Littell’s role at university goes far beyond coaching

The job description for college coaches typically involves running practice, managing a game, recruiting and graduating players. Jim Littell, the Oklahoma State women's basketball coach, has had additional duties.

He has to be a counselor and leader to his team and his community, all while he grieves the loss of his best friend and companion of many years.

And on the weekend of the Remember the Ten anniversary, one of the darkest days in school history, another tragic plane crash, this one involving women's basketball coach Kurt Budke and his assistant Miranda Serna, has been forever tied to the remembrance.

As the OSU community shares reflects on the contributions of the 10 killed in the 2001 crash, as well as the four who died Nov. 17, Littell is in the middle of leading his team through a rigorous Big 12 schedule.

Kansas State plays in Stillwater on Saturday, but Littell's focus today is on honoring those who died in both crashes who meant so much to those at the university.

"The first word of Remember the 10 is we are going to remember and pay respects to the 10 folks that we lost, as well as the four members that we lost on Nov. 17," Littell said.

Neither Littell nor Budke, who were hired in 2005, were at Oklahoma State on Jan. 27, 2001, but they honored the fallen 10 during each anniversary.

"(Kurt and I) did what the rest of the fans and the student body did—to think about the memory of those people, what they represented, what they brought to the OSU family and to pay our respects that way," Littell said.

The similarities between Littell and Budke were tremendous. Both grew up and attended college in Kansas, rose through the ranks coaching at community colleges and were family men who loved their families.

"We would sit around and brag about our kids and how much we loved our kids and watched them grow up in a great community," Littell said in the news conference after the November plane crash.

Budke was the best man in Littell's wedding, and Littell coached Budke's future wife, Shelly, at Friends University while Budke was an assistant coach on the men's team.

At the memorial service in November, Littell shared a story about recruiting Shelly, and how Kurt said Littell didn't need to sign her.

"And for once, I'm glad I never had to listen to him for that one day," Littell said.

The Cowgirls are 12-4 and third in the Big 12 standings despite the circumstances surrounding this season.

Through the hardships, players, such as sophomore point guard Tiffany Bias, said Littell has grown as a coach and earned their respect.

"It's a hard job to come in after a tragedy like that," Bias said. "Every day I think he has gotten better and gotten to where he is the head coach, knows how to coach us, approach us and just lead us out there."

The message Littell sends to his player echoes the sentiment he involved during the memorial that Budke had toward his players, something that has helped the team handle the emotions during trying times.

"He's always telling us to play with heart and passion," Bias said. "Sometimes we need that push in the back just to keep going and fight through it."