Before Lorenzo Romar became a NBA player, before he became a NCAA coach, before he’d lead the University of Washington Huskies to the NCAA playoffs three straight years, he had to make some life-changing choices. Many, many choices.
It all began early, from the day a gang member shoved the barrel of a pistol against Romar’s temple and snarled, “What if I pulled this trigger?” to the day a 15-year-old pulled a gun from under his sweatshirt, pointed at Romar and asked, “You going to join our gang or not?” These were no easy decisions.
That was life in Compton, Calif., home of the notorious Crips and Bloods gangs and regularly ranked as one of the most crime-filled cities in the United States.
“It wasn’t easy,” Romar says.
Or, obviously, safe.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about Romar’s unlikely journey is not that he’s become a Pac-10 coach of the year and follower of Christ, but that he has not become a violent felon or dead man. Romar’s achievement isn’t as much about what he’s done as what he’s overcome.
“What kept me out of the gangs were my parents,” Romar says. “It was my fear of them. And it was also my fear that if I got messed up into gang stuff my basketball career was out the window.”
Life
Romar’s parents provided a loving home, one he remembers being filled with laughter and music. Dennis, a welder, and Dorothy, a thermostat company supervisor, instilled a strong work ethic and an awareness of God in their two sons.
“My parents believed in God,” Romar says. “But I wouldn’t say we were a regular churchgoing family. We’d occasionally go to church on Sunday.”
That changed when Romar bumped into a life-changing realization at age 25. A friend, Bernie McCrumby, told Romar that getting into heaven wasn’t a matter of being good. It was a matter of being born again.
“After reading the Scriptures, I realized that just being a good guy wasn’t how you had a relationship with the Lord,” Romar says. “When I realized that it took asking Christ to take over my life and to forgive my sins, my life changed.”
Romar remembers the day like a holiday.
“It was Sept. 10, 1983,” he says.
At that time, Romar was in his third year of a five-year NBA career as a 6-foot, 1-inch guard coming off the bench. He followed his NBA career playing for Athletes in Action for seven years, the last four as a player-coach.
Looking back, Romar can see God’s plans for his life.
“I’m convinced I’m in this position because God has placed me here to bring glory to Him,” Romar says. “The day I take my eyes off that and concentrate on me, God will take that away at any time.”
Romar is open about his Christian faith and frequently shares his life story at churches. He ends a phone message on his answering machine at work, “God bless you.”
“If you’re going to aspire to be Christlike, then your players and everyone who is with you will see that,” Romar says. “There will be something different about you.”
Success
Romar has been successful at every level, from his playing days at the University of Washington to coaching three years each at Pepperdine (1997 to 1999) and Saint Louis (2000 to 2002). He turned a first-year 6-21 record at Pepperdine into 19-13 his last year. And at Washington, Romar transformed a perennial loser into a nationally ranked team that earned a No. 1 seed in the 2005 NCAA tournament.
Discipline, hard work and unselfishness have been the foundations of Romar’s programs, and while the Bible doesn’t come up in practices, its principles are used.
“I don’t think you can win consistently with bad people in your program,” Romar says.
At each stop, the coach has ensured that the rules apply equally to everyone, from starter to bench-warmer. From his first day at Washington, a player late for a meeting was locked out. If a player didn’t play team ball, he was benched.
Romar benched two starters, Will Conroy and Bobby Jones, for the first four minutes of a first-round NCAA game against the University of Alabama at Birmingham because of minor curfew violations. The Huskies started slowly and lost 102-100 to end its 2003-2004 season. Romar doesn’t regret his decision.
“Most people take the path of least resistance,” Romar says. “In all cases, you have to enforce the rules. Everyone understands that from here on they better do things right.”
Appearance included. Romar doesn’t allow his players to wear their hair in cornrows. His teams don’t curse, usually. They don’t wear headbands. But he has lifted a ban on goatees, indicating his willingness to negotiate.
Former Husky Brandon Roy, last season’s Pac-10 player of the year and the Portland Trailblazers’ first-round draft pick, learned quickly what Romar wanted.
“Hard work, that was the topic of our discussions,” Roy says. “The only thing we really got in trouble about was lack of effort. You could miss shots. You could dribble the ball off your foot. But effort—that’s a given.”
Keeping Perspective
Romar is considered among the top coaches in the country, even though he was Washington’s fourth choice when the university hired him in 2002. Yet he hasn’t let satisfaction or ego seep in. He’s playing for more than conference titles, money and personal acclaim.
“The Bible says whatever you do in word or deed, do it all to the glory of God,” Romar says. “You’re not doing it based on how many accolades you can get or how much publicity you can get. I’m doing this unto the Lord.”
As a kid in Compton, Romar knew what it meant to be scared. He now understands what it means to have peace.
“There are coaches who are successful and who are miserable behind closed doors,” Romar says. “I feel today if I take my eyes off God and forget why I’m in this position, then I can be just as miserable.” 
