Completed Event: Men's Basketball at UNLV on February 7, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 80
M Basketball
at UNLV
L 78-80
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Slaven Gujic
Insider: Majerle joins Dan Patrick
3/5/2018 10:28:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
GCU coach talks Havocs, Vernon engagement
Grand Canyon head coach Dan Majerle started WAC Basketball Tournament week with an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show."
Majerle touched on the GCU Arena atmosphere, senior Keonta Vernon's pregame marriage proposal Saturday and taking the Lopes job in 2013 during the interview on the syndicated radio show, which is broadcast on NBC Sports Network and DirecTV's Audience.
Patrick asked Majerle to describe the Havcos, the student section that has helped GCU to a 16-2 home record this season.
"I don't know if I can," Majerle said. "It's one of those things that's just has built. When I got here four years ago, there were 4,000 students on campus and now there are 19,000. We're going to cap it at 30,000. You can imagine 3,000, 3,500 new freshmen every year and our fan base has really grown. It's called the Havocs. We fill one half of the size of our arena, across from our bench, just with students. It's like a party. It's a rave. They get in there an hour before the game and it's just non-stop. And when I tell recruits, 'We have one of the best college atmospheres in all the country,' they just kind of roll their eyes and say, 'Yeah, we've heard this before.' We actually a guy sign and come here for an exhibition game. I said, 'Wait until you see our crowd.' He said, 'This is an exhibition game.' And I said, 'Oh, just wait.' We won by 40 and the place never sat down and he signed that night. He said, 'This is unbelievable.' We talk about and you've seen the videos. But when you're here, it's absolutely electric and it goes on all game."
Vernon's Saturday proposal caught nationwide attention, including USA Today, and an inquiry from Patrick.
"He came into my office a couple days before, all nervous," Majerle said. "I didn't know what his problem was. He said, 'I have to get your blessing.' I said, 'What?' He said, 'I'm going to propose to my girlfriend on senior night.' I said, 'OK.' Of course, I've known this girl for a long time because she works at my restaurant. She's worked there for a quite a number of years so I've known her for a long time. She's a great girl. I gave Keonta my blessing. He did it right there on Senior Night. It was a big hit.
"I didn't know what was going on with him. He was a little nervous. I was like, 'What's the problem, Keonta?' I had no idea. He was like, 'This is the most nervous I've been.' I said, 'Go ahead, just bring it out.' He said, 'I'm going to propose to my girlfriend.' I kind of took a deep breath and said, 'Are you sure?' He said, 'Yeah, I've been thinking about it for a while.' I know she is a great girl so I gave my blessing. It was a great moment for both of them.
"The whole team knew. I think everybody knew except for his girlfriend. A.J. (Sulka), my (Majerle's Sports Grill) manager knew. I don't think the crowd knew but all his teammates knew and his family knew so it was pretty cool. I saw him trying to put the ring on her finger and he was shaking. It was like he was trying to catch a pass. He doesn't have the greatest hands in the world so I was glad he didn't drop the ring. He's like a 40 percent free throw shooter and fumbles the ball a lot so he executed the plan perfectly. I was proud of him."
Patrick also took Majerle's GCU stay full circle, inquiring how the pairing originated because the Phoenix Suns passed on him, then an assistant coach, for an interim head coach job when Alvin Gentry was fired in January of 2013.
"Mr. Jerry Colangelo called me and said, 'There's a job right down the street from where you live,' " Majerle said. "It's Grand Canyon. They've got a bright future. They're going to go Division I and they want you as a coach. Can you sit down with the president (Brian Mueller)? I did and it's the best move I ever made."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Majerle touched on the GCU Arena atmosphere, senior Keonta Vernon's pregame marriage proposal Saturday and taking the Lopes job in 2013 during the interview on the syndicated radio show, which is broadcast on NBC Sports Network and DirecTV's Audience.
Patrick asked Majerle to describe the Havcos, the student section that has helped GCU to a 16-2 home record this season.
"I don't know if I can," Majerle said. "It's one of those things that's just has built. When I got here four years ago, there were 4,000 students on campus and now there are 19,000. We're going to cap it at 30,000. You can imagine 3,000, 3,500 new freshmen every year and our fan base has really grown. It's called the Havocs. We fill one half of the size of our arena, across from our bench, just with students. It's like a party. It's a rave. They get in there an hour before the game and it's just non-stop. And when I tell recruits, 'We have one of the best college atmospheres in all the country,' they just kind of roll their eyes and say, 'Yeah, we've heard this before.' We actually a guy sign and come here for an exhibition game. I said, 'Wait until you see our crowd.' He said, 'This is an exhibition game.' And I said, 'Oh, just wait.' We won by 40 and the place never sat down and he signed that night. He said, 'This is unbelievable.' We talk about and you've seen the videos. But when you're here, it's absolutely electric and it goes on all game."
Vernon's Saturday proposal caught nationwide attention, including USA Today, and an inquiry from Patrick.
"He came into my office a couple days before, all nervous," Majerle said. "I didn't know what his problem was. He said, 'I have to get your blessing.' I said, 'What?' He said, 'I'm going to propose to my girlfriend on senior night.' I said, 'OK.' Of course, I've known this girl for a long time because she works at my restaurant. She's worked there for a quite a number of years so I've known her for a long time. She's a great girl. I gave Keonta my blessing. He did it right there on Senior Night. It was a big hit.
"I didn't know what was going on with him. He was a little nervous. I was like, 'What's the problem, Keonta?' I had no idea. He was like, 'This is the most nervous I've been.' I said, 'Go ahead, just bring it out.' He said, 'I'm going to propose to my girlfriend.' I kind of took a deep breath and said, 'Are you sure?' He said, 'Yeah, I've been thinking about it for a while.' I know she is a great girl so I gave my blessing. It was a great moment for both of them.
"The whole team knew. I think everybody knew except for his girlfriend. A.J. (Sulka), my (Majerle's Sports Grill) manager knew. I don't think the crowd knew but all his teammates knew and his family knew so it was pretty cool. I saw him trying to put the ring on her finger and he was shaking. It was like he was trying to catch a pass. He doesn't have the greatest hands in the world so I was glad he didn't drop the ring. He's like a 40 percent free throw shooter and fumbles the ball a lot so he executed the plan perfectly. I was proud of him."
Patrick also took Majerle's GCU stay full circle, inquiring how the pairing originated because the Phoenix Suns passed on him, then an assistant coach, for an interim head coach job when Alvin Gentry was fired in January of 2013.
"Mr. Jerry Colangelo called me and said, 'There's a job right down the street from where you live,' " Majerle said. "It's Grand Canyon. They've got a bright future. They're going to go Division I and they want you as a coach. Can you sit down with the president (Brian Mueller)? I did and it's the best move I ever made."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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