Today's moment has been years in the making for mature, driven Lane Below

In 2009, most teenagers were obsessed with Miley Cyrus, beginning to get into Taylor Swift and Facebook (before the old farts ruined it), and spent hours honing their sports skills, not necessarily on the diamonds and courts across America, but in front of their TV screens playing Wii Sports.

People who knew Lane Below could see even then, as a seventh grader at Advance Junior High, that he was different.

That year, Below made decisions, both personally and professionally, that explain his success, both personally and professionally, to this day.

“I knew since the seventh grade that I wanted to be a basketball coach,” Below said.

Fast-forward to today, and Below, now 27, will be introduced at a press conference this afternoon as the new head men’s basketball coach at Gulf State Community College in Panama City, Florida.

“It feels good,” Below said of his new position. “I’m excited. You hope that you get the opportunity, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be around some really good mentors.”

Joining Below at today’s event will be his wife, Hannah (Noe) Below, a former standout basketball player at Dexter High School, Southeast Missouri State, and the University of Evansville, as well as the couple’s young daughter, Collins Elizabeth.

The Belows first met in that impactful year, and like every conscious decision Lane has made ever since, he took a long-term view of his present situation and maximized each opportunity.

The foundation is laid

For Below to describe having been around “some really good mentors” doesn’t do his career path justice. He has yet to work or play under any coach who hasn’t been incredibly successful, and that began in the rolling hills of Southeast Missouri.

“I learned (Coach Wheetley’s) work ethic,” Below said of legendary Hornet coach Bubba Wheetley. “He never turned a kid down in getting in the gym, no matter how early or how late it was.

“He was always there for all of his players, and he always gave 110 percent.”

After earning the Southeast Missourian Player of the Year honor as a senior at Advance, the first lesson in facing a challenge was put in front of Below, and the first example of his mature perspective was put into motion.

Below could have gone to any number of colleges on scholarship, yet he elected to walk on at nearby Three Rivers Community College.

“It was mainly because of (Hall of Fame Raider Coach) Gene Bess,” Below said.

Below had the maturity to realize, even if he had to pay his own way, and even if it meant sacrificing playing time, how beneficial it would be to learn from the winningest college coach in history.

“I knew how elite of a coach that he was,” Below said of Bess. “It was really a strategic step.”

Everything Below does in his life has been a “strategic step.”

Working and networking

Though Below was asked to prove himself to Bess before earning a scholarship, he didn’t allow that to obstruct his mission, which was to be a positive influence within the program.

He worked as hard as he could to improve as a player, to influence those around him, and of course, to learn from Bess.

By the end of his first season with the Raiders, Below had earned a scholarship through his diligence and productivity, and he began to lay the path toward his next step.

He became close with Lithuanian-born teammate, Justas Furmanavicius, who was being recruited by several colleges. He didn’t speak “great, great English,” according to Below, so when the college coaches would come to watch Furmanavicius work out, Below would speak with the coaches as an intermediary.

He did that enough with Ole Miss assistant coach Todd Abernathy, that following his time in Poplar Bluff, Below got the opportunity to walk-on with the Rebels.

A big-time opportunity

Below was productive enough at Three Rivers that he certainly could have accepted a scholarship to a smaller college program and played a lot. However, just like the Advance to Three Rivers move, he took a long-term view of his situation and put his faith in himself.

“I wanted to be around the best coaches and best players in the country,” Below said.

What that meant was that he would have a very non-glorified role with Ole Miss – and he was fine with that.

Below spent his time in Oxford working daily to make the program better, not necessarily himself as a player. He grew tight with the team’s top athletes and often helped them train, and Rebel coach Andy Kennedy took notice of his maturity and influence.

The 6-foot-1 kid from Advance earned a scholarship in the Southeastern Conference, and Kennedy had plans to add Below to his coaching staff as a graduate assistant before he was fired following Below’s senior season.

“I was out,” Below said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. Everybody I knew in the coaching world was looking for jobs.

“I was a little nervous.”

Persistence pays off

Ole Miss hired Kermit Davis as its new basketball coach, and though he was a nice guy, he didn’t know Below from Adam, nor did he feel obligated to give him an opportunity.

Below had graduated and was working for a landscaping company in Oxford to pay his rent. Each Friday, he would finish mowing, shower, and “put my suit on and go talk with Coach Davis.”

“He didn’t have anything,” Below said of positions available under Davis. “He told me ‘No’ probably seven or eight times.”

If you haven’t gathered how driven and focused Below is by now, his next decision will certainly demonstrate that.

“By mid-July,” Below explained, “I told him that if he would let me work for free, I’ll do it. I told him after a couple of months, if you don’t want me here, I’ll leave, and you’ll never hear from me again.”

At this point, Below had sacrificed scholarship opportunities and playing time to reach his ultimate goal of becoming a college coach, and now he was prepared to sacrifice himself financially.

“(Coach Davis) ended up giving me a spot,” Below said, “and a couple months into it, I ended up earning a scholarship.”

You’ve seen this movie before, haven’t you?

All class

Not to be dismissive of the academic portion of Below’s path, but for the record, as an undergraduate at Oxford, he was a member of the Southeast Conference Academic Honor Roll, and later earned his master's degree in health promotion. So, this was just another way of Below showing his value to those who could influence his journey.

Another top-notch “mentor”

Below was barely allowed to drink legally at this point, yet had already learned under Wheetley, Bess, Kennedy (64 percent career win rate), and Davis (60 percent winning percentage).

He accepted his first full-time coaching position at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College under NJCAA Hall of Fame coach Tim Ryan (a 70 percent winning percentage).

“Coach Davis has helped me in everything that I have tried to do since (hiring me),” Below said. “He’s been a huge advocate for me. I’m very appreciative and fortunate.”

Below spent two seasons under Ryan, before spending the past two seasons at Chipola College in Florida, where he worked under former NCAA Division I (Morehead State, Southern Miss, Tennessee) coach Donnie Tyndall.

At Chipola, Below helped the program win consecutive Panhandle Conference Championships, 2024 Region VIII Champions, and made its third consecutive National Tournament appearance, where the Indians advanced to the Sweet 16 at the National Tournament.

“A part of the reason that I’ve been able to break through if you will,” Below said, “are the people that I have had with me. My wife, my mom and dad (Luke and Kaci), my grandparents, and all of my family, have been so supportive.

“My mom and dad have always said to “chase your dreams.”

Age appropriate

At 27 years old, his youth was a discussion point, as Below navigated the interview process. However, it is clear that he has done every conceivable thing he could think of to squeeze as much experience into his young professional life as possible.

“Age is always a factor when you are trying to get your first job,” Below said. “I obviously sold the points of who I was fortunate enough to be around, and the success that I have had.

“To be around all of these guys, by 27, I have been a very fortunate and lucky guy to be around those types of coaches at this point in my life.”