The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Sports

October 17, 2007

Terzic ‘home’ at MSU

By Dave Morrison

Mersad Terzic made his mark at Mountain State University.

Academically, he got his degree in four years.

Athletically, he helped the Cougars win the 2004 NAIA Division I national championship.

And socially, he left being able to dream in two languages.

But the big Bosnian’s true mark might have come on the very day he left.

“I remember the day real well,” MSU coach Bob Bolen said. “My kids were wearing their little 45 MSU jerseys (Terzic’s number) and they started crying when he left. They thought they were never going to see Terzic again.”

That’s impact.

Imagine the thrill for the young Bolen’s when they found their favorite Cougar was returning to Beckley.

Terzic is back, as a graduate assistant for the school where he scored 1,526 points (fourth overall) and grabbed 766 rebounds (tied with Alan Brown for the top spot overall).

“It’s great to be back,” Terzic said recently. “I have a lot of great memories from Beckley. It really is also like a home for me.”

After leaving MSU after the 2006 season, Terzic, as expected, played professionally, on a team in Budba, Montenegro.

Playing professional ball — a dream in either English or Bosnian — and living on the beach.

It was good money and a good life, with the exception of the losses. After a career at MSU that saw his team’s go a combined 130-15, it was hard to accept the losses. Even if he was averaging 18 points and seven rebounds a game.

“That was one of the real tough things, because our team wasn’t really that good, and I had always played on teams that won,” Terzic said.

The 6-foot-9 Terzic then saw an old back problem flare up.

And it kept getting worse.

“My team in Montenegro said they were willing to take a chance, bring me back (for 2007-08),” Terzic said. “And I wanted to. It was my dream to play. I was living on the beach. But I couldn’t play like that.”

In the meantime, he had often e-mailed friends back in the states. He e-mailed Bolen and even the Bolen children.

“I knew a couple of companies that wanted to hire him after he graduated,” Bolen said. “When he said he was leaving, I told him one of the companies would still like to hire him, or, he could work for us for free and get his master’s degree.”

He chose the latter.

“It’s the new plan,” Terzic said. “My first plan was to play. Now I hope to learn as much as I can from our coaches here and then one day be a coach myself.”

By doing everything from the day-to-day practices, individual workouts, listings for recruits and filming, he will get a course study in the ins and outs of the job. He is currently living in the basketball quarters and he logs 10 to 11 hour days.

“He will be a part of the decision-making process, like any of our other coaches,” Bolen said.

It won’t be a problem.

“His work ethic and knowledge of the game is as good as any player we’ve had here,” Bolen said. “It’s unmatched. He’s a dedicated, hard worker.”

The hardest part may be keeping him strapped to the sideline.

“I’m glad to be back,” Terzic said. “I just wish I could get out there and play with the guys.”

— E-mail:

demorrison@register-herald.com

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