On Thursday, September 19, the College of Alameda (CoA) held its first press conference to formally present their new men’s basketball coach, Hall of Famer Gary Payton, a nine-time All Star, Defensive Player of the Year, and NBA Champion. The school announced Payton’s hiring earlier this month.
“For our college and the city of Alameda this is a tremendous day,” said Athletic Director Ramaundo Vaughn on the impact the former NBA star will have on the team, the staff, and the entire community. Payton, who grew up in Oakland and went to Skyline High School, feels passionately about getting out and meeting people in this community.
“We’re going to go around the community, go to different businesses, have meetings with them, and set up lunches,” the NBA legend said. He genuinely believes in building mutual support—to get fans into the gym, the team must support the community.
Payton joins the Cougars after three winning seasons as head coach for Oakland’s Lincoln University and looks to instill that winning team culture at College of Alameda as well. He said his players will, “do the things he has to do to be a basketball player,” which is about more than playing a game. “Your job is to come here, go to school, and play hard,” Payton said.
He wants the team to look great everywhere they go—on and off the court. He alluded to discipline and defense as foundations for the team which, are some of his specialties. “We’re going to compete, you’re going to know this is a basketball team to be reckoned with…,” Payton said, “because when they come into this building, it’s going to be hard to win.”
Ultimately, he wants this team’s culture to be hard-nosed, tough, and proud of what they can do. Payton assumes the helm for the Cougars after a 7-21 record in the 2023-2024 season in the Bay Valley Conference, and his culture shift brings much needed growth to the team. One thing Payton emphasized is the importance of conditioning.
“We’ve got to be in shape,” in order to be “a four-quarter team” who’s as good in the fourth quarter as they were in the first quarter, he said.
In terms of off-court growth, Payton highlighted his role as a father figure for his student athletes and in supporting their mental health. “You have to be able to come to me with problems,” he said, “ and some of these kids can’t do that… I have to give them opportunities to feel comfortable to come talk to me.” He mentioned holding a “round table” where the team simply “gets things off their mind,” and added that team movie nights and team museum tours could be additional avenues of support for his team.
The College of Alameda Cougars begin their 2024-2025 men’s basketball season in early November. Head Coach Gary Payton brings championship experience and compassionate leadership to help lead the team to new heights.
Contributing writer Gabriel Caraballo covers local sports for the Alameda Post. Contact him via [email protected]. His writing is collected https://alamedapost.com/Gabriel-Caraballo.
