Jim Foster says it all the time.
"Don't be mediocre," he tells his University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team. "There are a lot of average people. Why not take it to another level?"
You could easily mistake this for coachspeak, a motivational ploy to win games, which Foster has done 886 times in his Hall of Fame career. And that indeed might be some part of it. But it's far from all of it. It's how he lives his life, right down to the Philly cheesesteak sandwiches he ordered up for Monday night's NCAA women's tournament selection show watch party at his home on Missionary Ridge.
Hearing from McKenzie Arena public address announcer and local radio personality Scott "Quake" McMahen about a Ringgold restaurant that serves authentic Philadelphia sandwich fare, Pennsylvania native Foster decided to check it out for himself, using a litmus test that only a true Philly foodie would know.
So last week, upon entering Big Fat Philly Sandwich Shop on Legion Street, Foster made his way to the kitchen and asked a single question: "What brand of bread do you use?"
Told the establishment uses only Amoroso's bread products - a Philly necessity for true hoagies and cheesesteaks - Foster smiled and said, "Good, because it's not a real Philly cheesesteak without Amoroso's."
If a guy will go to that much trouble over a sandwich, just imagine how much love and passion and detail he throws into coaching his players in both the game of basketball and the game of life.
"He tells us all the time, 'Life is not fair,'" said senior forward Jasmine Joyner, the Southern Conference's defensive player of the year and the nation's leader in blocked shots during the regular season with 113. "He teaches us to be strong, to always strive to be our best."
Added redshirt junior guard Chelsey Shumpert: "He's taught me so much. He takes us to so many different places. Shows us history. So many educational experiences. So many life lessons. He's always pushing me to my limits."
After the Mocs were given a second chance to upset Louisville this season in the opening round of the NCAA tournament this Saturday - they lost at U of L by a 63-47 score early in the season - the sky could be the limit for 13th-seeded UTC should it beat the fourth-seeded Cardinals inside Louisville's Yum! Center.
Especially since the Tennessee Lady Vols would be the Mocs' next opponent should UT survive Dayton in that same arena.
"We've changed our approach," said Foster, which isn't heard often enough in the coaching community. "Queen Alford's willingness to come off the bench she gives us a burst we didn't have."
His Mocs also settled down, shook off a brutal nonconference schedule and wound up 12-2 in the SoCon regular season before winning the SoCon tourney and the automatic bid that goes with it for the fourth time in Foster's four years in charge of the program.
"By the end of the year, you've played something similar (offensive or defensive system) four or five times," said Foster, reflecting on a schedule that included current No. 1 and undefeated UConn, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 13 Louisvile and Wisconsin-Green Bay, which was among "others receiving votes" in Monday's final Associated Press poll.
"I think we've grown up. We're just looking forward to the games."
None of us should look forward to the end of the Jim Foster era at UTC. Not only has he carried on the grand work done by former UTC coach Wes Moore, but arguably bettered it by having thus far won 100 percent of his league tourney games.
Still, Foster will turn 69 in October. He and Donna love to travel, love spending time with their family, love the arts, love to chase new challenges and experiences. He'll probably stick around another year or two, but it won't be forever. Capturing 900 wins is a probability. Hanging around to grab 1,000 isn't likely in the plans.
But until then, expect the Mocs to relish their time with the Fosters as long as it lasts.
"Just the Christmas party," Shumpert said. "We did a talent show. Everybody was dancing. Coach did his little shoulder dance, but Ms. Donna is the real dancer in that family."
For UTC's women, the Big Dance begins Saturday five hours up the road in Louisville. That alone assures this team of being anything but mediocre.
Let the Mocs win a game or two in Derby City and Foster might be ready to rank them right up there with Amoroso's sandwich rolls.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.