Durham Sports Club

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Dave Odom, Former Head Basketball Coach at Wake Forest, University of South Carolina and others. After graduating from East Carolina in 1969, Odom took a job at Durham High School, coaching there for seven years (1969–1976),where he was voted his league’s coach of the year five times. Odom began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Wake Forest University in 1976 under head coach Carl Tacy. After three years at Wake Forest (1976–1979), Odom became the head coach at East Carolina University, where his squad compiled a 16-11 record, the university’s best since 1965. In his 12 seasons as Head Coach at Wake Forest, Odom compiled a record of 240-132, making him the second-highest winning coach in Wake Forest history, as well as the second highest winning percentage in school history. During this time, Wake Forest earned 7 straight NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT championship. Odom was named ACC coach of the year in 1991, 1994 and 1995. Odom left Wake Forest to accept the job as head coach of the University of South Carolina in 2001. During his tenure at South Carolina, his team earned one NCAA tournament bid, and made three appearances in the NIT, winning the championship in 2005 and 2006. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2004. On January 2, 2008, Odom coached his 400th collegiate victory as a head coach. Later that month, on January 18, he announced that he would retire at the end of the 2007-2008 basketball season, his seventh at South Carolina. He coached his final game for USC on March 14, 2008, in the SEC tournament.

Mark Your Calendar

7/2/25 – NO MEETING
7/16/25 – Jim Lampley, Sports Broadcaster
8/6/25 – Special Guest Speaker

This meeting will feature our annual Durham Sports Club Scholar-Athlete Awards banquet, where we will be awarding $71,000 of college scholarships to the top student-athletes in Durham schools. In addition to learning about the amazing accomplishments of these students, we’ll have two special speakers: Dr. Anthony Lewis, Superintendent of Durham Public Schools and our Keynote Speaker, Shane Willis with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Mark Your Calendar
6/18/25 – Dave Odom
7/2/25 – NO MEETING
7/16/25 – Jim Lampley, Sportscaster

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be John Garrett, the General Manager of Player Personnel for Duke Football. Garrett was hired in January 2024 by Duke Head Football Coach, Manny Diaz. Among his duties will be talent evaluation, recruiting strategy, roster management, transfer portal oversight, liaison between Staff and Recruiting departments, Analytics and Scouting Infrastructure, and supporting Diaz’ vision for Duke Football.

He brings over 30 years of experience in football as a player, coach, and executive in both the collegiate and professional ranks. He comes from a football family. His father, Jim Garrett, was a longtime NFL coach and scout, and his brothers, Jason and Judd, have held various coaching and executive roles in professional football.

Garrett is married to his wife, Honor, and they have four children.

Mark Your Calendar

6/4/25 – Scholar-Athlete Awards Luncheon
6/18/25 – Dave Odom
7/2/25 – NO MEETING
7/16/25 – Jim Lampley, Sportscaster

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Shane Willis, former Carolina Hurricane and current “Sideline Reporter” and host for the Hurricane’s broadcasts on FanDuel network. Willis was drafted by the ‘Canes in 1997 and made his NHL debut with them in 1999. The 2000–01 NHL season marked the pinnacle of Willis’s playing career, as he recorded career highs with 20 goals and 24 assists, totaling 44 points in 73 games. His outstanding rookie season earned him a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team and recognition as the NHL Rookie of the Month in February 2001. In March 2022, Willis was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He retired from hockey in 2009.


Since retiring, Shane has remained active in the hockey community. In September 2011, he was appointed as the Youth and Amateur Hockey Coordinator for the Carolina Hurricanes, focusing on developing grassroots hockey programs and engaging with the community. His dedication to the sport also led him to becoming a television analyst for the Hurricanes, contributing to pre- and post-game shows and providing insights based on his professional experience.

Mark Your Calendar

5/21/25 – Special Guest Speaker
6/4/25 – Scholar-Athlete Awards Luncheon
6/18/25 – Dave Odom

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be George Lewis, who is co-authoring a biography of and with Bucky Waters. The talk will focus on the richness of Bucky’s remarkable life. It’s such an unusual tale. Bucky’s has been a proud NC resident for 70 years, but he began as 4-sport star growing up in the rough streets of Camden, NJ. His mother was a vaudevillian…one of his best childhood friends was the actor Michael Landon and another was a 7-foot giant…while Jack McCloskey, the visionary who built the Detroit Pistons’ “Bad Boys” into champions, was his high school coach. And it gets more interesting from there. Of course, Bucky has been a part of the ACC since its first season. A recruit, a player (baseball and basketball), a coach, and an announcer. His accomplishments beyond basketball are numerous, especially his work with the Duke University Medical Center.

Lewis met Bucky in 2010, and they became fast friends. Bucky quickly impressed him with his seemingly endless supply of funny stories, his winning personality, and his unique observations. He was the definition of a people person, he was colorful, and boy did he have the gift of gab.

Mark Your Calendar

5/7/25 – Shane Willis, Former Carolina Hurricane and current Color Analyst for Hurricanes’ broadcasts
5/21/25 – Special Guest Speaker
6/4/25 – Scholar-Athlete Awards Luncheon

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Mike Archer, former Head Football Coach at Louisiana State University (LSU).  In 1984, Archer joined LSU as an assistant coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1985, a role in which he significantly improved the Tigers’ defense. In 1987, Archer was named Head Coach, becoming the youngest head coach in Division I-A football at the age of 34.

Archer’s inaugural Head Coach season in 1987 was remarkable. The Tigers achieved a 10–1–1 record, their first 10-win season in over 25 years, finishing ranked No. 5 in both major polls. The only blemishes were a tie against Ohio State and a loss to Alabama. Despite these setbacks, the season was considered a significant success.

The 1988 season saw the Tigers share the Southeastern Conference (SEC) title with a 6–1 conference record, ending the season at 8–4 overall. A highlight of that year was the “Earthquake Game” against Auburn, where the crowd’s reaction to a last-minute touchdown was so intense that it registered on a seismograph in LSU’s Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex.

After departing LSU, Archer continued his coaching career, primarily focusing on defensive roles. He served as the linebackers coach at the University of Virginia from 1991 to 1992, and then at the University of Kentucky from 1993 to 1995, where he was also the assistant head coach in his final year.

In 1996, Archer transitioned to the National Football League (NFL), joining the Pittsburgh Steelers as their linebackers coach. During his seven-year tenure with the Steelers, the team consistently performed well, making multiple playoff appearances.

Archer returned to college football in 2003 as the defensive coordinator for the University of Kentucky, a position he held until 2006. He then moved to North Carolina State University, serving as the defensive coordinator from 2007 to 2012. In 2014, he rejoined the University of Virginia’s coaching staff, initially as the safeties coach and later as the associate head coach and linebackers coach.

Expanding his coaching experience internationally, Archer joined the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts in 2017 as their linebackers coach. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2018. His tenure with the Argonauts was highlighted by a Grey Cup championship in 2017.

In 2020, Archer became the linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL, further diversifying his coaching portfolio.

Archer was born in State College, Pennsylvania and played football and graduated from the University of Miami prior to transitioning into coaching.

Mark Your Calendar

4/16/25 – George Lewis, Author of Buckey Waters’ biography
5/7/25 – Shane Willis, Former Carolina Hurricane and current Color Analyst for Hurricanes’ broadcasts
5/21/25 – Special Guest Speaker
6/4/25 – Scholar-Athlete Awards Luncheon

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Dave Odom, Former Head Basketball Coach at Wake Forest, University of South Carolina and others. After graduating from East Carolina in 1969, Odom took a job at Durham High School, coaching there for seven years (1969–1976),where he was voted his league’s coach of the year five times. Odom began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Wake Forest University in 1976 under head coach Carl Tacy. After three years at Wake Forest (1976–1979), Odom became the head coach at East Carolina University, where his squad compiled a 16-11 record, the university’s best since 1965. In his 12 seasons as Head Coach at Wake Forest, Odom compiled a record of 240-132, making him the second-highest winning coach in Wake Forest history, as well as the second highest winning percentage in school history. During this time, Wake Forest earned 7 straight NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT championship. Odom was named ACC coach of the year in 1991, 1994 and 1995. Odom left Wake Forest to accept the job as head coach of the University of South Carolina in 2001. During his tenure at South Carolina, his team earned one NCAA tournament bid, and made three appearances in the NIT, winning the championship in 2005 and 2006. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2004. On January 2, 2008, Odom coached his 400th collegiate victory as a head coach. Later that month, on January 18, he announced that he would retire at the end of the 2007-2008 basketball season, his seventh at South Carolina. He coached his final game for USC on March 14, 2008, in the SEC tournament.    

Mark Your Calendar

4/2/25 – Mike Archer, Former Head Football Coach, LSU
4/16/25 – Special Guest Speaker
5/7/25 – Special Guest Speaker

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Manny Diaz, Head Football Coach at Duke University. Diaz was named Head Coach in December, 2023, and led Duke to 9 wins in his first season, including wins over UNC, NC State, and Wake Forest, and an invitation to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Known for his aggressive and attacking defensive style, Duke finished 2nd nationally in tackles for loss per game (8.9), second in fumbles recovered (18), fourth in sacks per game (3.3) and seventh in turnovers gained (27). Diaz also led 15 Blue Devils to All-ACC honors, the most in one season in program history.

Diaz’ coaching career began as a Graduate Assistant at Florida State, which won a National Championship team in 1999 while he was there. In 2000, Diaz went to NC State, serving as linebackers coach, special teams coach, and more. Following stints at Middle Tennessee State University and Mississippi State University, Diaz landed at the University of Texas in 2011 as Defensive Coordinator and linebackers coach. In 2016, he left to go back to his hometown of Miami, taking the Defensive Coordinator job at the University of Miami before being promoted to Head Coach in 2019, where he led the Hurricanes to three consecutive Bowl games. After Miami, Diaz went to Penn State, again as Defensive Coordinator and linebackers coach. In 2023, he left Penn State for the opportunity of Head Coach at Duke.

Diaz was born in Miami, where his passion for the football developed at a young age. He attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School, where he excelled academically and played football. Following high school, Diaz pursued higher education at Florida State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1995.

Diaz and his wife, Stephanie, are the parents of three sons: Colin, Gavin, and Manny.

Mark Your Calendar

3/19/25 – Dave Odom, College Basketball Guru
4/2/25 – Mike Archer, Former Head Football Coach, LSU
4/16/25 – Special Guest Speaker

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Mike Archer, former Head Football Coach at Louisiana State University (LSU).  In 1984, Archer joined LSU as an assistant coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1985, a role in which he significantly improved the Tigers’ defense. In 1987, Archer was named Head Coach, becoming the youngest head coach in Division I-A football at the age of 34.

Archer’s inaugural Head Coach season in 1987 was remarkable. The Tigers achieved a 10–1–1 record, their first 10-win season in over 25 years, finishing ranked No. 5 in both major polls. The only blemishes were a tie against Ohio State and a loss to Alabama. Despite these setbacks, the season was considered a significant success.

The 1988 season saw the Tigers share the Southeastern Conference (SEC) title with a 6–1 conference record, ending the season at 8–4 overall. A highlight of that year was the “Earthquake Game” against Auburn, where the crowd’s reaction to a last-minute touchdown was so intense that it registered on a seismograph in LSU’s Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex.

After departing LSU, Archer continued his coaching career, primarily focusing on defensive roles. He served as the linebackers coach at the University of Virginia from 1991 to 1992, and then at the University of Kentucky from 1993 to 1995, where he was also the assistant head coach in his final year.

In 1996, Archer transitioned to the National Football League (NFL), joining the Pittsburgh Steelers as their linebackers coach. During his seven-year tenure with the Steelers, the team consistently performed well, making multiple playoff appearances.

Archer returned to college football in 2003 as the defensive coordinator for the University of Kentucky, a position he held until 2006. He then moved to North Carolina State University, serving as the defensive coordinator from 2007 to 2012. In 2014, he rejoined the University of Virginia’s coaching staff, initially as the safeties coach and later as the associate head coach and linebackers coach.

Expanding his coaching experience internationally, Archer joined the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts in 2017 as their linebackers coach. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2018. His tenure with the Argonauts was highlighted by a Grey Cup championship in 2017.

In 2020, Archer became the linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL, further diversifying his coaching portfolio.

Archer was born in State College, Pennsylvania and played football and graduated from the University of Miami prior to transitioning into coaching.

Mark Your Calendar

4/16/25 – George Lewis, Author of Buckey Waters’ biography
5/7/25 – Shane Willis, Former Carolina Hurricane and current Color Analyst for Hurricanes’ broadcasts
5/21/25 – Special Guest Speaker
6/4/25 – Scholar-Athlete Awards Luncheon

Our guest speaker for this meeting will be Chrystal Rowe, Assistant General Manager, Sales & Marketing, for the Durham Bulls since January, 2023.

A native of Hickory, North Carolina, Chrystal has built a distinguished career in sports management, culminating in her current role as the Assistant General Manager of Sales and Marketing for the Durham Bulls, a position she has held since January 2023.

Rowe’s journey in the sports industry began with the Carolina Panthers, where she dedicated 18 years of service. Starting as a Ticket Operations Assistant, she progressively advanced through various sales and marketing roles, ultimately achieving the position of Director of Ticketing.

In her current capacity with the Durham Bulls, Rowe oversees the organization’s sales and marketing initiatives. Reflecting on her appointment, she expressed enthusiasm about joining a team deeply embedded in the community and committed to excellence both on and off the field. She stated, “I look forward to continuing to build on the foundation that has been set for the organization by the Goodmon family and Mike Birling and work alongside the tremendous team of front office personnel.”

Beyond her professional endeavors, Rowe is actively involved in community service. She serves as a Board Member for North Carolina Amateur Sports and acts as the Competition Manager for the State Games of North Carolina High School Baseball Tournament. Additionally, she volunteers for Cycle North Carolina and has been a dedicated member of the Kiwanis Club for over 25 years.

Rowe’s educational background includes a degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, further solidifying her deep-rooted connection to the state.

In her personal life, Rowe is an avid traveler and concert enthusiast. She describes herself as a “Carolina girl” and “road trip lover,” passions she often shares on her social media platforms.

Rowe’s extensive experience and commitment to community engagement have significantly contributed to the Durham Bulls’ ongoing success and their strong relationship with fans and partners.

Mark Your Calendar

2/19/25 – Mike Archer, Former Head Football Coach, LSU
3/5/25 – Manny Diaz, Head Football Coach, Duke
3/19/25 – Dave Odom, College Basketball Guru