to come to the Illinois State Fair and exhibit his purchase.
Brad was initially surprised by the idea and explained, "Jack, I have never shown a calf before; I don't want to embarrass myself."
After some further convincing and reassurance from Jack, Brad agreed.
Beef and Basketball
During his trip to the Illinois State Fair open beef barn, Coach Underwood found himself among other familiar company. He’s not the only member of the Illinois basketball team with an interest in beef production. Connor Serven of Bushnell, is a sophomore at the University of Illinois, where he majors in agricultural and consumer economics, and also happens to play basketball under Coach Underwood.
Serven is built for the basketball court. He towers over most people at 6 foot 9 inches tall, and has been a noted athlete from his high school accomplishments on the court at Bushnell-Prairie City and in Chicago’s St. Rita high school basketball program. But he gets equally as excited, if not just a touch more animated, talking about cattle and farming as he does re-telling tales from the recent Illinois basketball game. Connor grew up showing cattle at the McDonough County Fair, and that is where he, too, met the Lowderman family. "I always looked up to the Lowdermans for help or advice because of their success I saw in the industry," says Serven.
When Connor heard the news that his head coach would be exhibiting a heifer at the Illinois State Fair, he was eager to be there to support him. "Being able to see my coach connect to my roots was a cool experience."
Like most show days, that trip to the Illinois State Fair
started with an early morning of preparation for Underwood and the Lowdermans. Connor traveled in from Champaign, where he was in the processing of moving into student athlete housing with the help of his parents Larry and Keli. "I appreciated having Jack, Connor and their families there - they are all so involved in the industry, and sharing that special moment with them is something I won't ever forget," says Brad.
Lowderman made sure that there was an added cheering section that morning. A group of Western Illinois University coaching staff made the trip to Springfield, too, because they didn’t want to miss the chance to see Brad in his showring debut. There may have been a little ribbing and teasing in the open barn, ahead of that walk over to the Livestock Center, but it was all in good jest. Bystanders watched as the coaches and friends helped Underwood put on his exhibitor number and get one last walk-through of “how not to drop the show stick” while in the ring.
The first effort was a good one for Underwood and the April Hereford heifer; they stood third in a tough class but made it around the ring without any technical fouls. Ringside, a buzz of whispers could be heard as spectators in the Livestock Center tried to place a name with the familiar face exhibiting the Lowderman entry. One man out on the rail could be heard telling his kids, “that’s the danged basketball coach,” as he fumbled for his phone to capture video of the class.
After the class was excused from the ring, show staff brought Brad up to the mic and introduced him; the crowd that had gathered gave a rousing applause as the coach yelled, “I-L-L”, the traditional Fighting Illini cheer to which the crowd responded, “I-N-I”! Jack were there, ringside, and all smiles for his friend Brad and the successful new experience as a beef exhibitor.
Following the show, Jack received calls and emails from Brad expressing his gratitude for having been given the opportunity to try something out of his comfort zone. Coach Underwood's attendance at the state fair helped showcase the importance of the beef industry as a whole and helped bring in the basketball community. "The Illinois State Fair shows that there are a lot of outside people that don't have a direct relationship with the cattle industry but are willing to take time to learn and be involved in it," says Jack.
Brad and Connor have connected on and off the court because of their love for livestock and basketball, too. "It is something we can talk about outside of basketball."
The two have bonded over their hobbies, strengthening their athlete-to-coach relationship seen on the court.
Raising livestock is not a nine-to-five job where the work is done when you clock out for the day. Connor knows this all too well. While he showed livestock as a member of the Illinois Junior Beef Association, he spent most of his days washing, walking, feeding and working with his cattle to build a relationship with them. "It's a lot like what we do in basketball," says Connor.
Connor, who used to spend his days in the barn, shifted his focus to the court. He often hears Coach Underwood preach to his players that college basketball is "an everyday thing."
Connor owes a lot of his success on the court to the long days he spent in the barn. "There is no doubt that showing livestock has helped shape Connor as a person. I think we can all agree that farming is hard work and requires commitment and dedication, all of these qualities are translatable to the basketball and academic world. Connor is very disciplined in both areas, and there is no doubt that his upbringing has had a huge impact on that," says Brad.
You spend months preparing yourself for game day and show day in hopes that all your work has paid off in both basketball and showing cattle. "When you get to game day, you have to show up and perform. If you don't, you go home and work harder for the next show or basketball game," says Connor.
The lessons and skills that Connor has learned from showing livestock and playing basketball will continue to shape him for the rest of his life.
- Brad Underwood
NeedNeed HelpHelp SortingSorting ThroughThrough HealthHealth Insurance?Insurance?
20+ years of advocating and working with clients on group, individual, dental, vision, life, long-term care, short term medical, disability, and Medicare.
"Being self-employed for many years our health insurance was at an all-time high. We struggled with the neverending increasing cost & with which route to take. During a drop off of Herefords... Dara just happened to mention that she could check into some options for us. Dara came to our rescue! She researched all the factors and we determined that offering group insurance through our Carthage Livestock Inc. Cattle sale barn was the best route to go. We saved money on our premiums, and we were able to offer our employees affordable quality health, dental, vision, and life insurance. Dara goes over and above what is normally expected to help you with your questions or concerns. We are so glad we switched and let Dara take care of our insurance needs!" Brent & Kristene Lowderman – Carthage Livestock Inc. in Carthage, Ill.
"The health insurance costs and coverages have become very difficult to navigate for anyone self-employed. Working with Dara has taken the guess work out of the process, and has been a huge savings while having better coverage than I had been accustomed to. Thank you for the help and explanations of the coverage... and thank you very much for the substantial savings on premiums." Bob Lemenager – Lemenager Farms, Ill.
"Dealing with health insurance coverage, prescriptions and costs is mind boggling, but with Dara's assistance and expertise she was able to find the perfect coverage and premium for our family as health care costs go up. I would recommend letting her work her magic in assisting anyone with insurance coverage needs. Dara truly looks out for her customers!" Chris Utegg – AU Showstock
Dara Entwistle |
Independent Health Agent |
Senior Risk Benefit Specialist Office: 217-445-2246 | Cell: 217-737-7581 | Dara@ilhealthagents.com
From Alfalfa to Grasses, We’ll Feed your ? ? ?
(Donkey)
SCAN TO VIEW OUR PRODUCT LINEUP!
To view our full forage lineup visit us at
PROHARVESTSEEDS.COM 866.807.7015 |
