Hey, hey, hey. This is Lisa A. And you're listening to Who's That Star? On LCC Connect at Lansing Community College. Who's that Star? Is a behind the scenes show where I sit down and talk with the employees at the college. This is an inside look at LCC where you will have a chance to learn about their passions, projects, what inspires them both at work and in their personal lives. I'm your host, Lisa Alexander. I'm so excited to get a chance to talk to all the people who make LCC great. This show is for you to to get to know the people that work at Lansing Community College a little bit more and see what makes them tick. Are you ready? Okay, let's go see who's today's star on Who's That Star. Today we have someone who's been a member of the LCC staff for a long time. He's a Michigan native from the city of Jackson. This star graduated from LCC and Central Michigan University where he played basketball. This, this star understands what it takes to win. He has been a part of LCC's men's basketball program since 1988. In 1990, he took over the reins and became the head basketball coach of the LCC Stars. He has turned LCC into a community College powerhouse, winning 19 MCCAA Western Conference championships. Inducted into the NCJAA Men's Basketball Coaches hall of Fame in winning over 600 games. He's been named Region 12 Coach of the Year four times and received the Western Conference Coach of the Year Award 19 times. He ran a summer basketball camp that's out of this world. And that's why I know, because my daughter went to it. And he's just really have a lot more accomplishments, but we don't have enough time to talk about him. So I think it's time for us to find out who's today's star. Today's star is coach Mike Ingram. I'm so glad that you agreed to come on the show today, Coach.

Thanks, Lisa, for inviting me. I was really looking forward to coming.

Well, let's get ready and let's jump in. So how did you get started at LCC?

You know, I was a student here and played for Art Frank. Art Frank was a great mentor for me when I was a student here. Helped me get to Central Michigan on a basketball scholarship from here. And then I got married after college and was just in Lansing and asked Art could I come back and be an assistant coach. And he said yeah. And I think a year after that an opportunity Came to be a full time faculty member and I was able to get hired for that job and been here ever since.

How long had you been away from basketball before you came a coach?

I would say probably about four years. Three or four years. I got married. Me and my wife had some kids and I was at home one time and Michigan State was getting ready to play a basketball game. And back at that time, you could look in the telephone book and Judd Heathcote's number was in. I called him and I was like, hey, coach, this is Mike Ingram. And I was just wondering if I could come out to a game. And he was like, oh, man, Mike, Mike, Mike, man, where you been, man? Haven't heard from you in a long time. And gave me and my wife some tickets. I think that was on a Sunday. The following Monday I went and seen Art and asked him, could I join the program. He said, yeah.

So it got you back in?

It got me back in.

And you've never left since? I've been here?

Since I've been here, since I never left. I've almost spent half my life here at LCC. I came here in 78, left to go to Central Michigan for a couple years and just been here ever since.

Well, tell me about why you, you know, you still work at LCC. What is it that keeps you coming to work and so passionate about it?

You know what? This is the greatest job I've ever had. And I've worked a lot of jobs, you know, when I was young and I. I can remember when I got this job that my wife said, boy, I know you are so happy you can go and have fun at your job, something that you like to do, something that you're passionate with. I know that you want to help kids and I know to coach. And nothing's really ever changed for me. You know, my kids have grown up here. It's been a job when I've been able to go and watch them play. If something happened during the day, I could go and stay involved with them. My kids love it here, as you can see. My son Lane is now chief of staff here. And I know when my kids went away to college, they would always have in their book, where's your favorite places to play? Or where's your favorite places to visit? And they would always say, you know, Lansing Community College.

Well, I know that you've helped a lot of students, me being an academic advisor. Sometimes I'll see a student and they're interested in playing basketball. Could you tell me a little bit about what you look for in a player or what makes you have been so successful, you got something right? And if you don't mind, sharing might be a secret. But I just want to know, like, to have all the accolades that you have, to have so many wins, is there a formula? Is there something that you can see that you know, will work?

You know, there's a couple things. One, I always wanted my basketball program to be a program for the kids from Lansing. I grew up in Jackson, and JCC at that time never had any kids from Jackson on their team. And I remember that, you know, when I came here, I just got so many great coaches here, high school coaches here, and so many great high school basketball players. And I just figured that they all wanted to play together one day when they got to school. And it's really worked for me. You know, we got Michigan State out there, and so we see a lot of great basketball, a lot of great coaching, a lot of great teaching in this area. And so, you know, I would say that most of the time, my teams are 90% Lansing. At one time, it was more than that. And I always, like, times change a little bit more now, but I always used to, like, when introductions would come and they would say, from Lansing, waver, this kid from Lansing, Sexton, this kid from East Lansing, this kid, you know, and that was the message that I sent out there and said, all the parents know me, okay? All the coaches know me. And then most of the kids all know me. They know what they're gonna get when they come in the door. And for the most part, I've always had great backing from the parents because they know. They know that, you know, we're a good program. They know that I can be tough. They know that I can be competitive. They know that I'm gonna push their kids. They know that coming in the door. Just because most of them are coming from Lansing.

Yeah. And they know your reputation, right? Well, we didn't know your reputation when we did the summer. And it was one of the funniest stories is that when I dropped Mikayla off, she was young, about 7. And you work with a large age group. And I wanted to ask you, are you gonna do that again? Are you gonna have the basketball camp?

Yep. I don't know the dates exactly, but we run three of them. We run them every year. The last two weeks in June are the first two camps, and the second week in July is our third camp. And I expect them to be really good this year. They were good last year. Our first Time back after being out for a while after Covid, and we're starting to get a lot of applications right now.

The thing about it is, is that I know that you work with the fundamentals and you really push a work ethic. For me, I think that's important. And I know Mikayla, it was hilarious because as soon as she got out of that practice, she passed out of the backseat. You would have thought she had worked 20 years of the way to as tired as she was. But the thing about it is that she enjoyed it and she came back for several years. And the one thing that I like, that you always asked about your students and you asked about the kids in the camp, you know, and so I thought that that was really good. And it's funny. So if you come in the LCC, you better get ready work, because that's what we do. Okay, I want to get away a little bit from what you do here. I want to ask you some random questions. If you had only one sense, hearing, touch, sight, which one would you like the best?

I think it would probably be sight. You know, I wanted people to see because I'm actually going in for. I think it's some LASIK surgery or something like that for my eyes here in a couple weeks. And just struggling with that a little bit lets you know how important sight is. Actually, I was in the eye doctor's office before we decided to do it, and they told me to close your eyes. And I closed them and they were like, well, you know, hey, can you see? I said, no. I said, hey, we gotta do this surgery. You'll be like that in a minute. I said, oh, shit.

Oh, yeah, that makes it. That puts it in perspective.

Yeah, but gotta add taste in there too. You look at me, I'm big boy, gotta eat.

No, that's what I said. What is it different? I don't know. I might not care about anything but keeping taste, but no, I do get it. What is life like for you outside of working at Lansing?

You know, I've always had a great life. I've always been really family oriented. I like spending time with my wife. I always like spending time with my kids and calling them. My mom is still with us and, you know, I love going to visit her, my sisters. I love visiting family, always have. And you know, then I got my dogs, so.

Oh, you got dogs?

I had two of them.

Oh, I didn't know you had dogs. I didn't know you were a dog person.

Yeah, well, I got two because one of them is Mine, which is Dash, and the other one is my daughter Jocelyn's, who happened to come home one day and dropped him off and left. So I actually have two. But during the season, I like going to basketball games. I love baseball. I like going to see the Tigers, even though they don't be winning. But I still. It excites me every time I go up to a game. I still remember the first time I went. And I always feel the same way when I go, you know, now. So, I mean, there's some things. I like fishing.

Okay.

I'll be fishing hopefully in a couple weeks. You know, I do some, you know,.

Some good fishing spots around here.

Some good fishing spots. My grandsons are getting older, and so I like going down and visiting them. You know, they think I'm a big toy.

Are they into basketball?

Yeah. My oldest one for right now with my son Justin, is in the sports. Likes football, plays basketball. My youngest, Jackson, he doesn't do any sports yet. I think he does that on purpose because we want him to.

Right.

You know, you might say something to him like, hey, I'll do that, but I need you to dribble 10 times with your right hand and 10 times with your left hands. He'll do it. And when he gets that, whoo. That was a lot of work.

No, he. That's when he say, you gonna have to pay for that. All right, well, we found out what you like to do, and you talked about some hobbies. Are there any other hobbies that you're interested in that you like to do besides fishing?

Yeah, I still play basketball. As a matter of fact, I put up a video yesterday of me dunking. You know, right handed, left handed, you know, and I sent it to a guy, and, you know, I was making noise. Oh, man, Coach, you gotta post that video. Cause guys didn't know that you could still do that, so I posted the video. Of course, the rim was down to.

Five feet, but, hey, you still slam, though. That's what's up.

You know, I still like that. And, you know, my wife has a business now, 1111 events. So, you know, I like spending time going over there and helping her out also.

So. Yeah, so that's important. Keep you busy, too.

Yeah. Yeah.

Honey. Do list, huh?

Yeah, sometimes.

All right. I agree with the money. Do list. What really lights you up and makes you excited in life, I kind of think.

I know, but what lights me up and makes me. I think I just said it. Just, you know, family. Yeah, man, I love helping kids. I love helping the players. That come and play for me, help them get better, not only as a person, but as a student, as a young man. I talk about that so much for them. And I like to see kids have success that play for me, move on. But also, you know, I like seeing my campers, I would say in the last two or three years, I've seen so many of my campers on TV playing at NCAA schools. I've seen so many campers play high school sports. A couple seniors this year had some freshmen coming in and playing. And when I see that, I usually try to take a picture of it and post as one of my campers. Sometimes I see little kids that come in with their brothers and sisters. They're now in my camps.

Oh, wow.

Yeah. That's always been very exciting to me to see people that I've been in contact with are having success.

Yeah, they're thriving and getting that at the camp. Them fundamentals, I think that's so important, and you do a great job of that. What's something that you're really proud of and why?

I'm proud of all my kids and what they've done with their lives. You know, what they set out to do. I think that they've done that. I'm really proud that I met my wife here at LCC, and I remember telling my brother the first time that I met her that I think I met my wife today. And, oh, wow. I was really proud that, you know, we've been together for 38 years.

Okay.

And some people think that's a great accomplishment, but it doesn't feel like it's that great accomplishment because it just feels like we've always been meant to, you know, be together. And I think it's. I don't want to say it's been easy, but for us to be together that long, it seems like it's been, you know, really easy.

Hey, that's what you want your partner to say, that they feel like that. So I think that's pretty great. And that is, to me, something to be proud of, you know?

Thank you.

Do you have any hidden talents that we don't know about?

Yeah, Yeah. I think that I'm a decent artist. And my one grandson, he comes over and he was over last week. We were up to 3am drawing, and we draw together. I got a couple people that I can really draw. I can draw my daughter Jocelyn pretty good. And of course, I can draw all the Avengers and all the things that my grandson, you know, likes. I have fun with it. You know, we Got all the stuff, the markers and this. It's really funny because, you know, my grandson would say, that's not right. I said, it is right. He said, that's not right. I said, it is right. Then he'll ball it up and throw it in the corner. It's not right. And you.

You better get it right.

But that's just something that I like to do with him. I've made birthday cards and stuff, but like I said, there's only a couple people that like my art. Oh, my grandson Jackson and my daughter Jocelyn. Everybody else, I don't even think they look at them.

They don't pay attention.

I don't know if they pay attention. I don't send them stuff because, you know, I know the two people that like my art.

So you go. You send it to them?

Yeah, I stay with them.

Exact. No. Hey, I get it. Well, I wanted to ask you a question. I just thought of, what about if a student wanted to come play for you, what would you tell them to do? Like, I know you gotta recruit people, but is there another way to get to you without.

Well, you know what? We always throw open gyms. If a student hits me up, a high school student hits me up and asks me to come and see them play, I will go and see you play. One thing a lot of people have to understand, you know, this is college, and so everybody can't make the team. You know, a lot of times in high school or AAU or whatever, you know, you get to make the team. But here, it's a little tougher. I run a certain type of office, so I do try to find players that, you know, players that fit my personality. But also, I've been recruited. I've been recruited by kids and. And some of those kids have been successful. You know, some kids have come in and they want to play for me. They want to play at LCC. They start telling you, this is a dream. This is where I want to come. My dad, my mom, they speak so highly about you and stuff. Kids start telling you that, you know, I was like, well, I'm going to see if I can see what you got. See if it happen. You know, I don't mind being recruited by, you know, students that want to come to LCC. And if I can make it happen for them, you know, I will.

Yeah. No, and I just think that's important for people to understand. Like, you're right, it is college. And this is an opportunity. And as talented as you may think you are, there still is a Process. And you, given he's giving you a light, you know, to open gyms, different things where you can be seen. So if you're listening, take advantage. Okay, so my last question is, I always ask this one. Is it go green or is it go blue?

Yeah, I knew you were gonna ask me that. And I'm gonna tell you like this. I'm gonna be diplomatic about it. Is for me, it's always been LCC. I don't think anybody's ever seen me outside of a LCC shirt. I've always been big with that.

He's got on LCC gear now.

Right. When Lane played at Michigan, when I went to the games, I wore a Michigan shirt. When Justin played at Toledo, when I went to the games, I wore a Toledo shirt. And when Johnson played at Grand Valley, that's, You know, that was the support I have as far as go green, go blue. I go both teams. And the reason I go both teams is I know all the coaches. I support both teams. And I don't want them to read that you got a favor, Ingram's got a favor, might mess up my tickets.

I know that's right. Hey, I think that's fair, Coach. You know, and I tried, but you smart, you gotta take care of yourself.

You know, Tim Stout tried to get me a couple times, but they said, you never answer that question. Every time I ask you, you always, you know, you're both. You're just both. I say, well, you know, I really am. And if push came to shove and I had to go to Michigan State game and they wore a Michigan State shirt, I would. And if I had to go to Michigan, I would. But it was really good that when my kids were at their schools and, you know, Justin's coaching at Toledo, so when I go to games, you know, I wear the gear.

Yeah. Well, that's cool. Oh, so, Justin, your son is taking in your footsteps, Right?

Right. So is Lane.

Yeah. Yeah, Lane, too. Right. So you was. I guess this ain't my last question. Was basketball something that. Because you were coaching, they just got inundated with it and just followed you to games and stuff like that. You think that's where the bug came from?

Yeah, kind of. I think that. I like to think that I was a great dad to them when they were young. Great enough that they wanted to be around me all the time, and I was around basketball all the time. That's what I did. And they just would come with me, and it's just something that they like to do. Lane was. Was really good. Justin was really good. Jocelyn was. Was really good. And they just. I like to. I like to say that I think they just like hanging out with me.

And you was really good too, right?

As I read, I think I've always been a great leader. Could get guys to follow me. And so sometimes when you can do that, it makes you seem like you're pretty good, but you just know how to make that guy play better and that guy play better. And I bought that into my coaching. I think over the years, I've become a pretty good coach. But my first years, I was just a leader. I could just get guys to, you know, just to go and be ready to play and love to be challenged and, you know, and that's. That's the fun part about it.

Well, you guys heard it here. Coach is ready. He's still enthusiastic about coaching and he loves it. And we're so glad that he took time out of his schedule to come on Who's That Star today? Coach, would you like to leave us with anything before we sign off?

I really appreciate you asking me to come on. You know, I just really love this job and the position that has put me in to be someone that kids can reach out to to, you know, play basketball. You know, I don't know if you've known that or not, but I really tried to make LCC a place for the kids from Lansing to play.

I didn't know that, but I'm glad that you said that, and I think that's important. So thanks again, and you guys, we will see you later on Who's That Star? You've been listening to Who's That Star? I'm Lisa A. and you can listen to this episode of Who's That Star and other shows from LCC Connect anytime online at LCCconnect.org. Thank you for listening. Catch me next time to find out Who's That Star.