Ahead of Final Four in Houston, Players, Coaches Gather to Celebrate 'Principled' Leadership in Sports

NCAA coaches and players were honored at a breakfast in Houston on Saturday, just hours before the Final Four were set to tip off.

The event, called Legends of the Hardwood, was intended to honor those not just for their athletic talents but, more importantly, for being principled leaders in service and good works throughout the year. Clark Kellogg, vice president of player relations for the Indiana Pacers, was the emcee.

TheBlaze TV, which is the official home of Legends of the Hardwood, will air the event in its entirety at 12 p.m. ET Sunday.

Until then, here's an exclusive preview:

From left, Anthony Gibb from Virginia, Matt Costello from Michigan State, Coach Buzz Williams from Virginia Tech and emcee Clark Kellogg. (Image source: Bruce Levinson)

TheBlaze TV and radio host Pat Gray (left) and Jeffy Fisher. (Image source: Bruce Levinson)

But the breakfast wasn't all about athletics, as Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman can tell you.

Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman (Image source: Bruce Levinson)

Another individual who attended the gathering was Virginia Tech head coach Buzz Williams, who spoke briefly.

Then-Marquette University head coach Buzz Williams, now Virginia Tech head coach, looks on from the sideline during the game against the St. John's Red Storm at Madison Square Garden on February 1, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Nate Shron/Getty Images)

"I see coaches that are in the audience that had an incredible impact on my life," Williams said, "not as a player, but as a person that aspired to be a coach."

"I think now that God has offered all of the things that have transpired in my career, my lens on coaching has changed," he added.

Williams said he now better understands coaching because he has sons of his own and the players he coached years ago also are married and have kids of their own.

That, he said, has completely changed the way he looks at his job.

"I think how I view coaching is more from a life perspective than a strategic one," Williams said.

For details on how to watch "Legends of the Hardwood" on TheBlazeTV, click here.

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