FC Alumni leads local collegiate team

CJ Haydock was recently named the men’s head basketball coach at Fresno Pacific University. He attended Fresno Christian his sophomore year and graduated in 2003. He attended Azusa Pacific University for one year and would eventually complete his degree at FPU.  Haydock began his coaching career at FCS in 2004 and coached for several years. He would eventually become the head coach at Immanuel High School and joined the staff at FPU this past year. Haydock is now the 17th head coach in the history of FPU basketball.

Haydock played basketball at Fresno Christian and was a part of league championships in both his junior and senior year. He had so many incredible memories competing with teammates who had a common goal.  Haydock’s class possessed a unbelievable culture of camaraderie and togetherness, and the basketball team really emphasized it.

Haydock believes the thing that always makes teams have fond memories are the accomplishments made by the team and the relationships with teammates and coaches. Many of the good memories he had were laughing alongside his teammates, sweating in 100 degree heat while conditioning, goofing around on road trips, celebrating successes and even being devastated after tough losses.

One of the best things about coaching for Haydock is the relationships he is able to build and maintain with the athletes. Over the last twelve years of coaching, he loved watching his players continue to triumph. He also loved getting one-on-one conversations with the athletes, talking about their struggles and pursuits.

“It’s a special kind of bond and connection that is forged in competition,” Haydock said. “There is no doubt that watching former players grow and succeed, mature and thrive is one of my greatest joys. There is a thrill of competition, a desire to keep growing my knowledge and abilities as a skill developer, and those things I really enjoy.”

You can quickly become consumed with winning only, and compromise who you want to be as a family man. It’s pretty common at this level for success to be built at the expense of your family, so finding a way to be efficient, intentional and specific about being the kind of father and husband I want to be is a substantial challenge. Also trying to keep ‘First Things Stay First’ at the center is the biggest daily struggle as a college coach. — CJ Haydock

Haydock receives inspiration from many people in his life, but the one person he found really influential was Ericlee Gilmore. Gilmore, an 1992 FC alumni, passed away in 2014, but while he was alive he influenced Haydock’s life in a powerful way. Not only did he teach him basketball skills, but he showed him how to support and help others as best as possible.

“I think anyone who devotes their whole life to a sport and have to have an irregular passion and love for the sport is influential to me.” Haydock said. “Ericlee came alongside me as young, immature, impressionable youth and really modeled a life worth living, and his impact on me was incredibly influential in me choosing this career path. I felt like his timeliness in giving all he had to me and my teammates in challenging us to be the best we could be as people was something I wanted to pay forward.”

Although coaching is a complete joy for Haydock, there are some challenges that come with the opportunity. Being a coach consists of time commitment, unusual hours, and a ton of travel for games and recruiting. It is especially hard for him because he has a wife and two young kids.

“You can quickly become consumed with winning only, and compromise who you want to be as a family man,” Haydock said. “It’s pretty common at this level for success to be built at the expense of your family, so finding a way to be efficient, intentional and specific about being the kind of father and husband I want to be is a substantial challenge. Also trying to keep ‘First Things Stay First’ at the center is the biggest daily struggle as a college coach.”

Starting as a Division V high school JV assistant coach, and now a head coach, Haydock is living out his dream. He believed it was very humbling that he was given the job. One of the things he was very thankful for was that people gave him chances to do what he loved. They believed in his spirit and determination and he was grateful for it.

“Mother Theresa has a quote I really love…’Be faithful to the small things, for it is in them that your strength lies,'” Haydock said. “It’s a testament to being faithful to whatever task is asked. It’s a testament to some people who gave me opportunities and saw potential and took a chance on me.”

Not only is Haydock excited for this opportunity to coach in a new way, but he wants to help the players be at their best through this position. He is very passionate about adding value to the lives of his athletes, the Fresno Pacific community, and the Fresno/Valley basketball community.

“I think the idea of “adding value” to all we interact with is central to our vision,” Haydock said. “And, I believe, that by placing that at the center, the idea of advancing other, you see some benefits competitively. You equip yourself to be the kind of team who has a culture that carries it, that allows your play to outpace your level of talent.”

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This writer can be contacted via Twitter:  @schultz_kamryn and via Email: Kamryn Schultz.