Bryce Radford was retired. He had already earned his degree from IUP, he was working full-time in West Virginia, and he had just bought a house.
At the same time, the IUP men’s basketball team had begun its season, and coach Joe Lombardi knew something was missing.
Almost on a whim, Lombardi connected with Radford, a former player who had moved on from playing the game he loved. It took only a couple of days to complete, but Radford soon was back in Indiana and in the Crimson Hawks’ starting lineup.
It didn’t take long for Radford to make an impact on the season, and it wouldn’t have happened if he didn’t already know about the family culture that Lombardi has built in his career at IUP.
Watch this video to see a bond that goes well beyond basketball.