Ex-Ute coach Boylen deserves this

Stories are saying ex-Ute basketball coach Jim Boylen is expected to be hired by the Lakers as an assistant.

I was happy to hear that. I think he’s a good guy who just didn’t win at Utah. A guy thankful to have coached there – even after he was fired. deseretnews.com

He and two brothers were raised by a single mom. The little family didn’t have a car until he and his brothers were old enough to buy one. I saw him cry when he spoke of his mother, who even in recent years would reprimand him for his language when she saw him swearing on TV. deseretnews.com

I also saw him cry when he got his first conference win at Utah. deseretnews.com

One of his favorite words is “grateful.”

Boylen could have lounged around collecting his buyout checks, which totaled $2 million. He probably wouldn’t have had to work the rest of his life.

This will be a challenge, joining the Lakers just as they begin to decline. But Boylen has had some success as an assistant at Michigan State and in the NBA. When he was with the Rocket, they won two NBA championships.

We in the media aren’t supposed to cheer, and I never did when Boylen was in Utah. But now that he’s apparently headed to L.A., I think I’ll allow myself a little space. I always quietly cheer for people who overcome adversity to succeed on some level, but remain humble once they’re there.