November 4, 2025 • 43 mins
When you meet Gonzaga University basketball coach R-Jay Barsh, one thing is clear—he’s a live wire for Jesus. In this inspiring episode of Amazing Greats, we dive deep into the journey of a man whose passion for the game is matched only by his passion for Christ. From his early days in High School and Tacoma Community College to leading college teams across the country and now coaching alongside legends at Gonzaga, R-Jay’s story is a powerful testimony of perseverance, calling, and faith in action.
A devastating back injury ended his playing career and sent him searching for purpose beyond the scoreboard. That’s when God revealed a new game plan—coaching, mentoring, and ministering through basketball. Along the way, R-Jay was profoundly shaped by Fred Crowell, founder of NBC Basketball Camps, whose faith and mentorship sparked ripples that continue to change lives. R-Jay's story is another example of the ripple effect of one man, the late Fred Crowell. Fred’s own powerful journey is captured in Amazing Greats episode 10 and another “Fred ripple” can be heard in episode 78 with Indiana Pacers VP Ryan Carr.
With his trademark energy and authenticity, Coach Barsh shares how adversity deepened his faith, how he lives out his calling on and off the court, and why every practice, huddle, and halftime can become a place of ministry. Whether you love basketball or just need a reminder of what it means to live on fire for God, this conversation will move and motivate you.
"Amazing Greats" is a library of interviews with highly successful people who have amazing career and life stories and who share how God has impacted their journey. Hosted by broadcaster Ric Hansen & produced by Klem Daniels. Available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Google and our YouTube Channel.
Please help us grow our audience by "liking", "subscribing and "Sharing". Thanks so much.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_03 (00:41):
We are live and write with a new friend.
It is RJ Barsh, coach at one ofthe coaching team at Gonzaga
University.
That's our guest on AmazingGreats.
Not only is a passionatebasketball guru, but on top of
that, he's a he's a live wirefollower of Jesus Christ.
(01:02):
And we're going to talk aboutthat and the basketball career
and all things that make up RJBarsh.
So let's get started.
RJ, thank you for being heretoday.
SPEAKER_02 (01:12):
I'm excited to be here.
Um I I like the term live wire.
There's something special aboutthat, right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You don't get to touch a livewire and not be changed.
SPEAKER_03 (01:27):
That's right.
So I got to tell you a quicklittle story, and that is that
you know, I have this jealousykind of relationship with
basketball players.
Because when I was in highschool, uh, you'd go to a Friday
night basketball game and thestands would be crowded with
people and there'd becheerleaders, and it'd be a big,
big event.
Well, it just so happens that Iwas a five foot seven wrestler.
(01:49):
And so when you go to awrestling match at a high
school, and there's like 12people in the stand, and usually
they're just moms and dads,right?
SPEAKER_04 (01:56):
So yes.
SPEAKER_03 (01:57):
So we always relish the idea of having an actual
stadium full of people.
Uh, and you got that for yearsand still do.
So that's great.
SPEAKER_02 (02:07):
That is, it didn't know it wasn't always that way.
No, yeah.
The the career started off insome places where it only could
fit 300 people in the gym andmaybe 100 showed up.
Okay.
All right.
SPEAKER_03 (02:19):
Well, that's now let's get started right there
because um you are the the wholestory of RJ Bars seems to be
from a guy from the outsidelooking at your resume, which I
have right here.
Um it looks like uh a career ofnothing but winning all the way
(02:40):
down.
Like you started out uh aLincoln High School basketball
player back in the day, and andthey were red hot when you were
playing uh with that team.
Then you went on to TacomaCommunity College.
Uh, and Tacoma Community Collegesays right here, uh, you won
three Western regional titles infour seasons, and then an NWAACC
championship in 2012.
(03:02):
Then you moved on to Lakeland,Florida, where you spent seven
years.
And over those seven years, youled SEU, that is Southeastern
University, the first three NAAN AIA, Division II national
tournaments, on and on we go.
Then you're off to Boise State,then to to uh Florida State, and
(03:23):
now you're here in WashingtonState at Gonzaga University, a
school that is um you knowrespected and successful and has
been for years, and now you're apart of that coaching team.
So, wow, and then on top of allof that, somewhere along the
line, I read where you said umone of the things that you like
(03:45):
to teach new players is how touh face adversity.
And I'm wondering how you got tothat when it doesn't seem like
you've had adversity.
SPEAKER_02 (03:54):
Yeah, you know, um there should be a section on the
resume of trial and error.
Okay.
So people so so people can seethe steps it took to be in those
places.
Um I believe I faced adversityas a player.
(04:14):
You know, when I was at CentralWashington University Division
II school, I broke my back.
Wow.
Breaking my back, I was the oneguy when coaches always tell
their players, you never knowwhen you play your last game.
Oh I did not know when I playedmy last game, but I also played
with a certain level of energyand enthusiasm that I was
(04:38):
thankful with the way I left thefloor.
So I didn't play another collegebasketball game after that.
So I was faced really early inlife between the ages of 20 and
21 of which direction in which Iwould go.
And you know, that was kind ofmy bridge to coaching because I
was still fresh in thebasketball scene, and it's what
(04:59):
I knew.
It seemed to be the place I feltthe most comfortable to correct
and to encourage and to teach.
And so threw myself in all theway to basketball as a as a as a
teacher.
And so that was a lot ofadversity because uh, you know,
my friends are talking about youknow their highlights and their
(05:20):
stats, and I have no, I have notnothing to give in those
moments.
SPEAKER_03 (05:25):
So back when you're in high school, uh prior to to
all of that, uh were you um justto kind of trace this back, were
you a Christian at that point?
SPEAKER_02 (05:36):
Did you know Jesus?
I went to I went to Pialp HighSchool, uh, I was born and
raised uh in the ways of uh ofthe faith by my parents.
My dad was a pastor and and anda preacher, and my mom was mom
is is a diligent prayer warrior.
Uh the Bible is front and centerin our family.
(05:59):
And uh so I would it was modeledthroughout my entire life of
what it looked like to be afollower of Christ.
Um I would say I was alwaysvocal about those things growing
up.
It just naturally was uh who Iwas and who I am.
That adversity of the back mademe double down on my faith
(06:23):
because I needed to be carried.
And up until that point, I thinkI was living on the faith that I
was borrowing from my parentsand from my pastors.
My faith was tested in thatmoment.
It wasn't, you know, thetemptations that most human face
at that age for whateverpurposes, God had graced me to
not have those.
(06:43):
But that failure of now I haveto have a different dream, a
different direction, made mefind my prayer life.
But in high school, I Idefinitely also I wore my my
faith on my sleeve.
SPEAKER_03 (06:56):
I did not know that about your story, the back
issue.
And and so that was a kind of achange of identity at that point
because you were a player andthat's what you intended to be
and wanted to be.
And all of a sudden you're notthat.
So, how did you make that pivot?
I mean, was it an automatic kindof oh well, I'll do this then?
SPEAKER_02 (07:14):
Or well, for me, um growing up, I always, in the way
my parents raised me, did wantedto be seen as more than just
what I was doing as a basketballplayer.
So uh a high-level academic, um,loved to read, loved to write.
And so I always in the back ofmy mind knew the ball would get
(07:35):
flat.
I just remember, I'm not surewhich coach it was, but I heard
this story, and maybe JohnThompson, but I could and maybe,
maybe not, where he had a knifeand he put it into a basketball
during a talk with one of hisplayers to let his players know
that eventually the ball goesflat, and you better have
something in your life you canlean on professionally,
(07:59):
spiritually, vocationally,because not a lot of you know
45-year-old basketball players,right?
So you gotta figure out adifferent path.
So I've always been thinkingabout that part of my life and
what that would look like.
I always enjoyed being aroundpeople and coaching people, so I
knew it would be somewhere inthat capacity, and so but yeah,
(08:22):
that losing the identity of nowI can't chase something that's
so tangible was was was a highlevel frustration.
SPEAKER_03 (08:31):
And prayers at that point were significant, and
that's kind of where you madeyour pivot from uh growing up as
a Christian and becoming a realfollower of Jesus on a whole
different level.
Is that right?
SPEAKER_02 (08:42):
Yeah, I definitely would say on a different level.
I don't know if the realnessnecessarily changed as much, but
uh the depths of my relationshipwith God went to a different
level because I understood likein the back, I mean God was was
yelling, I was yelling why.
Yeah, yeah, and so um, and upuntil that point the prayers
(09:04):
were pretty modest.
SPEAKER_03 (09:06):
And did you get did you get an answer to the why?
Yes, I did, yeah, yeah, and andthat and was that answer uh
because I have new direction foryou.
SPEAKER_02 (09:18):
Well, the answer was more of uh I've equipped you to
help others find reach theirgoal.
So are you okay pushing someoneelse?
And so I was like in my head,I'm thinking like, okay, I
always heard the quotes, youknow, we're standing on the
shoulders of those before us.
And so I was thinking, okay, Iguess in coaching you can
(09:42):
encourage and motivate.
So I just started motivatingpeople to chase their dreams,
and I got so much um momentum inmy heart from that.
SPEAKER_03 (09:50):
And when did you hook up then with uh NBC camps?
Was that uh earlier on?
SPEAKER_02 (09:56):
Yeah, and that's a big part of the faith journey
too.
I was about 13 years old when Istarted going to NBC camps, and
uh my best friend Jacob Washburnuh invited me and took me to
camp.
And I couldn't afford camp thefirst month, first year.
And so Fred Crow, uh RogerSmith, they allowed me to be a
(10:18):
junior counselor in Auburn.
So I was able to like clean upthe gym during camp and then
attend camp the next day.
So I ended up doing that foreight weeks, a summer, 13 all
the way till I went to college.
And so at 15 and 16 years old, Iwas coaching the
(10:38):
eight-year-old's coachingdivision.
And by the time I was 20, me andFred were traveling the country
running camps together.
SPEAKER_03 (10:47):
You're listening to Amazing Greats.
Today's guest, RJ Barsh, isn'tjust a basketball coach, he's a
man on a mission to use the gameas a platform for faith, for
purpose, and for transformation.
Okay, quickly out because Idon't know how many of our
listeners have heard the FredKroll story, but he was one of
our guests back in uh it's beena couple years ago now, because
(11:08):
he's he's passed.
Uh, but uh his story wasincredible.
And so NBC Camps is Northwestbasketball camp.
Uh, it started here in theNorthwest, but it's all over the
place now.
And so I'm just using this as akind of description for those
listeners who aren't up to date.
And so we can talk about Fred,who is an enigma all of his own,
(11:28):
uh, just an amazing individual.
Tell us, tell us your take onFred Kroll.
SPEAKER_02 (11:34):
Fred Krohl was an anchor for me.
He allowed me to run wild butnot get too far.
SPEAKER_03 (11:40):
Okay.
SPEAKER_02 (11:40):
He allowed me to, you know, express my creativity
in basketball and coaching, andI felt safe to chase to chase
some of those dreams as a headcoach very young because he had
done those things when he was inAlaska.
Um I wasn't scared of a pivot inmy career because he pivoted
from Samford to being acounselor to running the
(12:02):
greatest camps in the world.
Um and he held me accountable.
His son Jay and I became reallygood friends, and it gave me a
community.
Being close to Fred gave me acommunity of men that were
living in a way I could admireand I could I could mirror.
Um, but there was anaccountability factor with Fred
(12:25):
that was a little more intense.
Um so I think the thing that wasspecial about my story, because
I can't tell my story withouttalking about Fred, is um all
men crave a sense ofaccountability and a sense of
coaching.
And that's what I got from fromFred was that coaching.
SPEAKER_03 (12:43):
Is he the one that modeled the idea of um bringing
uh Jesus to the basketballcourt?
Because that's exactly what hiswhole camp was set up for that
purpose.
Is he wanted to preach thegospel but do it in a in a real
tangible way through basketball?
SPEAKER_02 (13:00):
Yeah, I would definitely say that was a big
part of it.
Um I think spiritually I'vealways made sure the gospel was
where I was at.
So I don't see basketball asanything separate than me going
to 7-Eleven.
If if if there's people there,then my spirit enters the same
(13:22):
way.
Uh basketball just happens to bethe vehicle in which I am
feeding my family, and there'speople around, and so they're
gonna get that live wire.
SPEAKER_03 (13:34):
Yeah, yeah.
And so along the way during thiscareer path, then, was the was
the um administration totallycomfortable with your
integrating uh Christianity intothe um into the basketball court
with your teams?
Was that an okay thing andworked well?
SPEAKER_02 (13:51):
Yeah, I had really, really strong bosses or I would
say head coaches who I workedfor early in my career.
And then there's something aboutif you're I always would tell
myself this the you know, beforeI preach something or do
anything, to check the box ofhigh-level competency so they
can trust my decision making.
(14:13):
So if um I'm excellent in thatarea, then this area will be
accepted as that's just part ofhis excellence and not um just
something he's doing just to do.
SPEAKER_04 (14:26):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:27):
And I didn't ever make it a uh standalone
situation.
It was in the flow of life ofcoaching.
Like I don't, I didn't havechapels, I didn't have Bible
studies, it was one-on-one withplayers, and then the flow of my
life, and then all of a suddenwe got five guys and we're
praying because somethinghappened.
(14:48):
Uh so since I think I'veseamlessly done it that way, I
think I've been blessed.
I would say the second thing isI'm very loud on social media
with who I am.
So wherever I've worked, I'vealways made sure they they grasp
that part's not changing.
When I was a junior collegeassistant, I did have some
coaches tell me I would need tochange that to become a division
(15:12):
one coach.
Um, and then I just said, okay,then I won't be a division one
coach.
Like I it would be very hard forme to all of a sudden put that
in a in a in a in a separatecorner of my life.
SPEAKER_03 (15:26):
So Okay, so back to the uh just quickly jump back
again to the NBC camps.
Was there uh a story out of thatperiod when you were were
coaching younger people, youngkids, uh, that you saw some real
change in people, maybe aspecific situation where you
said this guy was going down thewrong path and and and Jesus
(15:48):
changed him.
SPEAKER_02 (15:48):
Yeah, there's a coach um um who came over from
the islands in Hawaii, and uh Iguess some people would say he
he maybe had a little bit of anattitude and and and it was
tougher to coach.
And for me, he he just remindedme uh uh the inner city guys I
grew up around.
And and so me and him stroke upa great relationship.
(16:11):
And he thought in the beginningI was just being a camp coach
with high energy and it wasn'treal, and you're not gonna care
by the third day.
And now we're 15 years into ourfriendship, our relationship,
and he's a high-level uh trainerin California.
He's had multiple guys make itto the next level.
(16:32):
Um and I definitely could say inour relationship, there's been
conversations where he couldhave gone left, he could have
gone right, and before he madeany decisions, he prayed.
And um, and we often rememberthe NBC camp days because he was
like, you know, watching me wasable to for was a great example
(16:55):
for him because he saw it couldbe real.
Like I wasn't being phony.
He just he just thought allpeople like that are fake, like
they're not like that all thetime.
And because you know, if I'mhaving a day where where there's
some tensions and there's somestruggles, I'm okay sharing that
with my team.
(17:15):
The reason I share them that isbecause I also want to share why
I can lift myself up.
Exactly.
So I think in the past I I'veseen people just share the
lifting up part, and uh, playerswould see God or Jesus or
Christianity as Santa Clausdelivering only gifts versus
(17:36):
like someone who can carry youthrough your tough seasons, but
also someone when you're at thehighest of highs lets you
understand how to use that thatmoment.
In my in my language ofcoaching, I and this is just a
natural, I don't use a lot ofreligious overtones, and that's
not by choice or by design,that's just how and how I speak.
(18:00):
And so guys often ask me, Coach,what are you are you talking
about?
And then I'm able to go rightinto what I'm talking about.
Um, and I think that's just justbeing surrounded by basketball
my whole life.
I speak their language that way.
SPEAKER_03 (18:15):
Are you still associated with NBC camps at all
to this day?
SPEAKER_02 (18:18):
Oh, I'll be associated with NBC camps till
the end of time.
So um the school in which I usedto coach at in Florida, the
Division II school, still hostsNBC camps.
I have, I would say, seven oreight former players who are
running and who are part ofrunning NBC camps, who are
directors of NBC camps.
(18:41):
Um, there's a fraternity ofyoung men who uh introduced to
NBC camps that uh are sendingtheir kids now to NBC camps.
SPEAKER_03 (18:50):
Back in the uh day when you when Fred was alive and
and a part of your uh dailylife, he had a lot of uh phrases
that he used uh that peopleremember long term.
What was your favorite FredKroll phrase?
SPEAKER_02 (19:04):
Uh so there's two um piss on pity.
Okay, and and that one would bebecause I got to a place where
my pro if my biggest problem waswe lost a game, and that's what
I'm calling complaining about,then he just like get over it.
(19:27):
Don't be don't sit in that,don't look for pity from
anybody, get over it, go be aleader.
So and those are I I can'tbelieve I I shared that one
because those are in our likeprivate conversations where he
would just come on, RJ, you youyou know, you know, have the you
know how the spirit of fear, youknow, you know, piss on pity,
you know.
SPEAKER_03 (19:47):
I love it.
And what was the other one thatyou're gonna mention?
SPEAKER_02 (19:49):
Uh RPE, relentless pursuit of excellence.
Okay, and and sometimes I'llchange the E, the relentless
pursuit of energy, therelentless pursuit of everyone,
you know, the relentless pursuitof an enemy to not make him an
enemy anymore.
Like so that that RPE one to meum resonates deeply.
(20:11):
Okay, because you have to pursuesomething relentlessly.
Like there's a level of pursuitthat you have to have if you
want to change something or beor become that thing.
Um, and I want to make sure thatI that I do that in in few
areas, not all areas, cannot berelentless.
(20:31):
And so I choose those relentlessareas very wisely.
And so that that came from fromFred.
And you know, I had a nice oneis PMA positive mental attitude.
And the reason I like that oneis because if you start your day
by recognizing where yourattitude is at, you can course
correct and put it into apositive mental space.
(20:54):
And I've been able to use thatone in every in secular
environments where you can walkin and talk about God.
I'm able to use that one, butthey know in which I'm where I'm
coming from with that phrase.
SPEAKER_03 (21:08):
Because they know who you are, because you 100%.
Yeah, yeah.
That's the the the the glory ofit is is that um as when you're
wearing that on your sleeve andeverybody knows it, then what
you say and what you donaturally points to Jesus, uh,
whether you talk about it.
SPEAKER_02 (21:26):
Yeah, and fortunately, I think sometimes
or unfortunately, the lightshines the most when the
organization is going throughtough times.
Because they can see, like,okay, something sustaining him.
What is that?
And it takes over, and afteryou're with someone longer than
a year and coaching, and you seethat, then those that that's
(21:48):
when the questions starthappening.
Yeah, questions don't happenwhen you're winning because
everyone's smile.
It's when something hits theprogram, either outside or
inside, to where you're like,okay, what do we do?
And that's when I stand really,really strong on the faith part.
SPEAKER_03 (22:06):
Very good.
From winning records in Floridato the elite coaching team of
Gonzaga University, RJ Barsh'sjourney is one of perseverance,
passion, and a deep love forJesus on amazing greats.
What about um the transitionsbetween one job and another,
between one a career move andanother?
(22:26):
Uh, was that uh a guidance ofthe Holy Spirit?
Was that something um that youyou you took direction from God
uh in those choices?
SPEAKER_02 (22:36):
Yeah, so when I was um at the junior college and we
had just won the championship,uh I went on a on a fast.
And during that fast, it was uhI graduated from the University
of Puget Sound, and there wasalways a phrase of if you're in
(22:57):
business, if you're in you knowprofessional setting, to know if
you're really good, you probablyshould go far away from home
early to test your theories.
And if you get a good report,then maybe you can duplicate
your product.
But if you never leave home andyou keep having success at home,
(23:17):
eventually you're gonna have aceiling.
And so when I was at the juniorcollege and we won that
championship, I just looked at amap and saw the place furthest
away from Washington State wasFlorida.
And um, I I prayed about it forabout a minute, and then I think
sometimes you don't need to prayabout things because you've been
(23:38):
praying about the thing thatjust showed up, so God's
answering you and the thing thatshowed up.
Yeah, and so I uh had a friendwho was the campus pastor
because it was assemblies of Godschool in Florida, and so he was
like, Man, this fits yourpersonality.
We could use someone with youryouthful energy and your
(24:00):
coaching pedigree, and theschool had not necessarily won
as much gone into this next uhdivision that they were headed
into.
So there were a lot of guys whodidn't want the job, and so um I
decided to take that jump.
People call it a leap of faith,but I mean you're going from
assistant coach to a head coachof a four-year at 26-27.
(24:24):
That was a massive opportunityto see if I could go far from
home and duplicate the process.
And so that was strategic.
The other transitions, I wantedto make sure that I stayed in a
place long enough to where thecommunity and the place I was in
as a head coach, there was anidentity for the program.
(24:48):
Um, I didn't want to have acareer where it was like one
year, one year, one year, oneyear, and it looked like I was
climbing rings on a ladder.
So I stayed there seven years,and some of the things that came
to me in mentorship from certainpeople were like for me to be
successful and to keep myidentity in the way I want,
(25:09):
there's only very few headcoaches I could work for.
And so once I kind of identifiedwho they were, um it was, you
know, coaches who have beencoaching a long time, had
tenured assistants, and mypersonality, my energy would not
(25:30):
come would not be competing withtheirs because they were safe in
their own person.
And so um that left very fewcoaches I could work for.
SPEAKER_03 (25:40):
Yeah.
Florida State was an exceptionto your longevity.
That was a that was just aone-season situation.
SPEAKER_02 (25:46):
Oh, it it it will it will look like that on the
resume.
SPEAKER_03 (25:50):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02 (25:51):
Um, but my first year at Southeastern University
on the drive from Tacoma,Washington to Lakeland, Florida,
I called as many Division I andDivision II schools in Florida
to introduce myself.
Very few coaches called back.
The coaching staff at FloridaState called back and interacted
(26:15):
with me my first year in Floridaas a lowest level of college
basketball NAI basketball coach.
And said, anything you need, letus know.
And for me, Coach LeonardHamilton was is what the person
who I looked up to the most incoaching as far as how he's done
(26:36):
it, because he's also been acivil servant, the way he served
his community, the lessfortunate, he the where he where
he's came from.
And then also being a black headcoach, I wanted to make sure I
had somebody I could identifywith that way.
So he brought me in just likeFred brought me in when I was
13.
(26:57):
Coach Hamilton brought me in in2013, and I was close to the
program from then.
Two players I trained went andplayed there.
I hired one of his formerassistants as my assistant
coach.
We played against him twice.
I mean, you're talking about asmall NAI school playing against
an ACCT.
SPEAKER_03 (27:17):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:18):
So my relationship with him goes way further than
that.
And he's a big time believer.
He he owns a gospel recordinglabel.
SPEAKER_03 (27:28):
Okay, really?
SPEAKER_02 (27:29):
Me and him connected on that before basketball, and
then basketball ended up beinglike, Oh, okay, let's talk
basketball.
And when I took the boise statejob, he said, You'll be there
until I need you.
And so I literally was notleaving Boise State until Coach
Hamilton called.
SPEAKER_03 (27:49):
And so uh, did you have a recording career in mind?
None at all.
I wish.
SPEAKER_02 (27:57):
Um, I I I I have one prayer that by the age of 50,
God turns this raspiness, raspyvoice into a worship leader
voice.
Um, we'll see if that happens.
But uh, but no, I was definitelyin I I I love the business side
of the music industry because italso puts you in different rooms
(28:18):
where you can showcase yourfaith.
And so me and him always uh youknow, um saw eye to eye on that
part.
That it was that basketball wasfun, but it's just basketball.
Okay.
SPEAKER_03 (28:32):
How many years till you're 50?
How many years do we have towait until you come out with
your first album?
SPEAKER_02 (28:37):
Uh I will be 43 in March.
So okay, we got seven years togo.
Yeah, close.
SPEAKER_03 (28:43):
That's excellent.
All right.
So tell me, yeah, uh along theway, we we heard about the
adversity regarding your yourback, breaking your back, which
is huge, but also along the way,is were there other things that
came up that you had to walkthrough?
SPEAKER_02 (28:59):
Yeah, my my uh first year as a head coach, um we
lost, I think, seven games in arow.
Um I had to have a couple ofjobs outside of coaching to
financially secure my family,and so I there was many days
where I felt I may have made aselfish and wrong decision.
(29:22):
So it and the only time I didn'tfeel that way is when I was in
my word.
So I I had to make the wordbasically it's what I would call
the Bible became a speed bump towhere like I put speed bumps
where the word would be aroundme so that I would remind myself
okay, I prayed, I listened, Iresponded.
(29:46):
What does this situation tell meright now?
I'm here for a purpose.
It's bigger than basketball.
And so that was some adversityin that part.
Yeah, and then the ministry thatI had at South.
Was I took a lot of division oneand division two transfers who
were kicked out of school forwhatever reason, whether
(30:08):
academics or you know, somethingto do with off the court and was
able to walk alongside them torehab their careers.
Uh, in my institution, Ken Ingo,Drew Watson, they allowed me to
do that with players.
So there was a lot of successstories of players showing up
(30:29):
and then leaving a differentway.
We got more than 10 pastors, twosenior pastors of churches in
California, one in Atlanta, onein Florida, you know, several
athletic directors, um, one NBAplayer.
So there's there's it was thatpart where I realized we after
(30:53):
realizing that adversity, whereI was like, okay, why am I here?
My team never went on a missiontrip.
And people would always say, Whyis your team not going over?
Because the mission trip to mewas investing so much in my
players that wherever they went,they would be on a mission
field.
And so we get and so and I and Iwould tell them that like we're
not raising money to do it.
(31:14):
That's I don't feel like that'swhat I'm called to do.
I feel like if I can make you,if I can help you get to a
certain place, wherever you go,you're gonna be in that field.
Um, and that was some adversityin my community uh when I made
that decision, but that was aprayerful decision, and thankful
(31:36):
I made that one as well.
SPEAKER_03 (31:38):
Whether he's coaching elite college athletes
or mentoring young players, RJBarsh on Amazing Greats brings
the same message (31:44):
faith first, love always, and excellence
through Christ.
Most of my interviews like toget because everybody has kind
of a different way they hearGod's voice.
Some audibly, others not somuch.
It's just a thought or aknowing.
Uh, can you identify how youknow when you're being directed
(32:07):
by God?
SPEAKER_02 (32:08):
The way that I like to answer that is I don't want
to identify because I don't wantto close a door that could open
that I haven't seen or heardyet.
And I don't want to be lookingfor it in places because I heard
it there before.
So uh I just know this.
If I am if I am disciplined inthe word, it's always going to
(32:30):
speak.
SPEAKER_03 (32:31):
How did the transition to Gonzaga go down?
SPEAKER_02 (32:35):
So Coach Hamilton and Coach Few, obviously two
Hall of Fame legendary coaches,um were on a coach's board for
the NCAA together.
And my name came up for a coupledifferent things, and Coach
Hamilton was speaking about whatI was bringing to his program uh
(32:58):
while we were struggling atFlorida State.
We did not have a good year, X'sand uh wins and loss squads.
But I also knew you know thatwas a great opportunity to be in
the highest level I've ever beenand still not make it just about
basketball.
When I was at the Division II,we played against a team called
(33:20):
Valprazo.
Uh the assistant coach on thatteam was a young man named Roger
Powell, who's now the head coachat Valprazo.
Uh, he was the assistant thatleft Gonzaga to go become the
head coach.
SPEAKER_03 (33:37):
And that's where you got an opening.
SPEAKER_02 (33:40):
And Coach Fu and it, I mean, it's obvious one of his
highest skill sets is he knowshow to assemble the right people
around the his team, whetherit's personnel, whether it's
recruiting, whether it'sstaffing, he knows what his
program's going to needtomorrow.
(34:00):
And so um he was getting readyto do the Olympics.
I had had coaching experienceand a lot of juice when I'm in
the gym, and he felt like thatwas a great fit.
And we got on the phone.
Obviously, we had met before,just being Northwest uh uh
basketball guys, and we had ashort talk, and on to Spokane, I
(34:23):
went.
And it was very interestingbecause the year before that I
was in Spokane for uh Fred'sfuneral.
Okay, and so I spoke at thefuneral.
There was a couple of air andsituations where I was able to
speak to a group, and so I feltlike I was coming home in a
(34:44):
sense as Fred was just had wenthome.
SPEAKER_03 (34:49):
Well, Gonzaga is a uh legendary school.
I mean, the basketball is likeum it's it's to drool over.
I mean, yes, and and and uh MarkPugh is a a legend himself.
What can you tell us about Markthat we don't know?
SPEAKER_02 (35:08):
He comes from uh his parents, his dad's a pastor.
He grew up in the in in thesanctuary.
He's very diligent in hisdisciplines and how he lives his
life with his children.
His children are so present, andthat's the thing that got gave
me so much peace when I came onmy visit and took the job.
(35:31):
Here is it was a normal Tuesday,and he's playing pickleball with
his wife on one side, and hisother two kids are in the weight
room, and then his daughterwalks through and says hello,
and I'm thinking to myself, thisis two national championship
game, title game appearances.
This is and his family loveshim.
(35:55):
If in 20 years that can be me,I'm okay with that.
He's a no-fluff, meaning if itdoesn't matter to the bottom
line, he doesn't spend a lot oftime spending his wills on it,
and he hires people and hesurrounds himself around people
who I might say make him better,but just are truth tellers.
SPEAKER_03 (36:17):
Yeah, he's not yes men, but truth tellers.
SPEAKER_02 (36:20):
Yeah, and there and there's certain there's a
certain level of respect where ayes man is required, but he uh
puts you in position to haveconvictions.
And if you don't have them, itwill be hard to exist here.
And that's why I think we're sosuccessful is because we we even
recruit that way.
He on the recruiting visits, hewants to see if the player
(36:42):
really trusts themselves to beexcellent.
And if there's a backpedal in aplayer, we're not taking them.
SPEAKER_03 (36:49):
Are you a father yourself?
I am, yes.
SPEAKER_02 (36:53):
Uh and uh Carson and Grayson.
Carson is uh 27 and Grayson issix years old.
Oh my gosh, a little spread.
So Carson Carson was was throughmy my previous partner.
I adopted him when he was uh 11.
Um, and he's a phenomenal youngman, lives in Tallahassee, looks
(37:15):
like a superhero, disciplinedweightlifter, and physical
trainer, and runs a gym and isdoing very well for himself.
And I speaking of Coach Few, theway in which this organization
is run, I'm able to take my sonto school every single day.
I'll leave practice and comeback to practice to go and pick
him up, and he'll go sit in thestands.
(37:37):
And my son's school is literallytwo blocks from my office.
SPEAKER_03 (37:41):
Wow.
SPEAKER_02 (37:42):
So there's a there's a reason this place stays
special, is because I believe itstays unique and intimate.
Whereas a lot of places wouldhave started hanging their
trophies and becoming stickingtheir chests out, and that's
just not who he is.
And I I think a lot of thatcomes from his faith.
SPEAKER_03 (38:03):
Excellent.
So there's a thing online that Isaw, it's called Sky Motivation.
Is that still around?
And what is what is that?
It's it's you founded that.
Yes, tell us about it.
SPEAKER_02 (38:14):
So Sky Motivation is uh there's a record label in
Tacoma called Sky Movement thathad several artists make it to
the big time.
And I wanted to find a way to bein the room, talk about God
without having to use thelanguage that certain
individuals would then closetheir ears to.
(38:36):
So sky, look up to the sky asGod, and then motivation.
So sky motivation became myhashtag, in a sense, to talk
about my faith in a way intowhich others would also talk
about it.
And so it's still a thing today.
I would say there's a tangiblelike business model to it.
(38:56):
It's it's nothing I've profitedoff of.
It's literally me taking theBible, using quotes, and
starting conversations off ofthose phrases, and then hashtag
and sky motivation and usingthat as the language to the
masses.
SPEAKER_03 (39:15):
So good because you know, sometimes uh just the word
Christianity scares people away.
Um, and so when you can model itand um integrate it without
being uh forceful or pushy, uhwhat a great opportunity to
share the gospel.
SPEAKER_02 (39:32):
And I think there's, I mean, you you you you witness
in your personality.
So if someone else is forcefuland pushy, but that is who they
are, that's their that's howthey negotiate their lives, then
I think it works.
For me, this is how I I just Ilike that it's coach in front of
my name and that pastor becausecoaches, I can walk in any room
(39:56):
and young men are going tolisten.
SPEAKER_03 (39:58):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (39:59):
So um, those are conscious decisions I made
through prayer.
SPEAKER_03 (40:03):
All right, final question for you.
And we we've this has beenyou've given me a good chunk of
your time, and I appreciatethat.
Uh, is can you share with usyour uh spiritual disciplines on
a day-to-day basis?
I mean, is there is there a uh adiscipline that you stick to
regularly?
SPEAKER_02 (40:23):
Well, yeah, you 100%.
Um I call it the aim.
So it's uh affirmation, it's uhimagination, and then it's you
know a meditative on thescripture.
So before I go to bed, I'll takea water bottle and I'll take the
label off it.
And I started doing this about14 years ago.
When I take the label off, Itake the label off just because
(40:45):
I don't want to label anyone andI don't want to be labeled.
Then I'll take a marker and I'llwrite a word on that bottle.
It's usually a word fromscripture.
Um, I've been studying theHebrew, so I'll use a Hebrew
word.
The word yesterday was imuna,but means a conviction through
faith and trial, like you knowwhy you believe what you
(41:08):
believe.
I'll write that on the waterbottle and I'll put that water
bottle right in front of myphone.
So right when my alarm goes off,the first thing that I do is I
see that word on the water, andI will drink the bottle water,
which you gotta drink somewater.
Then I will imagine in myselfbecoming that in my day, and
(41:33):
then either some worship musicor quietness or straight to my
devotion for the day for threeor four minutes, and that's the
mindfulness or meditative part.
And the acronym is AIM, becauseI feel like if I aim in the
morning, then it's really hardnot to have a phenomenal,
phenomenal day.
When I say phenomenal, itdoesn't mean lack of adversity,
(41:54):
but one on which I open the doorup for God to enter that day
before I jump on the treadmillof worry, doubt, comparison, and
envy that happens to be my cellphone.
So that that's that's one that Ido no matter what.
SPEAKER_03 (42:13):
All right.
You're a live out of the line.
We're gonna title this podcastepisode is The Live Wire.
SPEAKER_02 (42:27):
Thank you so much for having for having me on and
doing and doing what you do, andyou never know uh who's gonna be
listening, why they'relistening, and uh I'm just
thankful I was on this platform.
SPEAKER_03 (42:40):
Thank you so much.
Have a great day, RJ.
You too.
Well, from community collegecourts to the national
spotlight, Coach RJ Farsh hasshown that the victory isn't
necessarily on the scoreboard,but in living boldly for Jesus
and shaping lives through loveand purpose.
His journey reminds us that whenfaith drives the mission, every
(43:01):
moment on and off the court canbecome a ministry.
Thanks for joining us once againon Amazing Great.
God bless.
We'll see you next time.
We are live and write with a new friend.
It is RJ Barsh, coach at one ofthe coaching team at Gonzaga
University.
That's our guest on AmazingGreats.
Not only is a passionatebasketball guru, but on top of
that, he's a he's a live wirefollower of Jesus Christ.
(01:02):
And we're going to talk aboutthat and the basketball career
and all things that make up RJBarsh.
So let's get started.
RJ, thank you for being heretoday.
SPEAKER_02 (01:12):
I'm excited to be here.
Um I I like the term live wire.
There's something special aboutthat, right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You don't get to touch a livewire and not be changed.
SPEAKER_03 (01:27):
That's right.
So I got to tell you a quicklittle story, and that is that
you know, I have this jealousykind of relationship with
basketball players.
Because when I was in highschool, uh, you'd go to a Friday
night basketball game and thestands would be crowded with
people and there'd becheerleaders, and it'd be a big,
big event.
Well, it just so happens that Iwas a five foot seven wrestler.
(01:49):
And so when you go to awrestling match at a high
school, and there's like 12people in the stand, and usually
they're just moms and dads,right?
SPEAKER_04 (01:56):
So yes.
SPEAKER_03 (01:57):
So we always relish the idea of having an actual
stadium full of people.
Uh, and you got that for yearsand still do.
So that's great.
SPEAKER_02 (02:07):
That is, it didn't know it wasn't always that way.
No, yeah.
The the career started off insome places where it only could
fit 300 people in the gym andmaybe 100 showed up.
Okay.
All right.
SPEAKER_03 (02:19):
Well, that's now let's get started right there
because um you are the the wholestory of RJ Bars seems to be
from a guy from the outsidelooking at your resume, which I
have right here.
Um it looks like uh a career ofnothing but winning all the way
(02:40):
down.
Like you started out uh aLincoln High School basketball
player back in the day, and andthey were red hot when you were
playing uh with that team.
Then you went on to TacomaCommunity College.
Uh, and Tacoma Community Collegesays right here, uh, you won
three Western regional titles infour seasons, and then an NWAACC
championship in 2012.
(03:02):
Then you moved on to Lakeland,Florida, where you spent seven
years.
And over those seven years, youled SEU, that is Southeastern
University, the first three NAAN AIA, Division II national
tournaments, on and on we go.
Then you're off to Boise State,then to to uh Florida State, and
(03:23):
now you're here in WashingtonState at Gonzaga University, a
school that is um you knowrespected and successful and has
been for years, and now you're apart of that coaching team.
So, wow, and then on top of allof that, somewhere along the
line, I read where you said umone of the things that you like
(03:45):
to teach new players is how touh face adversity.
And I'm wondering how you got tothat when it doesn't seem like
you've had adversity.
SPEAKER_02 (03:54):
Yeah, you know, um there should be a section on the
resume of trial and error.
Okay.
So people so so people can seethe steps it took to be in those
places.
Um I believe I faced adversityas a player.
(04:14):
You know, when I was at CentralWashington University Division
II school, I broke my back.
Wow.
Breaking my back, I was the oneguy when coaches always tell
their players, you never knowwhen you play your last game.
Oh I did not know when I playedmy last game, but I also played
with a certain level of energyand enthusiasm that I was
(04:38):
thankful with the way I left thefloor.
So I didn't play another collegebasketball game after that.
So I was faced really early inlife between the ages of 20 and
21 of which direction in which Iwould go.
And you know, that was kind ofmy bridge to coaching because I
was still fresh in thebasketball scene, and it's what
(04:59):
I knew.
It seemed to be the place I feltthe most comfortable to correct
and to encourage and to teach.
And so threw myself in all theway to basketball as a as a as a
teacher.
And so that was a lot ofadversity because uh, you know,
my friends are talking about youknow their highlights and their
(05:20):
stats, and I have no, I have notnothing to give in those
moments.
SPEAKER_03 (05:25):
So back when you're in high school, uh prior to to
all of that, uh were you um justto kind of trace this back, were
you a Christian at that point?
SPEAKER_02 (05:36):
Did you know Jesus?
I went to I went to Pialp HighSchool, uh, I was born and
raised uh in the ways of uh ofthe faith by my parents.
My dad was a pastor and and anda preacher, and my mom was mom
is is a diligent prayer warrior.
Uh the Bible is front and centerin our family.
(05:59):
And uh so I would it was modeledthroughout my entire life of
what it looked like to be afollower of Christ.
Um I would say I was alwaysvocal about those things growing
up.
It just naturally was uh who Iwas and who I am.
That adversity of the back mademe double down on my faith
(06:23):
because I needed to be carried.
And up until that point, I thinkI was living on the faith that I
was borrowing from my parentsand from my pastors.
My faith was tested in thatmoment.
It wasn't, you know, thetemptations that most human face
at that age for whateverpurposes, God had graced me to
not have those.
(06:43):
But that failure of now I haveto have a different dream, a
different direction, made mefind my prayer life.
But in high school, I Idefinitely also I wore my my
faith on my sleeve.
SPEAKER_03 (06:56):
I did not know that about your story, the back
issue.
And and so that was a kind of achange of identity at that point
because you were a player andthat's what you intended to be
and wanted to be.
And all of a sudden you're notthat.
So, how did you make that pivot?
I mean, was it an automatic kindof oh well, I'll do this then?
SPEAKER_02 (07:14):
Or well, for me, um growing up, I always, in the way
my parents raised me, did wantedto be seen as more than just
what I was doing as a basketballplayer.
So uh a high-level academic, um,loved to read, loved to write.
And so I always in the back ofmy mind knew the ball would get
(07:35):
flat.
I just remember, I'm not surewhich coach it was, but I heard
this story, and maybe JohnThompson, but I could and maybe,
maybe not, where he had a knifeand he put it into a basketball
during a talk with one of hisplayers to let his players know
that eventually the ball goesflat, and you better have
something in your life you canlean on professionally,
(07:59):
spiritually, vocationally,because not a lot of you know
45-year-old basketball players,right?
So you gotta figure out adifferent path.
So I've always been thinkingabout that part of my life and
what that would look like.
I always enjoyed being aroundpeople and coaching people, so I
knew it would be somewhere inthat capacity, and so but yeah,
(08:22):
that losing the identity of nowI can't chase something that's
so tangible was was was a highlevel frustration.
SPEAKER_03 (08:31):
And prayers at that point were significant, and
that's kind of where you madeyour pivot from uh growing up as
a Christian and becoming a realfollower of Jesus on a whole
different level.
Is that right?
SPEAKER_02 (08:42):
Yeah, I definitely would say on a different level.
I don't know if the realnessnecessarily changed as much, but
uh the depths of my relationshipwith God went to a different
level because I understood likein the back, I mean God was was
yelling, I was yelling why.
Yeah, yeah, and so um, and upuntil that point the prayers
(09:04):
were pretty modest.
SPEAKER_03 (09:06):
And did you get did you get an answer to the why?
Yes, I did, yeah, yeah, and andthat and was that answer uh
because I have new direction foryou.
SPEAKER_02 (09:18):
Well, the answer was more of uh I've equipped you to
help others find reach theirgoal.
So are you okay pushing someoneelse?
And so I was like in my head,I'm thinking like, okay, I
always heard the quotes, youknow, we're standing on the
shoulders of those before us.
And so I was thinking, okay, Iguess in coaching you can
(09:42):
encourage and motivate.
So I just started motivatingpeople to chase their dreams,
and I got so much um momentum inmy heart from that.
SPEAKER_03 (09:50):
And when did you hook up then with uh NBC camps?
Was that uh earlier on?
SPEAKER_02 (09:56):
Yeah, and that's a big part of the faith journey
too.
I was about 13 years old when Istarted going to NBC camps, and
uh my best friend Jacob Washburnuh invited me and took me to
camp.
And I couldn't afford camp thefirst month, first year.
And so Fred Crow, uh RogerSmith, they allowed me to be a
(10:18):
junior counselor in Auburn.
So I was able to like clean upthe gym during camp and then
attend camp the next day.
So I ended up doing that foreight weeks, a summer, 13 all
the way till I went to college.
And so at 15 and 16 years old, Iwas coaching the
(10:38):
eight-year-old's coachingdivision.
And by the time I was 20, me andFred were traveling the country
running camps together.
SPEAKER_03 (10:47):
You're listening to Amazing Greats.
Today's guest, RJ Barsh, isn'tjust a basketball coach, he's a
man on a mission to use the gameas a platform for faith, for
purpose, and for transformation.
Okay, quickly out because Idon't know how many of our
listeners have heard the FredKroll story, but he was one of
our guests back in uh it's beena couple years ago now, because
(11:08):
he's he's passed.
Uh, but uh his story wasincredible.
And so NBC Camps is Northwestbasketball camp.
Uh, it started here in theNorthwest, but it's all over the
place now.
And so I'm just using this as akind of description for those
listeners who aren't up to date.
And so we can talk about Fred,who is an enigma all of his own,
(11:28):
uh, just an amazing individual.
Tell us, tell us your take onFred Kroll.
SPEAKER_02 (11:34):
Fred Krohl was an anchor for me.
He allowed me to run wild butnot get too far.
SPEAKER_03 (11:40):
Okay.
SPEAKER_02 (11:40):
He allowed me to, you know, express my creativity
in basketball and coaching, andI felt safe to chase to chase
some of those dreams as a headcoach very young because he had
done those things when he was inAlaska.
Um I wasn't scared of a pivot inmy career because he pivoted
from Samford to being acounselor to running the
(12:02):
greatest camps in the world.
Um and he held me accountable.
His son Jay and I became reallygood friends, and it gave me a
community.
Being close to Fred gave me acommunity of men that were
living in a way I could admireand I could I could mirror.
Um, but there was anaccountability factor with Fred
(12:25):
that was a little more intense.
Um so I think the thing that wasspecial about my story, because
I can't tell my story withouttalking about Fred, is um all
men crave a sense ofaccountability and a sense of
coaching.
And that's what I got from fromFred was that coaching.
SPEAKER_03 (12:43):
Is he the one that modeled the idea of um bringing
uh Jesus to the basketballcourt?
Because that's exactly what hiswhole camp was set up for that
purpose.
Is he wanted to preach thegospel but do it in a in a real
tangible way through basketball?
SPEAKER_02 (13:00):
Yeah, I would definitely say that was a big
part of it.
Um I think spiritually I'vealways made sure the gospel was
where I was at.
So I don't see basketball asanything separate than me going
to 7-Eleven.
If if if there's people there,then my spirit enters the same
(13:22):
way.
Uh basketball just happens to bethe vehicle in which I am
feeding my family, and there'speople around, and so they're
gonna get that live wire.
SPEAKER_03 (13:34):
Yeah, yeah.
And so along the way during thiscareer path, then, was the was
the um administration totallycomfortable with your
integrating uh Christianity intothe um into the basketball court
with your teams?
Was that an okay thing andworked well?
SPEAKER_02 (13:51):
Yeah, I had really, really strong bosses or I would
say head coaches who I workedfor early in my career.
And then there's something aboutif you're I always would tell
myself this the you know, beforeI preach something or do
anything, to check the box ofhigh-level competency so they
can trust my decision making.
(14:13):
So if um I'm excellent in thatarea, then this area will be
accepted as that's just part ofhis excellence and not um just
something he's doing just to do.
SPEAKER_04 (14:26):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:27):
And I didn't ever make it a uh standalone
situation.
It was in the flow of life ofcoaching.
Like I don't, I didn't havechapels, I didn't have Bible
studies, it was one-on-one withplayers, and then the flow of my
life, and then all of a suddenwe got five guys and we're
praying because somethinghappened.
(14:48):
Uh so since I think I'veseamlessly done it that way, I
think I've been blessed.
I would say the second thing isI'm very loud on social media
with who I am.
So wherever I've worked, I'vealways made sure they they grasp
that part's not changing.
When I was a junior collegeassistant, I did have some
coaches tell me I would need tochange that to become a division
(15:12):
one coach.
Um, and then I just said, okay,then I won't be a division one
coach.
Like I it would be very hard forme to all of a sudden put that
in a in a in a in a separatecorner of my life.
SPEAKER_03 (15:26):
So Okay, so back to the uh just quickly jump back
again to the NBC camps.
Was there uh a story out of thatperiod when you were were
coaching younger people, youngkids, uh, that you saw some real
change in people, maybe aspecific situation where you
said this guy was going down thewrong path and and and Jesus
(15:48):
changed him.
SPEAKER_02 (15:48):
Yeah, there's a coach um um who came over from
the islands in Hawaii, and uh Iguess some people would say he
he maybe had a little bit of anattitude and and and it was
tougher to coach.
And for me, he he just remindedme uh uh the inner city guys I
grew up around.
And and so me and him stroke upa great relationship.
(16:11):
And he thought in the beginningI was just being a camp coach
with high energy and it wasn'treal, and you're not gonna care
by the third day.
And now we're 15 years into ourfriendship, our relationship,
and he's a high-level uh trainerin California.
He's had multiple guys make itto the next level.
(16:32):
Um and I definitely could say inour relationship, there's been
conversations where he couldhave gone left, he could have
gone right, and before he madeany decisions, he prayed.
And um, and we often rememberthe NBC camp days because he was
like, you know, watching me wasable to for was a great example
(16:55):
for him because he saw it couldbe real.
Like I wasn't being phony.
He just he just thought allpeople like that are fake, like
they're not like that all thetime.
And because you know, if I'mhaving a day where where there's
some tensions and there's somestruggles, I'm okay sharing that
with my team.
(17:15):
The reason I share them that isbecause I also want to share why
I can lift myself up.
Exactly.
So I think in the past I I'veseen people just share the
lifting up part, and uh, playerswould see God or Jesus or
Christianity as Santa Clausdelivering only gifts versus
(17:36):
like someone who can carry youthrough your tough seasons, but
also someone when you're at thehighest of highs lets you
understand how to use that thatmoment.
In my in my language ofcoaching, I and this is just a
natural, I don't use a lot ofreligious overtones, and that's
not by choice or by design,that's just how and how I speak.
(18:00):
And so guys often ask me, Coach,what are you are you talking
about?
And then I'm able to go rightinto what I'm talking about.
Um, and I think that's just justbeing surrounded by basketball
my whole life.
I speak their language that way.
SPEAKER_03 (18:15):
Are you still associated with NBC camps at all
to this day?
SPEAKER_02 (18:18):
Oh, I'll be associated with NBC camps till
the end of time.
So um the school in which I usedto coach at in Florida, the
Division II school, still hostsNBC camps.
I have, I would say, seven oreight former players who are
running and who are part ofrunning NBC camps, who are
directors of NBC camps.
(18:41):
Um, there's a fraternity ofyoung men who uh introduced to
NBC camps that uh are sendingtheir kids now to NBC camps.
SPEAKER_03 (18:50):
Back in the uh day when you when Fred was alive and
and a part of your uh dailylife, he had a lot of uh phrases
that he used uh that peopleremember long term.
What was your favorite FredKroll phrase?
SPEAKER_02 (19:04):
Uh so there's two um piss on pity.
Okay, and and that one would bebecause I got to a place where
my pro if my biggest problem waswe lost a game, and that's what
I'm calling complaining about,then he just like get over it.
(19:27):
Don't be don't sit in that,don't look for pity from
anybody, get over it, go be aleader.
So and those are I I can'tbelieve I I shared that one
because those are in our likeprivate conversations where he
would just come on, RJ, you youyou know, you know, have the you
know how the spirit of fear, youknow, you know, piss on pity,
you know.
SPEAKER_03 (19:47):
I love it.
And what was the other one thatyou're gonna mention?
SPEAKER_02 (19:49):
Uh RPE, relentless pursuit of excellence.
Okay, and and sometimes I'llchange the E, the relentless
pursuit of energy, therelentless pursuit of everyone,
you know, the relentless pursuitof an enemy to not make him an
enemy anymore.
Like so that that RPE one to meum resonates deeply.
(20:11):
Okay, because you have to pursuesomething relentlessly.
Like there's a level of pursuitthat you have to have if you
want to change something or beor become that thing.
Um, and I want to make sure thatI that I do that in in few
areas, not all areas, cannot berelentless.
(20:31):
And so I choose those relentlessareas very wisely.
And so that that came from fromFred.
And you know, I had a nice oneis PMA positive mental attitude.
And the reason I like that oneis because if you start your day
by recognizing where yourattitude is at, you can course
correct and put it into apositive mental space.
(20:54):
And I've been able to use thatone in every in secular
environments where you can walkin and talk about God.
I'm able to use that one, butthey know in which I'm where I'm
coming from with that phrase.
SPEAKER_03 (21:08):
Because they know who you are, because you 100%.
Yeah, yeah.
That's the the the the glory ofit is is that um as when you're
wearing that on your sleeve andeverybody knows it, then what
you say and what you donaturally points to Jesus, uh,
whether you talk about it.
SPEAKER_02 (21:26):
Yeah, and fortunately, I think sometimes
or unfortunately, the lightshines the most when the
organization is going throughtough times.
Because they can see, like,okay, something sustaining him.
What is that?
And it takes over, and afteryou're with someone longer than
a year and coaching, and you seethat, then those that that's
(21:48):
when the questions starthappening.
Yeah, questions don't happenwhen you're winning because
everyone's smile.
It's when something hits theprogram, either outside or
inside, to where you're like,okay, what do we do?
And that's when I stand really,really strong on the faith part.
SPEAKER_03 (22:06):
Very good.
From winning records in Floridato the elite coaching team of
Gonzaga University, RJ Barsh'sjourney is one of perseverance,
passion, and a deep love forJesus on amazing greats.
What about um the transitionsbetween one job and another,
between one a career move andanother?
(22:26):
Uh, was that uh a guidance ofthe Holy Spirit?
Was that something um that youyou you took direction from God
uh in those choices?
SPEAKER_02 (22:36):
Yeah, so when I was um at the junior college and we
had just won the championship,uh I went on a on a fast.
And during that fast, it was uhI graduated from the University
of Puget Sound, and there wasalways a phrase of if you're in
(22:57):
business, if you're in you knowprofessional setting, to know if
you're really good, you probablyshould go far away from home
early to test your theories.
And if you get a good report,then maybe you can duplicate
your product.
But if you never leave home andyou keep having success at home,
(23:17):
eventually you're gonna have aceiling.
And so when I was at the juniorcollege and we won that
championship, I just looked at amap and saw the place furthest
away from Washington State wasFlorida.
And um, I I prayed about it forabout a minute, and then I think
sometimes you don't need to prayabout things because you've been
(23:38):
praying about the thing thatjust showed up, so God's
answering you and the thing thatshowed up.
Yeah, and so I uh had a friendwho was the campus pastor
because it was assemblies of Godschool in Florida, and so he was
like, Man, this fits yourpersonality.
We could use someone with youryouthful energy and your
(24:00):
coaching pedigree, and theschool had not necessarily won
as much gone into this next uhdivision that they were headed
into.
So there were a lot of guys whodidn't want the job, and so um I
decided to take that jump.
People call it a leap of faith,but I mean you're going from
assistant coach to a head coachof a four-year at 26-27.
(24:24):
That was a massive opportunityto see if I could go far from
home and duplicate the process.
And so that was strategic.
The other transitions, I wantedto make sure that I stayed in a
place long enough to where thecommunity and the place I was in
as a head coach, there was anidentity for the program.
(24:48):
Um, I didn't want to have acareer where it was like one
year, one year, one year, oneyear, and it looked like I was
climbing rings on a ladder.
So I stayed there seven years,and some of the things that came
to me in mentorship from certainpeople were like for me to be
successful and to keep myidentity in the way I want,
(25:09):
there's only very few headcoaches I could work for.
And so once I kind of identifiedwho they were, um it was, you
know, coaches who have beencoaching a long time, had
tenured assistants, and mypersonality, my energy would not
(25:30):
come would not be competing withtheirs because they were safe in
their own person.
And so um that left very fewcoaches I could work for.
SPEAKER_03 (25:40):
Yeah.
Florida State was an exceptionto your longevity.
That was a that was just aone-season situation.
SPEAKER_02 (25:46):
Oh, it it it will it will look like that on the
resume.
SPEAKER_03 (25:50):
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02 (25:51):
Um, but my first year at Southeastern University
on the drive from Tacoma,Washington to Lakeland, Florida,
I called as many Division I andDivision II schools in Florida
to introduce myself.
Very few coaches called back.
The coaching staff at FloridaState called back and interacted
(26:15):
with me my first year in Floridaas a lowest level of college
basketball NAI basketball coach.
And said, anything you need, letus know.
And for me, Coach LeonardHamilton was is what the person
who I looked up to the most incoaching as far as how he's done
(26:36):
it, because he's also been acivil servant, the way he served
his community, the lessfortunate, he the where he where
he's came from.
And then also being a black headcoach, I wanted to make sure I
had somebody I could identifywith that way.
So he brought me in just likeFred brought me in when I was
13.
(26:57):
Coach Hamilton brought me in in2013, and I was close to the
program from then.
Two players I trained went andplayed there.
I hired one of his formerassistants as my assistant
coach.
We played against him twice.
I mean, you're talking about asmall NAI school playing against
an ACCT.
SPEAKER_03 (27:17):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:18):
So my relationship with him goes way further than
that.
And he's a big time believer.
He he owns a gospel recordinglabel.
SPEAKER_03 (27:28):
Okay, really?
SPEAKER_02 (27:29):
Me and him connected on that before basketball, and
then basketball ended up beinglike, Oh, okay, let's talk
basketball.
And when I took the boise statejob, he said, You'll be there
until I need you.
And so I literally was notleaving Boise State until Coach
Hamilton called.
SPEAKER_03 (27:49):
And so uh, did you have a recording career in mind?
None at all.
I wish.
SPEAKER_02 (27:57):
Um, I I I I have one prayer that by the age of 50,
God turns this raspiness, raspyvoice into a worship leader
voice.
Um, we'll see if that happens.
But uh, but no, I was definitelyin I I I love the business side
of the music industry because italso puts you in different rooms
(28:18):
where you can showcase yourfaith.
And so me and him always uh youknow, um saw eye to eye on that
part.
That it was that basketball wasfun, but it's just basketball.
Okay.
SPEAKER_03 (28:32):
How many years till you're 50?
How many years do we have towait until you come out with
your first album?
SPEAKER_02 (28:37):
Uh I will be 43 in March.
So okay, we got seven years togo.
Yeah, close.
SPEAKER_03 (28:43):
That's excellent.
All right.
So tell me, yeah, uh along theway, we we heard about the
adversity regarding your yourback, breaking your back, which
is huge, but also along the way,is were there other things that
came up that you had to walkthrough?
SPEAKER_02 (28:59):
Yeah, my my uh first year as a head coach, um we
lost, I think, seven games in arow.
Um I had to have a couple ofjobs outside of coaching to
financially secure my family,and so I there was many days
where I felt I may have made aselfish and wrong decision.
(29:22):
So it and the only time I didn'tfeel that way is when I was in
my word.
So I I had to make the wordbasically it's what I would call
the Bible became a speed bump towhere like I put speed bumps
where the word would be aroundme so that I would remind myself
okay, I prayed, I listened, Iresponded.
(29:46):
What does this situation tell meright now?
I'm here for a purpose.
It's bigger than basketball.
And so that was some adversityin that part.
Yeah, and then the ministry thatI had at South.
Was I took a lot of division oneand division two transfers who
were kicked out of school forwhatever reason, whether
(30:08):
academics or you know, somethingto do with off the court and was
able to walk alongside them torehab their careers.
Uh, in my institution, Ken Ingo,Drew Watson, they allowed me to
do that with players.
So there was a lot of successstories of players showing up
(30:29):
and then leaving a differentway.
We got more than 10 pastors, twosenior pastors of churches in
California, one in Atlanta, onein Florida, you know, several
athletic directors, um, one NBAplayer.
So there's there's it was thatpart where I realized we after
(30:53):
realizing that adversity, whereI was like, okay, why am I here?
My team never went on a missiontrip.
And people would always say, Whyis your team not going over?
Because the mission trip to mewas investing so much in my
players that wherever they went,they would be on a mission
field.
And so we get and so and I and Iwould tell them that like we're
not raising money to do it.
(31:14):
That's I don't feel like that'swhat I'm called to do.
I feel like if I can make you,if I can help you get to a
certain place, wherever you go,you're gonna be in that field.
Um, and that was some adversityin my community uh when I made
that decision, but that was aprayerful decision, and thankful
(31:36):
I made that one as well.
SPEAKER_03 (31:38):
Whether he's coaching elite college athletes
or mentoring young players, RJBarsh on Amazing Greats brings
the same message (31:44):
faith first, love always, and excellence
through Christ.
Most of my interviews like toget because everybody has kind
of a different way they hearGod's voice.
Some audibly, others not somuch.
It's just a thought or aknowing.
Uh, can you identify how youknow when you're being directed
(32:07):
by God?
SPEAKER_02 (32:08):
The way that I like to answer that is I don't want
to identify because I don't wantto close a door that could open
that I haven't seen or heardyet.
And I don't want to be lookingfor it in places because I heard
it there before.
So uh I just know this.
If I am if I am disciplined inthe word, it's always going to
(32:30):
speak.
SPEAKER_03 (32:31):
How did the transition to Gonzaga go down?
SPEAKER_02 (32:35):
So Coach Hamilton and Coach Few, obviously two
Hall of Fame legendary coaches,um were on a coach's board for
the NCAA together.
And my name came up for a coupledifferent things, and Coach
Hamilton was speaking about whatI was bringing to his program uh
(32:58):
while we were struggling atFlorida State.
We did not have a good year, X'sand uh wins and loss squads.
But I also knew you know thatwas a great opportunity to be in
the highest level I've ever beenand still not make it just about
basketball.
When I was at the Division II,we played against a team called
(33:20):
Valprazo.
Uh the assistant coach on thatteam was a young man named Roger
Powell, who's now the head coachat Valprazo.
Uh, he was the assistant thatleft Gonzaga to go become the
head coach.
SPEAKER_03 (33:37):
And that's where you got an opening.
SPEAKER_02 (33:40):
And Coach Fu and it, I mean, it's obvious one of his
highest skill sets is he knowshow to assemble the right people
around the his team, whetherit's personnel, whether it's
recruiting, whether it'sstaffing, he knows what his
program's going to needtomorrow.
(34:00):
And so um he was getting readyto do the Olympics.
I had had coaching experienceand a lot of juice when I'm in
the gym, and he felt like thatwas a great fit.
And we got on the phone.
Obviously, we had met before,just being Northwest uh uh
basketball guys, and we had ashort talk, and on to Spokane, I
(34:23):
went.
And it was very interestingbecause the year before that I
was in Spokane for uh Fred'sfuneral.
Okay, and so I spoke at thefuneral.
There was a couple of air andsituations where I was able to
speak to a group, and so I feltlike I was coming home in a
(34:44):
sense as Fred was just had wenthome.
SPEAKER_03 (34:49):
Well, Gonzaga is a uh legendary school.
I mean, the basketball is likeum it's it's to drool over.
I mean, yes, and and and uh MarkPugh is a a legend himself.
What can you tell us about Markthat we don't know?
SPEAKER_02 (35:08):
He comes from uh his parents, his dad's a pastor.
He grew up in the in in thesanctuary.
He's very diligent in hisdisciplines and how he lives his
life with his children.
His children are so present, andthat's the thing that got gave
me so much peace when I came onmy visit and took the job.
(35:31):
Here is it was a normal Tuesday,and he's playing pickleball with
his wife on one side, and hisother two kids are in the weight
room, and then his daughterwalks through and says hello,
and I'm thinking to myself, thisis two national championship
game, title game appearances.
This is and his family loveshim.
(35:55):
If in 20 years that can be me,I'm okay with that.
He's a no-fluff, meaning if itdoesn't matter to the bottom
line, he doesn't spend a lot oftime spending his wills on it,
and he hires people and hesurrounds himself around people
who I might say make him better,but just are truth tellers.
SPEAKER_03 (36:17):
Yeah, he's not yes men, but truth tellers.
SPEAKER_02 (36:20):
Yeah, and there and there's certain there's a
certain level of respect where ayes man is required, but he uh
puts you in position to haveconvictions.
And if you don't have them, itwill be hard to exist here.
And that's why I think we're sosuccessful is because we we even
recruit that way.
He on the recruiting visits, hewants to see if the player
(36:42):
really trusts themselves to beexcellent.
And if there's a backpedal in aplayer, we're not taking them.
SPEAKER_03 (36:49):
Are you a father yourself?
I am, yes.
SPEAKER_02 (36:53):
Uh and uh Carson and Grayson.
Carson is uh 27 and Grayson issix years old.
Oh my gosh, a little spread.
So Carson Carson was was throughmy my previous partner.
I adopted him when he was uh 11.
Um, and he's a phenomenal youngman, lives in Tallahassee, looks
(37:15):
like a superhero, disciplinedweightlifter, and physical
trainer, and runs a gym and isdoing very well for himself.
And I speaking of Coach Few, theway in which this organization
is run, I'm able to take my sonto school every single day.
I'll leave practice and comeback to practice to go and pick
him up, and he'll go sit in thestands.
(37:37):
And my son's school is literallytwo blocks from my office.
SPEAKER_03 (37:41):
Wow.
SPEAKER_02 (37:42):
So there's a there's a reason this place stays
special, is because I believe itstays unique and intimate.
Whereas a lot of places wouldhave started hanging their
trophies and becoming stickingtheir chests out, and that's
just not who he is.
And I I think a lot of thatcomes from his faith.
SPEAKER_03 (38:03):
Excellent.
So there's a thing online that Isaw, it's called Sky Motivation.
Is that still around?
And what is what is that?
It's it's you founded that.
Yes, tell us about it.
SPEAKER_02 (38:14):
So Sky Motivation is uh there's a record label in
Tacoma called Sky Movement thathad several artists make it to
the big time.
And I wanted to find a way to bein the room, talk about God
without having to use thelanguage that certain
individuals would then closetheir ears to.
(38:36):
So sky, look up to the sky asGod, and then motivation.
So sky motivation became myhashtag, in a sense, to talk
about my faith in a way intowhich others would also talk
about it.
And so it's still a thing today.
I would say there's a tangiblelike business model to it.
(38:56):
It's it's nothing I've profitedoff of.
It's literally me taking theBible, using quotes, and
starting conversations off ofthose phrases, and then hashtag
and sky motivation and usingthat as the language to the
masses.
SPEAKER_03 (39:15):
So good because you know, sometimes uh just the word
Christianity scares people away.
Um, and so when you can model itand um integrate it without
being uh forceful or pushy, uhwhat a great opportunity to
share the gospel.
SPEAKER_02 (39:32):
And I think there's, I mean, you you you you witness
in your personality.
So if someone else is forcefuland pushy, but that is who they
are, that's their that's howthey negotiate their lives, then
I think it works.
For me, this is how I I just Ilike that it's coach in front of
my name and that pastor becausecoaches, I can walk in any room
(39:56):
and young men are going tolisten.
SPEAKER_03 (39:58):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (39:59):
So um, those are conscious decisions I made
through prayer.
SPEAKER_03 (40:03):
All right, final question for you.
And we we've this has beenyou've given me a good chunk of
your time, and I appreciatethat.
Uh, is can you share with usyour uh spiritual disciplines on
a day-to-day basis?
I mean, is there is there a uh adiscipline that you stick to
regularly?
SPEAKER_02 (40:23):
Well, yeah, you 100%.
Um I call it the aim.
So it's uh affirmation, it's uhimagination, and then it's you
know a meditative on thescripture.
So before I go to bed, I'll takea water bottle and I'll take the
label off it.
And I started doing this about14 years ago.
When I take the label off, Itake the label off just because
(40:45):
I don't want to label anyone andI don't want to be labeled.
Then I'll take a marker and I'llwrite a word on that bottle.
It's usually a word fromscripture.
Um, I've been studying theHebrew, so I'll use a Hebrew
word.
The word yesterday was imuna,but means a conviction through
faith and trial, like you knowwhy you believe what you
(41:08):
believe.
I'll write that on the waterbottle and I'll put that water
bottle right in front of myphone.
So right when my alarm goes off,the first thing that I do is I
see that word on the water, andI will drink the bottle water,
which you gotta drink somewater.
Then I will imagine in myselfbecoming that in my day, and
(41:33):
then either some worship musicor quietness or straight to my
devotion for the day for threeor four minutes, and that's the
mindfulness or meditative part.
And the acronym is AIM, becauseI feel like if I aim in the
morning, then it's really hardnot to have a phenomenal,
phenomenal day.
When I say phenomenal, itdoesn't mean lack of adversity,
(41:54):
but one on which I open the doorup for God to enter that day
before I jump on the treadmillof worry, doubt, comparison, and
envy that happens to be my cellphone.
So that that's that's one that Ido no matter what.
SPEAKER_03 (42:13):
All right.
You're a live out of the line.
We're gonna title this podcastepisode is The Live Wire.
SPEAKER_02 (42:27):
Thank you so much for having for having me on and
doing and doing what you do, andyou never know uh who's gonna be
listening, why they'relistening, and uh I'm just
thankful I was on this platform.
SPEAKER_03 (42:40):
Thank you so much.
Have a great day, RJ.
You too.
Well, from community collegecourts to the national
spotlight, Coach RJ Farsh hasshown that the victory isn't
necessarily on the scoreboard,but in living boldly for Jesus
and shaping lives through loveand purpose.
His journey reminds us that whenfaith drives the mission, every
(43:01):
moment on and off the court canbecome a ministry.
Thanks for joining us once againon Amazing Great.
God bless.
We'll see you next time.
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