Texas Tech University Athletics
SPOTLIGHT: John Wachholtz
January 17, 2019 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – Preparation stopped for a moment with appreciation about to be shown. At one moment Texas Tech assistant coach Brian Burg was going over the scouting report in a conference room at the team's hotel in Austin and the next the Red Raiders were sitting together waiting to hear what was next. It had been a full day of travel, practice, film and everything else that college basketball players and coaches do to get ready for games, but there was still time to show a member of the program what he meant to them.
"John, we got something for you," said head coach Chris Beard to bus driver John Wachholtz who was standing in the back of the room.
With applause from the team, a surprised Wachholtz walked to the front where senior Norense Odiase expressed how the program values the driver's role.Â
"We got you an Elite Eight ring to thank you for everything you do for us," said Odiase as he handed over a ring with Wachholtz's name on it. "This is for being you and driving us everywhere. We are very thankful for you."
While the Texas Tech basketball team takes a private plane to all of its road games, the team is greeted each time at the designation's airport by Wachholtz who drives the Red Raider emblazoned bus there and is ready to transport them throughout the remainder of the road trip.
"I really enjoy being a part of the team," Wachholtz said. "It's a great feeling driving them to the game and seeing how intense they are and then after when they're having fun and enjoying a win. I think that I'm able to help on the trips by knowing what they expect. There's a comfort thing there that I try to help them with. They're a team that is set in their ways because it works. I appreciate that and am there to get my part of the job done."
This season alone, he's driven to Kansas City (approx. 1,400 miles roundtrip), Miami (3,400 miles), West Virginia (3,500), Fort Worth, Austin and even to Stanton for the team's preseason retreat. Last year he went to each of the Big 12 stops before the most memorable trip to Boston, Massachusetts where the team played in the program's first NCAA Elite Eight.
"John is a big part of our basketball family," Beard said. "It's always great to get off the plane after a long trip and see him there. The players love him and we appreciate everything he does for us. There's a lot trust that we have with him on our trips. We value John and everything that Tom and Vickie Walters at King's Highway do for our program."
Wachholtz has been driving the team for four years now and enjoys all aspects of it, from driving an empty bus across the country to sitting at the airport and seeing the plane land and the players get on the bus for the first time. That feeling is mutual, as the players take pride in riding their team bus with Red Raider logos on it through opponent territory.
"The same feeling you get when you see scarlet and black in the stands during a road game is the same feeling you get when you get off the plane and see John and the Tech bus," said Texas Tech junior Andrew Sorrells.
On a trip like Miami, he'll leave three days before the team just to get there in time and then takes the team to practices, meals, experiences and of course the game. After each game he drives the team back to the airport and then drives an empty bus back home to Lubbock to get ready for the next trip. This weekend for instance, he'll drive from Lubbock to Waco, then leave straight from Waco on Saturday night to head to Manhattan, Kansas where the team will meet him on Monday before playing Kansas State on Tuesday night. A Hawaii native, he has been on countless trips over the years and appreciates all the experiences he's had as a Red Raider.Â
"I feel like a rock star driving the team," he said. "They treat me like I'm family. I've been driving for a really long time but driving for this team is one of the best things that has happened for me. I was shocked when they gave me this ring. It's the first one I've got and hopefully we'll all get another one after this year." Â
"John, we got something for you," said head coach Chris Beard to bus driver John Wachholtz who was standing in the back of the room.
With applause from the team, a surprised Wachholtz walked to the front where senior Norense Odiase expressed how the program values the driver's role.Â
"We got you an Elite Eight ring to thank you for everything you do for us," said Odiase as he handed over a ring with Wachholtz's name on it. "This is for being you and driving us everywhere. We are very thankful for you."
While the Texas Tech basketball team takes a private plane to all of its road games, the team is greeted each time at the designation's airport by Wachholtz who drives the Red Raider emblazoned bus there and is ready to transport them throughout the remainder of the road trip.
"I really enjoy being a part of the team," Wachholtz said. "It's a great feeling driving them to the game and seeing how intense they are and then after when they're having fun and enjoying a win. I think that I'm able to help on the trips by knowing what they expect. There's a comfort thing there that I try to help them with. They're a team that is set in their ways because it works. I appreciate that and am there to get my part of the job done."
This season alone, he's driven to Kansas City (approx. 1,400 miles roundtrip), Miami (3,400 miles), West Virginia (3,500), Fort Worth, Austin and even to Stanton for the team's preseason retreat. Last year he went to each of the Big 12 stops before the most memorable trip to Boston, Massachusetts where the team played in the program's first NCAA Elite Eight.
"John is a big part of our basketball family," Beard said. "It's always great to get off the plane after a long trip and see him there. The players love him and we appreciate everything he does for us. There's a lot trust that we have with him on our trips. We value John and everything that Tom and Vickie Walters at King's Highway do for our program."
Wachholtz has been driving the team for four years now and enjoys all aspects of it, from driving an empty bus across the country to sitting at the airport and seeing the plane land and the players get on the bus for the first time. That feeling is mutual, as the players take pride in riding their team bus with Red Raider logos on it through opponent territory.
"The same feeling you get when you see scarlet and black in the stands during a road game is the same feeling you get when you get off the plane and see John and the Tech bus," said Texas Tech junior Andrew Sorrells.
On a trip like Miami, he'll leave three days before the team just to get there in time and then takes the team to practices, meals, experiences and of course the game. After each game he drives the team back to the airport and then drives an empty bus back home to Lubbock to get ready for the next trip. This weekend for instance, he'll drive from Lubbock to Waco, then leave straight from Waco on Saturday night to head to Manhattan, Kansas where the team will meet him on Monday before playing Kansas State on Tuesday night. A Hawaii native, he has been on countless trips over the years and appreciates all the experiences he's had as a Red Raider.Â
"I feel like a rock star driving the team," he said. "They treat me like I'm family. I've been driving for a really long time but driving for this team is one of the best things that has happened for me. I was shocked when they gave me this ring. It's the first one I've got and hopefully we'll all get another one after this year." Â
An important part of our journey's story is who gets us there. #4To1 https://t.co/SizMo8TXGD??https://t.co/L19CGiiBTH pic.twitter.com/tasZ4RBhxo
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) January 18, 2019
Players Mentioned
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