Living by the rules

Michael Holton proudly admits to being “old school” – as in UCLA-style “old school.”

The fourth-year University of Portland men’s basketball coach, who was a scholastic All-American and four-year letterwinner for the Bruins in the early 1980s, fondly recalls the “life lessons” he learned under coaches Larry Brown and Larry Farmer.

“You have to remember, back when I played at UCLA there was no facial hair allowed,” explained Holton, who was a starting freshman guard on the Bruins team that lost to Louisville in the 1980 NCAA championship game. “And etiquette, manners and protocol were very important.”

In that same vein, Holton is attempting to teach some of what he learned at UCLA to his Portland players, who bring an impressive 13-8 overall record and a 2-4 West Coast Conference mark into Saturday’s 8 p.m. game against the 17th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs (14-4, 4-2) in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Earlier this fall, prior to the start of the season, he took his players – all wearing dress shirts and ties – to a Beaverton, Ore., restaurant where the restaurant manager gave them a short lecture on dining etiquette. The Pilots were taught which fork and spoon to use, and were given suggestions on topics of conversation that are appropriate to bring up during such a meal.

Holton initiated the restaurant etiquette seminar during his first season at Portland.

“Teams eat together a lot, and in a lot of different dining settings – from a burger at the airport to real nice restaurant on the road,” he explained. “When I look at a family situation, sitting down to a meal is a very important time, because a lot of decisions are made then.”

Holton is quick to admit, however, that not every player who has come through his program has fancied his annual etiquette seminar.

“No question about it, there have been some dissenting opinions,” he explained. “Freshmen always say, ‘Coach thinks we don’t know how to eat.’ But I just tell them, ‘Trust me. Because there is going to come a day when you’re out for dinner with some young lady you’re trying to impress and you’re going to be happy you know you should slide a chair out and open the door for her. You don’t have to thank me now, but you’ll thank me later.’ “

Holton is so convinced he doing the right thing that he added as second seminar – this one on fashion – to teach his players how to dress for all occasions, formal and otherwise.

“Looking at the big picture in life, you realize these kids are all going to be working somewhere at some point,” Holton said, “and they’re going to need to know how to dress for interviews and what kind of attire is appropriate for different occasions.

“They need to know how to match belts to shoes, and how to tie a tie.”

Now Holton is looking at setting up a third seminar for players.

“We’re considering taking that next step,” he said, “which is probably going to be a financial education seminar about the value of money, checkbooks, mortgages and interest.

“Very few people receive proper financial educations, and this would just be another way of learning the nuts and bolts of balancing a checkbook or a household budget.”

It might seem that Holton is taking on a lot of extra baggage, considering the massive rebuilding chore he inherited when he took over the Pilots program in 2001. But he said he feels it is something he must do to make good on the promises he makes to the parents of prospective recruits.

“We go into homes when we recruit and say a lot of things,” Holton explained. “This is my way of trying to stay true to a commitment I make to all parents. I always say, ‘I want to ask for your trust in (giving me) a principle role in developing your son.’

“Basically, I want my players to come in as young men and leave as men.”

But Holton is also trying to build team chemistry at the same time, which explains the absence of headphones on his Pilots in most public places.

“We don’t wear them when we’re walking through an airport or checking into a hotel,” he said. “And when we’re on the bus, we don’t allow cell phones or pagers – anything that might keep a team from bonding.

“I don’t like the presentation of disconnect in any setting.”