Oklahoma State University Athletics
Stories from the Ten: What each man loved most about the team
January 27, 2023 | Cowboy Basketball
Kendall Durfey worked dream job at OSU
By Gabriel Trevino
Kendall Durfey quickly became an OSU fan.
He moved to Stillwater to pursue his master's degree, and to reunite with his younger brother, Nelson, who was an undergrad at OSU.
They both grew up in upstate New York and carried on their family's tradition in Oklahoma.
"We're a media family," Nelson said. "My parents owned a radio station when we were born, so we ended up going into the family business. We had a radio station in New York, then came out to Oklahoma. We had a radio station that Kendall was the general manager of after he graduated from ORU. We sold it then he came to OSU since I was there."
When Kendall got to Stillwater, the brothers quickly bonded over work in the sports radio business, and attending OSU games.
From the 1985 Bedlam "Ice Bowl" in Norman, to the basketball games in the not-yet raised roof of Gallagher-Iba Arena, Kendall embraced OSU athletics.
While at OSU, Kendall worked for the Education Television Services and the OSU radio network as a producer and engineer. From the coaches show for football to being able to work directly with the basketball team, he had his dream job.
"When he got the job at the Cowboy Radio Network, it was great, because he got paid to go to games," Nelson said.
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Bjorn Fahlstrom: Key of the Cowboy air force
By Ben Hutchens
Nowadays, most major college basketball teams charter a jet to fly them to and from away games. It's faster, simpler and keeps everyone together.
Back in 2001, coach Eddie Sutton transported his team on multiple planes provided by donors. He started the practice as head coach of Arkansas, where it because known as the Razorback Air Force.
Part of the reason teams made the switch was the 2001 plane crash that killed pilot Bjorn Fhalstrom and nine people connected with the Oklahoma State basketball team.
The unique way OSU traveled to games made the entire traveling party close.
"When you fly with the same people all the time there's just a level of comfort to it," former OSU point guard Doug Gottlieb said.
Fhalstrom, born in Sweeden, moved to Oklahoma City to learn how to fly. He was a former professional tennis player and fit in perfectly with the Cowboy basketball team.
"But those guys wouldn't have been on the trip if they weren't really good guys, there's not enough space or time," Gottlieb said. "They were just always funny and busting balls. It was just a good thing."
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'All those girls knew Nate'
By Ben Hutchens
People on campus started wondering why an entire pledge class of sorority girls had gone missing.
At some point on their way to a chapter meeting at their house, the girls decided to ditch the function and head to a different house a block away. It was one shared by former Cowboy basketball teammates Fredrik Jonzen and Nate Fleming.
The girls had stopped in to say hello, and two hours later they were still hanging out. It made sense why they were friends with Jonzen, a star senior forward on the team. But why did the girls want to see Fleming, a freshman walk-on who barely played?
Everyone liked Nate.
"All those girls knew Nate and Fredrick," Zane Fleming, Nate's father said. "Fredrick was a junior and high profile cause he was a starter on the team and Nate as a freshman and everybody loved him anyway so it was a good place to go."
Nate loved being part of a team. He loved being a part of something greater than himself and lifting others to success. That's why coaches, teammates and sorority girls loved him.
Whether it was hustling through drills or tutoring teammates he always heeded the advice of his father. Do the next right thing.
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Will Hancock: Combining words, sports and people
By Ben Hutchens
Karen Hancock thinks her late husband, Will, could have done just about anything.
Will's SAT scores were "off the charts," and his math skills would have made him a great engineer or accountant. But he had no desire to crunch numbers all day.
"He was a wordsmith, he loved the English language, he loved words," Karen said. "I think for him, he needed to do something to entertain himself, fulfill himself with writing. And he loved sports, so he combined the two."
Working as sports information director for Oklahoma State basketball merged all of Will's interests. The people he could help in his role made the long hours and heavy travel worth it.
"He liked young people, and he liked helping facilitate them having a good experience," Hancock said. "He wrote all the stories and tried to get some attention shown on the guys he worked with whether that was with basketball or golf."
What surprised Karen after the plane crash in 2001 was how many people felt a piece of Will's love.
"What was always amazing to me…is just the people that came out of the woodwork and said, 'Will did this for me, Will said this to me,'" Hancock said. "He clearly just touched a lot of people.
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Daniel Lawson Jr.: A man of the people
By Braden Bush
No matter what room Daniel Lawson Jr walked into, he was welcomed.
Doug Gottlieb, point guard of the Cowboys from 1997-2000, roomed with Lawson at away games for part of his senior year. That season, the OSU roster had six scholarship seniors. Lawson, a redshirt junior from Mott Community College, fit right in.
But in a room of younger players and other players under redshirt, he acted just the same. Gottlieb said he was accepted by the entire program.
"Everybody liked Dan," Gottlieb said. "Dan was like good looking, smart, smooth talker – he was a good dude."
That's what Lawson enjoyed most about those OSU teams. Being around the guys. Being part of the team. And he was great at making everyone laugh.
"Very very funny," Gottlieb said. "He was the perfect fit for Oklahoma State in that he was super laid back."
Gottlieb recalled a story in which Lawson received extra tickets to a game and gave one to two girls. Problem was, he sat them next to each other.
"It was hysterical," Gottlieb said. "He was really likeable. Kinda more smooth than anything else, and he kinda dressed cool, acted cool, just one of those very laid-back big cats, man."
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Brian Luinstra: Grilling for God
By Ashton Slaughter
Brian Luinstra was a champion.
In high school, he was an undefeated, state champion wrestler and a star multisport athlete.
He was a champion of fatherhood, and from the moment he met his wife, Carolyn Huffman, the pair talked about their desire to start a family.
Above all, he was a champion of life.
"Brian was a fun-loving guy who loved his job and the people he worked with," Huffman said. "He took his profession very seriously and helped many athletes get back to playing their sports through his care."
During a stint working at Kansas before OSU, he met the love of his life, Huffman. The couple had two children together, and Luinstra took pride in being a father to his children.
"He loved me and his children," Huffman said. "He took a hands-on approach with them; reading, playing, teaching them sports and about God."
Although Luinstra died when his children were young, Alexis only two-and-a-half years old and Garrett eight months old, the two ended up taking after their father.
Both were athletes talented enough to play at the college level.
When the athletic training staff and members of the team wanted to spend time together outside of basketball, it was an easy decision who would be hosting– Luinstra. These nights usually came with him behind the grill.
"He loved being a part of a team (and) making close relationships with many of the staff and players," Huffman said.
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Denver Mills welcomed all on his plane
By Ben Hutchens
Doug Gottlieb always liked flying on Denver Mills' plane.
First of all, Mills' wife, Lindell, kept the Super King Air stocked with all the unhealthy snacks hungry basketball players could desire. Whether returning from a thrilling win or gut-wrenching loss, Mills' kindness was consistent. Usually, the coaches were on another flight back home from road games, so Mills' plane always had a relaxing vibe.
Gottlieb, former OSU point guard, said on some flights Mills would let him sit in the cockpit. There, he made cockpit announcements to his teammates and Mills never tired of having a point guard for a co-pilot.
"I'm somebody who I ask a million questions," Gottlieb said. "I like learning things by asking questions. He'd teach me about flying and a couple of times I was up there for the whole flight."
Mills didn't have to spend time away from his wife and three children flying around a basketball team, much less take the time to personally connect and invest in the lives of his passengers.
"He was just a really good dude," Gottlieb said.
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Pat Noyes embraced OSU family
By Parker Gerl
Pat Noyes and OSU were a match like no other.
"It's kind of like he found a forever place being there, I think that had he wandered or ventured off, he would have always been anchored to OSU no matter what," Dan Noyes, Pat's brother said. "He was a relentless defender of Oklahoma State, almost to a fault. That's what people should remember about Pat."
OSU coach Eddie Sutton would often refer to Pat as his "right-hand man," too. There was truly an unbreakable bond between the legendary coach and Pat.
And for Pat, there was nothing better than being around his "family." No matter what job they occupied, each player, coach and staff member made eachother feel like an integral part of the OSU team.
"I think that collective group of people over that era, obviously with coach (Eddie) Sutton and all his assistant coaches is what made it so special for Pat, because he felt like he had complete ownership of the program as well, even at the position he was in," Dan said.
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Bill Teegins: More than a job
By Braden Bush
Paula Cole sat in the car in her parents' garage and listened to OSU games on the radio – just to hear the play-by-play announcer.
That announcer, Bill Teegins, Cole's brother.
"He just made you feel like you were right there," Cole said. "We just loved it.
"We felt kind of goofy sitting in the garage, but back then that's all we could get."
Teegins loved what he did. He admired Stillwater – Eskimo Joe's was one of his favorite spots, and he even had his own table. Teegins loved OSU, its fans and community.
Doing OSU's play-by-play didn't feel like a job. Cole said he enjoyed being part of the program and experiencing everything live.
His family went vacation every year, and Teegins took the time to do a radio segment while on vacation.
"My dad used to say, 'I can't believe that on your vacation you have to call in,'" Cole said. "And (Teegins) would go, 'I love it.' And he did."
Besides his love for what he did, Teegins was best known as someone who cared.
Cole said Teegins remembered everyone's name, and he would stop and listen to anyone – he truly cared about people.
"He was a very caring person," Cole said. "That's the one thing I've heard from many people. That's just the way he was."
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Jared Weiberg: All about basketball
By Sam Hutchens
Jared Weiberg always wanted to coach.
But without the athleticism required of a top-tier performer, playing for OSU was just a means to an end. During practice, Weiberg didn't even have to do all the drills. Coach Eddie Sutton allowed walk-ons a respite. They could just shag rebounds and keep the energy up.
Except Weiberg never did.
"Jared wouldn't skip out on any drill," said Doug Gottlieb, OSU's senior point guard on the 1999-00 team.
Chad Weiberg, OSU's athletic director and Jared's brother, said the thing Jared liked most about being part of Cowboy basketball was getting to be in the middle of everything.
"Being able to help the team any way he could and just observing and learning," Chad said. "That's the reason he came (to OSU)."
After a year, Weiberg took a position as student assistant position for OSU, Trading his walk-on role for a clipboard.
"He would call you and feed you for shooting any time, help you with scouts, help you with watching film," Gottlieb said.
Chad said his brother enjoyed breaking down film and following in the footsteps of their father Mick, who coached basketball.
"That was just in his blood," Chad said. "I think he loved every everything about it. Every minute of it. He was doing what he wanted to do. I have no doubt that he'd be out there coaching somewhere right now… I think he would have been out there as part of the Eddie Sutton tree."
