Checking in with John Floyd
12/11/2007We re welcomed by former BGSU basketball player John Floyd. John graduated from Toledo St. John s Jesuit in 2002 before playing one year at Oakland. He then transferred to BG where he started at point guard for two seasons before leaving the team in September of his senior year.
John graduated from BG last December and now works in sales for Rattay Marketing Group. His territories are Michigan, northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana. John has also begun to officiate high school basketball games at the junior varsity and freshmen levels.
RA: MAC officials have been the subject of a few controversial stories recently --- BG at Buffalo, Miami vs. Akron in the MAC championship --- what is your opinion of MAC officiating now that you yourself are an official?
JF: I felt the officiating as far as what I experienced was pretty good. I know coach Dakich complained a lot. I think that stemmed from practice where we always fouled each other. We used to beat the living hell out of each other in practice. I feel [MAC officiating] is pretty good after experiencing it on the surface. I think for the most part they do a pretty good job.
RA: You coached at St. John s last year, would you like to get involved in coaching?
JF: I scouted for them. I used to want to be a college coach but I see how many dues you have to pay. I just don t see myself going that route. I m enjoying sales and I d love to get into college basketball in the officiating side. You don t have the pressure of 18 to 22 year old kids determining your job fate.
RA: Some people want to read between the lines and say Joe Jakubowski [also a St. John s graduate] didn t initially commit to BG because of your problems with coach Dakich. Then Dakich left and Jakubowski arrived. What advice did you give Joe during his recruiting process?
JF: I told him that I thought BG as a school was an awesome place to play. The community is definitely behind you. It s a small town which obviously has its benefits and disadvantages. Everybody pretty much knows you, which is mostly pretty cool, but if you screw up, which I screwed up a couple times, everybody knew.
I told him to definitely do his homework and see if he d be able to take coach Dakich s coaching philosophy. As far as X s and O s I think coach is one of the most intelligent people I ve been around, but there s not too many guys who can take his motivational tactics day in and day out. I just told [Joe] to definitely do his homework. I didn t tell him what to do or anything, but I told him what my experiences were.
RA: What is your opinion on Joe s potential?
JF: I think he s a very, very good player. He s smart. I watched him through high school --- he played with my younger brother --- but I don t think he s reached his potential yet. I understand he had a huge summer going into his senior year of high school and it definitely showed during his senior year. I think his potential is starting to get tapped. There s still things he needs to improve on, but he s definitely on the right track. I hope for his sake he grows into a vocal leader, which is something you need to be as a point guard. He has time and it sounds like coach Orr is going to be patient with him. I see big things for Joe.
RA: Do you still keep in touch with your former teammates who still play at BG?
JF: I still talk with [Darryl] Clements, [Brian] Moten and [Erik] Marschall everyone once in a while. I probably talk to Nate Miller the most.
RA: Do you follow the program?
JF: I went down to the Temple game. I do a little business in BG, so I stop by and go to the trainer s room. I have a good relationship with [trainer] Chad Young. I usually stop in and talk to him on my lunch break if I m down there.
RA: Did you have any regrets after leaving the team last year?
JF: Regrets? I mean I missed basketball, definitely, but I didn t miss BG basketball --- the way it was ran. As soon as 6 o clock hit I would be thinking, Man, they re playing right now. I wish I could be playing. But I did not want to go through the rigors that were brought upon us.
RA: You left Oakland after your freshman year. Was it under similar circumstances?
JF: No. It was strictly the school. I started 18 games as a freshman but the school just did not fit me well at all. I was looking for more of a college atmosphere. If you re in school for four years you might as well enjoy it.
RA: You mentioned Dakich was great with X s and O s. Do you feel he will make a better assistant than a head coach? (Dakich is now an assistant at Indiana).
JF: I can t even imagine him as an assistant coach. I could not see him not taking orders, but almost laying down for someone else. I just cannot imagine him being an assistant coach. It s hard for me to picture that, so I guess I can t answer that question.
RA: What is your opinion of Louis Orr?
JF: I ve met him a couple times. He seems like a genuine guy, a good guy. I get a different vibe when I m in the training room talking to people. Before it was almost like you were walking on pins and needles around there. It might not seem like a big deal but they re playing music in the lockerroom before practice and we were never allowed to do that. That might not seem like a big deal, but for a player it just eases the atmosphere and you enjoy being around the gym. I get the feeling from the guys that they actually enjoy it.
RA: Troy Smith punched you during a high school basketball game and was subsequently expelled from St. Edward. Do you have any ill feelings toward him?
JF: No. It happened. Whatever. It was weird seeing him have the success that he had. I don t wish any ill will toward him at all. Good for him --- Heisman Trophy, that s awesome. The way it happened doesn t bother me anymore, but it bothered me for a while. I got punched from behind. If you re going to punch me at least square me up and punch me. I thought it was a coward act but it s done. It was six or seven years ago.
RA: Smith claims you used a racial slur.
JF: He claims that I called him a derogatory remark that they say about African Americans, but I can tell you there s no truth to that. He s probably trying to make the situation look good for him. No one s going to get my side of the story, so why wouldn t he say that?
RA: What s your opinion on the future of BG basketball? Is it a year or two away from really making a splash?
JF: I think they have a lot of potential this year. They have a pretty good team. I think as far as talent wise, it s all about them coming together and learning coach Orr s system. I think they could make some noise in the MAC --- there s two teams head and shoulders above everyone, Kent and Miami --- but I can t see any reason why [BG] can t make a run this year and especially next year after they only lose one guy. That junior class was pretty highly touted coming in as freshmen. Chris Knight, he s going to have ups and downs as a freshman, but obviously he showed down in Cincinnati that he has the talent.