Connor leads Westminster to new heights

When Tommy Connor arrived on Westminster's campus a decade ago, his task of building a men's basketball program from scratch looked beyond formidable.

The college had only Payne Gym — an antiquated facility with cramped offices and cramped locker rooms — to house a basketball team. Connor's own office had a desk in it and little else.

It was a far cry from the Huntsman Center and the amenities that came with being on the staff of a nationally respected program at the University of Utah.

For about a week, Connor wondered if he had put himself in a bad situation.

"I had no players and no balls — literally nothing in terms of a basketball program," Connor said.

Those humble beginnings seem foreign in all aspects to where Westminster is only a decade later.

This season alone, the Griffins have risen as high as No. 1 nationally in the NAIA and are off to their best start in school history at 20-2. Such success is a direct result of the foundation laid in previous seasons.

Connor has coached the Griffins to five Frontier Conference titles during the past seven seasons, and his teams have earned seven NAIA tournament bids over the last eight seasons. His record stands at 206-96 overall in his 10th season at Westminster — including a 100-31 mark in Frontier Conference play.

Adam Hiatt, who played at Westminster from 2002 to 2004 and is currently an assistant coach on Connor's staff, attributes the continued success to Connor's ability to help his players realize their potential.

"What makes him the best is he's able to get the most out of every player," Hiatt said. "Not many coaches can do that. A lot of coaches can draw up all the X's and O's in the world. But they can't get their players to play to their potential. That's what he does better than anybody I've ever been around."

Connor's roots as a coach go back to his childhood. His father, Bus, spent eight years (1972-80) coaching at Boise State and has enjoyed a career spanning more than four decades at various colleges and high schools throughout Idaho. Basketball became a large component of Connor's life in his formative years.

He quickly envisioned carving out a niche as a coach and a teacher — just like his dad did before him.

"It's been in my blood since I've been born," Connor said. "It's what I've always wanted to do, and it's what I always hope to do."

Connor got a nice boost in his future coaching career when he came to the University of Utah. He ran the floor as the Utes' starting point guard from 1985 to 1990.