When sports fans look back on the most memorable players to suit up for their favorite teams, the athletes in question often fall into one of two categories: the stars and the characters.
The stars are top-tier talents who create spectacular highlights, fill up stat sheets and guide their teams to huge wins. But the trade-off is that these hyper-focused performers aren't always beacons of charisma.
That's where the characters come in.
These players are the ones with amusing quirks or a personality that practically jumps off the screen. That can manifest via overkill intensity, odd mechanics, cartoonish facial reactions, atypical body types, the feeling that the athlete would actually be fun to hang out with or any number of other factors.
For Gonzaga basketball fans, Robert Sacre was the rare ultra-memorable player who managed to be a star and a top-tier character. And the fan favorite is still involved in the Spokane basketball scene — now as the head coach for the North Central High boys basketball team.
A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana who grew up playing high school hoops in Vancouver, B.C., Sacre was a towering presence whenever the ball was tipped. An old school bruising center and two-time All-WCC player in his five seasons in Spokane (2007-2012), the 7-foot-tall Sacre was highly adept at scoring in the post and getting to the free throw line, and his star shined even brighter on the defensive end of the floor. The 2012 WCC Defensive Player of the Year ranks second in program history in blocks and top 10 in rebounds, while also arguably being one of the best college centers ever at defending perimeter players.
But when fans think back on Sacre's career, his personality usually gets brought up before any specific games or plays. In terms of character archetypes, he seemed almost like a jolly giant out on the court. He could certainly lock in and get serious, but compared to many other elite Zags, it was evident that he was a kind of goofy guy — he let his toughness show via his play, so he was more than comfortable not trying to hide the fun he was having on the court by flashing his big smile.
When his time at Gonzaga came to a close, Sacre was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, playing four seasons, primarily as a reserve, alongside Kobe Bryant. After his NBA career, Sacre played professionally for three years in Japan for Sun Rockers Shibuya.
But even as basketball was taking the former Team Canada player around the globe, he still felt Spokane's welcoming pull. So it was no surprise that when his playing days ended, he decided to settle down in the Lilac City.
"What brought me back to Spokane was just the family-orientated city. It's just such a great place to raise kids," says Sacre, who lives with his fiancee and four children (with a fifth on the way). "And then during my time playing professional, I'd always had a house here, and I always had access to a gym — whether it was Gonzaga, Warehouse, somewhere. So I was able to work. And I just fell in love with the city while I was playing at GU. So it was a no-brainer to move back here."
Post-playing days, Sacre owns a local excavation company (Sacre Excavation) and a beef-producing ranch (Sacre Ranch), started the Gonzaga basketball podcast Sac & Jack (which is currently on the back burner) and often pops up in local commercials, including some amusing current spots for Fred's Appliance.
And while his days as a dominating center might be behind him, Sacre's found his way back to Spokane's hardwood courts to create new hoops memories — this time as a coach.
In 2023, Sacre took over as the head boys basketball coach for the North Central Wolfpack. Considering many coaches tend to be hard-nosed former guards, it might be a surprise for Zags fans to see the gregarious big man roaming the sideline. And they're not alone. Jump-starting a coaching career wasn't exactly in Sacre's plans, either, when the folks at Spokane Public Schools first approached him about taking over the program.
"I said no initially. I first and foremost said, 'No, I don't have the time,'" Sacre recalls. "And they sat me down and talked with me. And there was a special group of guys that I was able to coach last season, and I just wanted to be a part of that program and be a part of that great group of guys. And it was fun. It was a great opportunity."
While coaching wasn't a gig Sacre needed to pick up, he views it as a way to keep contributing to a sport that has afforded him so many opportunities.
"[It's about] giving back, man," he says. "Someone gave up time and effort and energy to give me an opportunity, so I want to kind of give back and help out and teach the game how it's supposed to be taught."
If anyone questioned his aptitude for coaching, the Wolfpack's play on the court soon dispelled any worries. North Central won the district title in Sacre's first year at the helm, finishing with an impressive 19-7 record.
Not content to be a one-year wonder, Sacre and the Wolfpack finished the 2024-25 regular season with a 15-6 record and a berth in the District 6 3A Tournament despite having a younger, less experienced roster this year. After knocking off Ridgeline 69-58 in the opening round of the tourney on Tuesday night, North Central will now travel to Kennewick to try to keep their season alive against the top-ranked Lions this Saturday (Feb. 15) at 5 pm.
"The biggest thing was being able to help these guys learn how to win," Sacre says. "They had a losing record the year before I got here, and to teach these young men the process of how to win. It's not always easy. We're not playing games to not lose the games. If you've been in a losing program, you're walking on eggshells — 'I don't want to lose this.' No, no, we're winning this. That's how this is going to be."
A couple things are instantly noticeable when observing Sacre patrolling the sideline during Wolfpack games. The obvious one is that he still towers over everyone else in the building as he's chomping on gum and barking out instructions for his players. The more surprising one considering he's a guy known both for his fiery play and goofy demeanor is the calm aura Sacre brings to his team.
When North Central squared off against then-undefeated West Valley at the end of January, things didn't exactly go as planned for the Wolfpack, who fell down early and were never able to climb all the way back. But the team also never let things become a blowout and made multiple runs to try to make it a game. In the huddles, there wasn't a sense of anger — mistakes were pointed out, but always in a positive way to try to get the kids past any mental roadblocks.
"[Coach] is always telling us, 'No peaks, no valleys,'" senior forward Jace Wasson-Yellowjohn says. "Trying to stay consistent. Keep a sense of clarity."
Sacre's NBA credentials give him a hard-to-match level of credibility with his players, and they've responded well to his personality.
"He's loud, energetic, and he knows basketball," senior center Elijah Wright says. "He really knows the schemes, how to play the right way, and things that need to be done for the team if you want to win."
His players say that effort is always the primary emphasis for Coach Sacre, which feeds into his general coaching approach.
"Don't have paralysis by analysis — don't overthink it," Sacre says. "I've played for coaches who know every single play in the book on their opponent. That's great and all, but I just want you to play hard. Let's start with just the basics of just playing hard. If you play hard, I can work with anything else. I'll mold whatever I got, as long as you give me 100%. And then the Xs and Os can come [after that]. My philosophy is I don't care what other teams do. I don't think about them. What are we doing to make ourselves better?"
But Sacre also doesn't feel the need to put on some facade of being a stereotypically stern coach.
"He's more fun to have as a coach than most other coaches," Wright says. "If it's necessary, he'll get serious. He'll tell you what you need to do, tell you how to fix the problem or play, or tell you how to play right. But if we're in practice, and we're having a fun time in a drill, he'll feed off of that and start having fun."
Coach Sacre will even get some shots up in practice if the situation calls for it.
"The hardest part as a coach is that I can't be out there to do it myself," Sacre says with a laugh. "There's some frustrating moments where it's like, 'Guys just do this. It's that simple!' But that's educating them on how to play the right way. And I have to relearn the game so I can break it down to a group of young men. You have to understand, 'No, you just don't put the ball in the hoop. There's ways to put the ball in the hoop."
"He'll lace up at practice sometimes, and he'll just be giving us buckets." Wasson-Yellowjohn says. "He'll show us how strong he really is compared to just high school [players]."
"If they start talking crazy, alright, fine. You want to go? Let's go. Let's put your money where your mouth is," Sacre mirthfully says. "I tore my achilles, and I tell them, 'I'll still bust your butts. I'll tear you guys up with a bum leg, I don't care. Bring it.' [Laughs]"
The other thing that jumps out when watching Sacre coach is certain mannerisms. To put it bluntly, when certain calls don't go his way, he instinctively channels the exasperated mannerisms of his former Gonzaga coach, Mark Few.
In addition to reaching out to other players and coaches in his impressive Rolodex for coaching tips (such as calling former guard teammates for their perspective on teaching specifics like what to look for in pick-and-rolls), Sacre has gotten advice from Few and is fully aware that he's inherited some traits.
"I've talked to Coach Few bit. More than anything I find myself turning into the guy. Like what is going on, man?" Sacre says with a laugh. "The -isms. The -isms! [comically exasperated sigh] All those cliches he would say. It would make you mad at the time, but then you look back in five to 10 years, and you're like 'Man, Coach was putting on some game!' I didn't realize, but at the time you're young, 18-19 years old, you're like, 'I don't want to hear that.' It's the same philosophy of these guys. I just try to take bits and pieces from all [my] coaches — good coaches and bad coaches. What can I do to improve from that coach? What can I do to not be so much like that coach?"
While Sacre tries to not keep things too serious, he knows even being a players' coach means being a bit direct and brash at times.
"I tell these guys, being successful — it's not fun. Doing the right things and doing all those things to be successful? It's boring and it's monotonous and it's grinding. But those are the things that a lot of people don't want to do. That's what pushes you to the next level," Sacre says. "[Another comically exasperated sigh] You hear all these cliches, but there's a reason for those cliches. It's like 'UGGGGH... I have to say that?!' But there's a reason for it."
While trying to put together a repeat run at the district title is the Wolfpack's focus at the moment, Sacre's impact on North Central extends beyond the on-court results. Folks around the school rave about the big personality that was evident to Zags fans during his playing days.
"He's got a great, really easygoing personality. He's very genuine, a very kind individual," says Shelly Radtke, North Central's athletics and activities director. "Every time he comes into the building, he's always like, 'How are you doing? What's going on?' And it's not just to myself, but it's to our office staff or to any of the secretaries that are present when he has to go work with the business office. He's so humble. That's the crazy part about it. Like, he's played for the Lakers, for the Pelicans, overseas in Japan, and was a star at Gonzaga. He's a celebrity around North Central, but he doesn't know that. Everybody else thinks that, but he's just down to earth and mellow. He'll talk to anybody."
When talking with Sacre, it's clear he doesn't have any delusions of grandeur about the legacy of his playing days or coaching job. He may be a beloved Zag. He may have played in the NBA. But when it comes down to it, he's just a guy who likes raising a family in Spokane and trying to help the next generation of hoopers reach their potential on and beyond the court.
"I try to not take myself too seriously, because at the end of the day, in 100 years no one's going to remember Robert Sacre. So let's not make it a bigger deal than it needs to be," Sacre says. "But at the same time, I'm trying to influence these guys to make sure that they're heading on the right track. And they're focused on where they want to go. My goal is for them to achieve their goals." ♦
