Playing With Pace And Purpose, Head Coach Freddie Zamora Leading Toledo Glass City Basketball Club To Break Out First Season In TBL
After developing high school and college basketball players, the native from Ohio is putting together something special in Toledo to begin his pro coaching career.
Toledo, Ohio — Last August and long before the tip-off of the 2022 season in The Basketball League began unfolding, Freddie Zamora and the Glass City Basketball Club in Toledo, Ohio were busy making history.
Being honored as the first Hispanic head coach in the history of the league, the 30-year-old homegrown head coach was tasked with entering TBL play this year as an expansion franchise after leading Glass City Basketball Club to an undefeated and unforgettable season in the Premiere Basketball League. If there is such a thing as “carryover success” in basketball, Coach Zamora is certainly experiencing that feeling over the past month with Toledo currently riding a seven-game win streak in the Upper Midwest Conference after dropping their season opener to the Owensboro Thoroughbreds.
Since then his team has played with pace and purpose. Glass City BC can break teams down and hurt them in a hurry – they currently rank 3rd in TBL in steals at 10 per game, 3rd in 3-pointers with 12 made per game, and 5th in the league in assists at 19.3 per game. These guys can go and have turned hitting big shots into a habit.
One win at a time. One game at a time. One practice at a time. That’s how the job is getting done.
A native of Napoleon, Ohio, Coach Zamora was part of the Owens Community College Basketball program as an assistant coach and served as an assistant with AAU’s Mokan Elite in Overland, Kansas prior to being named head coach of Glass City. With a solid basketball foundation rooted in dedicating himself to hours of watching game film, compiling countless scouting reports, and working with developing young players at the junior college and high school AAU circuit, Freddie began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach on Paul Mills’ staff at Oral Roberts University where he learned up close and personal on what it really means to lead your own team the right way.
Relying on the unwavering support of his family, his playing experience from college at Tennessee Temple University and Ohio Christian University, and a glowing track record of helping young guys grow their game, Coach Freddie Zamora just might make some more history this season in Toledo before all is said and done.
Congratulations on the strong start to the season in the Upper Midwest Conference and this being the first year in TBL for the organization. It's also monumental as you became the first Hispanic head coach in league history. What does that mean to you when you sit back and think about your coaching career?
It’s an honor! Being the first Hispanic head coach in TBL history is something I don’t take lightly and I hope it helps create confidence in other aspiring hispanic coaches that they can do it too. To be in this position today is credit to my parents for instilling a work ethic in me like no other. It’s also a credit to a lot of coaches and athletes that have helped me grow along the way.
How did your parents instill your strong work ethic in you? You also have older brothers who have been a big influence on you?
My parents worked multiple jobs to make sure we were provided for and never complained around us. From mowing the lawn to shoveling the snow our dad had us working around the house. I remember wanting certain things and my mom explaining that those things cost money. I’m really thankful for how they raised me and I think it’s why I work hard everyday.
My older brothers also played a major part in my work ethic and life in general. They introduced me to sports. They used to invite me to play football, basketball or whatever sport was in season with their friends. I was so much younger than everyone but I’m glad nobody took it easy on me. I thrive in being doubted or treated as an underdog. My oldest brother Juan is one of my heroes and someone I still look up to today. I learn so much from him and he’s always got my back. My other older brother Dave is who helped keep this love for basketball I have going. My sophomore year of high school I was cut from the basketball team. He was very upset but at the time he was playing at NAIA Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee. When I finished high school I had still been playing basketball nonstop, so my brother's coach at the time was recruiting players and my brother brought my name up to him. I went down and tried out for Coach Lee in Chattanooga and the rest is history. Me and Dave’s love for this game can’t even be put into words but we definitely share that bond together.
You began your coaching career serving as a grad assistant under Paul Mills at Oral Roberts, which can be a tedious role with the responsibilities of watching film, putting together scouting reports, and developing guys. How did that opportunity and being a part of Coach Mills' staff prepare you for now running your own team?
Being a graduate assistant coach at Oral Roberts University introduced me to a whole different side of the game. I cannot express how valuable my time was there and being able to learn from outstanding coaches like the staff that was at Oral Roberts. I took different lessons, verbiage and tactics that I will carry with me forever as a coach. They were so welcoming and helpful in bringing me on that I felt very comfortable asking any questions that I think could help me improve. I’ve taken something from all stops along my coaching journey that have prepared me to be a head coach at 30 years old today but Oral Roberts University and the coaching staff there were a MAJOR reason I started to love coaching basketball.
Do you feel that brotherly bond has extended to the team now? You guys have been impressive to start the season with a 7 game streak and appear to be a tight group.
I think it has carried over a bit but luckily for us our guys are all kind of familiar with each other and friends outside of basketball. It also helped having a lot of returners from last year's team that have the same goals and love representing Toledo in the highest form. This group is so competitive and refuses to ever back down from a challenge so I’ll go to war with that group any day.
Last year at this time you were busy leading Glass City BC to an undefeated record and a PBL Championship before entering TBL as an expansion team. How has it been adjusting to a new league and what was your mindset coming into this season?
My mindset hasn’t changed a bit. I actually posted something when we made this transition saying “new league, same mindset” because the way we operate and what our goals are remain the same. Some adjustments have been to the talent in this league and the coaching. This league has some of the top coaches and athletes in the U.S. night in and night out. You know it’s going to be a battle but we embrace it and I think we welcome it.
Do you now just expect local guys like Chris Darrington (Scott High School/Tennessee/Akron), Tray Howard (Waite High School/Tiffin University), and Clemmye Owens (Rogers High School/Bethune-Cookman) to keep hitting big shots when the ball is in their hands? They have been fun to watch this season.
Those three are special. Tray and Clemmye have been doing that since last year. Chris has come in this year and added more veteran presence to the team. None of those three guys are scared to take that big shot in the big moment and it’s what makes them so special.
You touched on the love guys have for Toledo, can you share a bit more about that pride and it means to the team to have the support of the community there?
Most of this team were born and raised here in Toledo. They’ve come up through the Toledo school system and take pride in being role models to the youth following in their footsteps. We recently ran a youth basketball league in the city at Sunbridge Schools for 3rd-6th graders that was completely free of charge and provided an opportunity for the kids to learn from pros and not have to worry about paying anything. Just show up, be willing to learn and have fun! We hope to have the community more involved and showing up to support this team. These guys are working very hard both on and off the court so to the Toledo community please continue showing up!
You and Jamestown face each other this weekend in New York and are sitting atop of the conference, which in general is deep with Flint, Detroit, and Lansing all right there too. What have been your thoughts on the competition in the TBL?
Our conference is very scrappy. These in conference battles are very fun to coach and the competition is there any time we are on the floor. Everyone wants to finish the conference on top so we try to stay locked in whether it is an in conference game or out of conference game because both can teach us lessons and help us grow.
What has been your biggest message to the guys thus far and looking ahead to this weekend?
It is a long season and we have to just continue to get better every practice and every game. This will all prepare us for what is to come.
Team photo credit: Toledo Glass City Basketball Club
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Wendell Maxey has covered and written about professional basketball and sports for 19 years including eight years reporting on the NBA in New York and Portland where his work appeared on ESPN.com, NBA.com, USA Today, FOX Sports, YAHOO Sports!, SLAM Magazine, and The Oregonian among other publications and outlets. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn or read through his archive on Linktree.