Cowboy great Forte enjoying life in coaching
Now and then, when he misses the maple of Eddie Sutton Court and the historic feel of GallagherIba Arena, Phil Forte III watches the highlights.
Although Forte’s playing days are only months behind him, he has time to reflect, a chance to look back at what he accomplished during a five-year career at Oklahoma State. Within the footage, he can relive the moments, but he misses them, too.
“It was something I never dreamed could’ve happened, and I couldn’t have drew it up any better,” Forte told The Oklahoman by phone. “Honestly, watching them makes me kind of sad, too. It was the greatest time of my life.”
Among the clips of Forte’s accomplishments is his 300th career 3-pointer, setting an
OSU record. A year ago Sunday, Forte’s corner 3 against Arkansas propelled him to the top of the list. The Cowboys face the Razorbacks again Saturday on the road.
The consummate worker during his playing career, Forte, 24, has seen his schedule stretch thinner. In his first season as a graduate assistant at Saint Louis, he spends even later nights in the gym now than he did while in Stillwater, where he routinely shot at least 600 3-pointers a day.
“As a player, you think you put in a lot of hours. You think you’re in the gym a lot,” Forte said, “but as a coach, you’re here even more. When practice is over, you don’t just really go home. You’re always trying to figure out ways to help the players.”
Working for former OSU coach Travis Ford, Forte has offered help in any way he can. He has instructed players in the weight room, in practice and during games. Forte has also helped players in communicating with Ford, whom he spent four seasons with at OSU.
That relationship with Ford sent Forte to the Billikens, despite offers to join Mike Boynton’s OSU staff or that of former OSU coach Brad Underwood at Illinois.
“I wanted to go somewhere where I felt comfortable and where I was familiar with the coaching staff,” Forte said. “There really wasn’t a wrong way, a wrong decision.”
Despite his new commitments, Forte makes time for his old team. He and Ford Stuen, who roomed with Forte during their years together at OSU, will get on their phones after games or practices to watch the Cowboys.
That was the case last week, when the Billikens’ Saturday game wrapped up in time for Forte and Stuen, Ford’s nephew and SLU’s director of player development, to catch the end of OSU’s upset of Oklahoma while on the bus ride home.
“It’s been different watching from afar instead of being right there with them, but I’ve talked to a couple of the guys pretty consistently throughout the year,” Forte said. “I’m proud of them. I’m proud of what they’ve done this year.”
Amid the rush of the season, Forte is trying to not get too far ahead of himself. But he does have a goal in sight.
“I want to be a head coach at some point,” Forte said. “Right now, I’m trying to take it just day by day and just learn and become a sponge and absorb as much information as I possibly can. I don’t really know what the future holds. I’m just trying to kind of get lost in each day and learn as much as I can, and whenever that moment, that opportunity comes, whenever that may be, that way I’ll be prepared for it.”
Leave it to Forte to want to put in the work.