University of North Carolina Athletics
Behind The Scenes: Kay Thomas
October 28, 2002 | General
In the third installment of "Behind the Scenes", TarHeelBlue.com interviewed Kay Thomas, a secretary in the men's basketball office.
Name
Kay Thomas
Birthday / Hometown
February 24 / Chapel Hill, N.C.
TarHeelBlue.com:
How long have you worked in the men's basketball office?
Kay Thomas:
This is my 28th season in the Athletic Department, but I have 32 years with the state of North Carolina.
THB:
How did you start working as the basketball secretary?
KT:
I knew someone who worked in the Educational Foundation and they asked me if I wanted to work over there. That job never came available and the personnel office called me and told me that this job was available and asked me if I wanted to take it. I said, "Let me think about that ... yes."
THB:
Did you grow up as a UNC fan?
KT:
Oh yeah! I have been going to football games since I was six years old. So, I was actually more of a football fan than I was a basketball fan because you couldn't get in to see basketball. But, I was always a Carolina fan.
THB:
What do you like the most about your job?
KT:
I like getting to know all of the guys - the coaches and the players. It is good to be a part of the family. It is like one big family. I say that I have 260-something children.
THB:
Why do you think the family atmosphere exists here as opposed to other places?
KT:
Even when kids are being recruited we always tell the parents that we will be their mothers away from home and we really are. We try to make sure we remember birthdays and we just take them under our wing and that's from when they are recruited.
We don't wait until after they come to school here. We still feel that way about them before come here. It's not like they walk in the door and we say, "Hey, how are you doing?,"and they keep going back to see the coaches. We want them to know that they are our kids and we are here to look out for them. If they need to talk to somebody we are here to talk to them. I think some places just aren't like that.
We do get involved and try to make the kids feel comfortable rather than them coming in here and being, "a piece of meat." We don't want them to think, "Oh, you just got me here to play basketball and you really don't care about me," because that is not the way it is here.
THB:
Do they talk to you about relationships with girls and issues on campus?
KT:
They have. It is not an everyday thing but they have in the past.
THB:
Who is your most favorite former Tar Heel basketball player?
KT:
I couldn't even answer that. I really wouldn't want to answer that.
THB:
Who is the funniest player?
KT:
I guess that depends on your perception of funny. I could say Dante Calabria, but that is a hard one to answer.
THB:
Who is the funniest coach?
KT:
ill Guthridge.
THB:
ill Guthridge?
KT:
Yes, he has the greatest humor. You have to know him. He has dry humor. He's awesome.
THB:
Do you attend every UNC basketball game?
KT:
I go to all the home games. I don't go to all the away games. I go to the ones that I can get to, but mostly home games.
THB:
What is your most memorable Carolina basketball moment?
KT:
I think the '93 National Championship guys will be upset with me, but the '82 National Championship was the greatest moment because that was the first one that we were involved with. The '93 National Championship means the same thing to me, but when the '82 championship happened, it was a feeling that I had never had. I really knew the meaning of being hysterical because I was hysterical.
