In a world where basketball coaches have turned to wearing golf polos or quarter-zip sweaters on the bench during games, Drake men's basketball coach Ben McCollum still makes sure to dress to impress."I have always found a certain sense of professionalism when you wear a shirt and tie," McCollum said. While the formal look remains important to the head coach, style has never been his skill. "I would always spend a lot of time choosing between a shirt and a tie and hoping they match," he said. "They would always be poorly matched."So what came from this, is his signature look. On game days, McCollum wears a white dress shirt and a tie that is the color of the school. While acting as the head coach at Northwest Missouri State, the tie was green. Now as the head coach at Drake, the tie is blue. Drake's season has been nothing short of fantastic. The Bulldogs were one of four teams in the entire country that remained unbeaten, and they were the first team to reach 20 wins on the season. As the success of the team that McCollum was building grew, a fun trend started to develop. Fans slowly but surely started attending games wearing a white shirt and a blue tie."He wears the same thing every single game, and he doesn't change a thing," Larry Stelter, a Drake fan, said. "So we decided to start doing the same thing."You won't find body paint or foam fingers at Drake games this season. You'll find an army of fans wearing a white dress shirt and a blue tie. And for fans who do not have the proper attire or perhaps are not looking to fully suit up for the games, the bookstore has you covered. Fans can buy a white shirt that has the image of a blue tie painted on the front of it."I had a lot of fans telling me this would be a great idea," Kyle McVay, the head of the Drake Bookstore, said.It has become a symbol, a rallying cry and a badge of honor for fans who are supporting their new basketball coach, who is taking the program to new heights. » Subscribe to vlog's YouTube page» Download the free vlog app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
DES MOINES, Iowa — In a world where basketball coaches have turned to wearing golf polos or quarter-zip sweaters on the bench during games, Drake men's basketball coach Ben McCollum still makes sure to dress to impress.
"I have always found a certain sense of professionalism when you wear a shirt and tie," McCollum said.
While the formal look remains important to the head coach, style has never been his skill.
"I would always spend a lot of time choosing between a shirt and a tie and hoping they match," he said. "They would always be poorly matched."
So what came from this, is his signature look. On game days, McCollum wears a white dress shirt and a tie that is the color of the school. While acting as the head coach at Northwest Missouri State, the tie was green. Now as the head coach at Drake, the tie is blue.
Drake's season has been nothing short of fantastic. The Bulldogs were one of four teams in the entire country that remained unbeaten, and they were the first team to reach 20 wins on the season. As the success of the team that McCollum was building grew, a fun trend started to develop. Fans slowly but surely started attending games wearing a white shirt and a blue tie.
"He wears the same thing every single game, and he doesn't change a thing," Larry Stelter, a Drake fan, said. "So we decided to start doing the same thing."
Mitchell Layton
Head coach Ben McCollum of the Drake Bulldogs looks on during the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic college basketball game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at TD Arena on November 22, 2024 in Charleston, South Carolina.
You won't find body paint or foam fingers at Drake games this season. You'll find an army of fans wearing a white dress shirt and a blue tie.
And for fans who do not have the proper attire or perhaps are not looking to fully suit up for the games, the bookstore has you covered. Fans can buy a white shirt that has the image of a blue tie painted on the front of it.
"I had a lot of fans telling me this would be a great idea," Kyle McVay, the head of the Drake Bookstore, said.
It has become a symbol, a rallying cry and a badge of honor for fans who are supporting their new basketball coach, who is taking the program to new heights.
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