As TJ Lacey developed his passion for basketball as a teenager, he understood early on the importance of prioritizing a balance between academics and athletics.
While his play earned him honors including being named a Chicago Public League all-star and all-city honorable mention recognition, it’s the accolades of high school valedictorian and team captain which show he’s a focused and hardworking leader.
Those qualities will serve Lacey well in his new role as Geneseo High School’s next boys’ basketball varsity head coach.
“It's just how I grew up,” said Lacey. “I grew up in Englewood, Chicago, and it's very rough. I knew whether it was school, basketball or football, something had to get me and my mom and my brothers into a better situation. I took pride in being the best that I could be every single day, whether it was in the classroom or on the court, and made sure I carried myself that way all the time.”
Lacey added, “I got a tattoo on my arm that said ‘natural-born leader’ because I honestly feel that I was called to be able to lead and guide and mentor young men. I've been able to do that through basketball.”
Lacey’s hire is pending formal approval from Geneseo’s Board of Education, which will next meet on August 14.
On Wednesday, Lacey was at Geneseo High School to meet and address many of the students who will play for him in the upcoming season.
“It was definitely a refreshing experience, and I enjoyed that they were all so attentive,” said Lacey. “It looked like they mean business too, like they want to be able to turn the program around.”
Lacey continued, “As we approach the season, building relationships with the guys and getting them to trust me are my top priorities. Once they trust me and buy into the culture, the sky's the limit.”
As Lacey recalls his own playing days, he said that his favorite basketball memory is as a high school senior, when Longwood won its first regional title in school history. Lacey furthered his education – and playing career – at Trinity Christian College, where he got his bachelor’s degree and was team captain for three years, and Rockford University, where he earned his master's degree in education and again served as team captain.
It was at Rockford where he met a pair of coaches who would have a significant impact on his life – the team’s head coach, Jeremy Reigle, and an assistant coach, Michael Iseman, who is now the head coach for South Dakota Mines. Lacey worked for the team as a graduate assistant in the fall of 2022 – Iseman’s first season at Rockford – and the next summer, he was elevated to the role of head assistant coach.
“Those were some of the hardest, but best, times of my life,” said Lacey. “I was in grad school. I was also a father of two boys. I was also working at night and in the morning in between classes. I was also giving everything I had to being a coach. People used to be like, ‘Man, you're living a great life.’ They didn't see that I was getting two hours of sleep at night and my kids were crying.”
Lacey continued, “They were the best times, though, getting mentored and spending time with who I believe to be two of the best college minds in the world, coaches Reigle and Iseman. Those two guys taught me a lot about hard work, what it means to be a coach, how to carry yourself as a coach, how to game plan, how basketball is a lot deeper than X's and O's, and most importantly, how to lead men and be a dad.”
In 2024, Lacey moved to the Quad Cities, where he is the director of an AAU program, The New Threat (TNT) Basketball.
Throughout his coaching experiences, he’s developed an overall philosophy that places a huge emphasis on culture.
“You can't really say you're a family until you've done the work to become a family,” states Lacey. “My philosophy, in three words, is discipline is love. I'll coach these guys hard. I'll hold them accountable. We'll be big on discipline in small details, and I think that is what will help us to become a successful program. You start with the culture first. That's my philosophy. Discipline is love.”
While Reigle and Iseman served as mentors for Lacey, he said it’s his wife, Shamara, who deserves the most credit for the man he’s become.
“I would not be the man, person, anything I am today without my wife,” he said. “She's been very, very supportive in my career as a coach, and she's helped me grow tremendously in every aspect of my life.”
The Laceys have a pair of boys, Torian (5) and Titan (3).
“Those dudes are my everything, man,” said Lacey. “I knew from growing up without a present dad that when I had kids, I would be a part of every single day with them. So I definitely give them a lot of credit too because whether they love the game or not, they come and deal with it. They go to AAU tournaments. They go to college games. They sit around and they deal with basketball because it's daddy's job. My boys are my everything. I literally do everything I do to give them the life that they deserve.”
Whether it’s his own journey, the presence of his sons, or the players he coaches, Lacey often thinks about the significance of basketball in his life.
“Basketball has brought me so much solace and peace over the years. It's literally what got me through grief,” explained Lacey. “I think what basketball does for young men is tremendous. It is a tool that can get you opportunities to do some pretty cool things in life. Knowing that and knowing how to navigate it has always inspired me to be able to teach other young men to learn how to use the game of basketball. It’s not about the X's and O's. I care a lot more about the relationships I get to have with the young men and the opportunities that basketball gets you down the line.”
Now, as he takes over in Geneseo, he can’t wait to get to work.
“I am blessed and I am grateful that I have been trusted with this job,” said Lacey. “It's always been a dream of mine to have the opportunity to try and turn a program around. To be the head coach here in one of the best conferences in the state of Illinois, and have a group of guys who are willing to come put the work in, I'm so grateful. I'm blessed.”
Lacey added, “I think Geneseo can be great. I've seen it in the history books. There were years where they were really good and they were able to compete. My goal is to get back to that point.”