Meyer Finds Retirement Is Signal for More Work

Ray Meyer, who led the DePaul Blue Demons to 724 victories over 42 seasons before turning the coaching reins to his son last year, could use a vacation from retirement.

Meyer stepped down less than one year ago after a career that saw him enter the basketball Hall of Fame as one of the nation’s premier coaches. Some had thought Meyer was going to have a low profile after he retired but that hasn’t been the case.

“I’m probably busier now than I ever was when I was coaching,” Meyer, 71, said in a recent interview from his office at DePaul, where he remains employed as a special assistant to the university’s president. “I never knew there were so many charities.”

Meyer rattled off a list of a dozen appearances he has made in recent days on behalf of the university. He speaks at banquets, coaching clinics, and charity functions in addition to occasionally watching his son, Joey, conduct practices at Alumni Hall.

“Most people think I have more time now so I’m asked to more functions, more affairs and I do more speaking,” Meyer said. “When I was coaching I had the excuse I was coaching and had to pay attention to the ballclub. Now that’s not a factor anymore.”

Meyer, fifth on the list of all-time winning college basketball coaches, even found himself being referee during a recent exhibition game with the Harlem Globetrotters for charity.

“After 42 years of yelling at those guys, I had to be one of them. It was a complete transformation,” said Meyer, who co-officiated the contest with Illinois Gov. James R. Thompson.

In addition to the public appearances, Meyer also writes a weekly basketball column for the Chicago Sun-Times, is host on a half-hour weekly television program in Chicago (WLS-TV) and in what is probably unique in sports--serves as the color man for WGN-Radio in games coached by his son.

“I anticipated that after I retired I’d be completely out of the limelight. But I’m more in the limelight now than when I was coaching. That’s shocked me,” Meyer said.