From Retail to Recruiting to the Bench: How Coach Mayberry Found His Lifework

In this second conversation with Coach John Mayberry, Dr. Stan Norman explores how God redirected a plan that once pointed toward North Texas and college soccer into a life of ministry through Christian higher education and basketball at Williams. Coach Mayberry traces the unlikely path from Foot Locker management, to working in recycling, to a last‑minute trip to Williams Baptist University that made it clear he was supposed to be here.

He shares why he majored in Christian ministries, how God shifted his calling from traditional youth ministry into college students, admissions, and coaching, and how serving as an admissions counselor and assistant coach prepared him to lead the Lady Eagles.

Mayberry unpacks his theology of calling and work, why he wants players to see him first as a Christian husband, father, and man of integrity, and how he prays specifically for the players God wants him to coach—not just the ones with the best stats. This episode is a clear picture of what lifework looks like when you trust that the Lord’s plan is bigger than your own.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Life Work Podcast. We are joined again today by Coach John Mayberry. And when we last concluded our previous podcast, I think we had you hanging in your early years here at Williams. But I want to back up a little bit because I want to hear how you wound up getting here. Because you graduate Hot Springs High School, you go to a community college there in the area, you're a gym rat. You're getting a degree. Did you get an associate's degree? You didn't finish, you just transferred it all here. How did you get here?

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Well, my plan was to originally my plan, not the Lord's plan, my plan was to go to North Texas to UNT. Um and I really wanted to try out and play soccer uh at UNT. Um and that was really the goal. Um, and I was planning to move um at the time before that I had worked for Foot Locker. I was in management with Foot Locker in Little Rock and I was doing that. Um, but my plan was to go there to try out play soccer, like that's what I wanted to do. And a friend of mine uh from high school was actually gonna move with me. He worked for Lowe's, he was gonna transfer and go down there with me, and like and we were gonna live together. Um, I had spent some time at a church down there in the summer, yeah, interning from my old youth pastor who was down there and uh there at that in Sanger, north of Denton. And so I had was familiar with a lot of people, like I knew, you know, I had some structure, some support, you know, people that would help me along the way. Um well when I quit Footlocker, um I had a uh a friend of ours that was kind of a mentor who was a bivocational pastor and who's actually an alumni from here. Um and I think you actually met him somewhere, Dennis Wills. Um he's from from Benton area. Um, but he was over, uh his son was currently here as a student as a freshman, and he was over um Sling County regional solid waste there. And so on my way home from when I quit Footlocker, um, it was one of those times that the Lord was like, it's time to move. And so I was like, okay, and so I quit and so you quit Foot Locker with no place to go.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

No place to go back home with my parents. I was about to say, isn't that contrary to what your parents would have told you to do?

SPEAKER_00 2:12

It was yes, to some extent, yes. Um, but it was a lot, and I was still living out of my house, even working at Foot Locker. Um, but I had a friend who lived in that area who worked for 4-H, and so I stayed with him a lot because the 4-H center was just outside of Little Rock. And so when I was up there, I stayed with him a lot instead of just driving back and forth. Um and so, but I had a job before I got home that day, so it didn't really matter. So I stopped and I was talking with him, and he was like, Well, why don't you just come work work for me? And um, so I was like, Okay, and he's like, You can just come work for me, and uh, we can work with our recycling program, who I it was kind of crazy because his director of recycling was actually his bivocational youth pastor at the church as well. And so I knew Dennis growing up from church camp. So those years at church camp, he was always there with his church, and um, and so I just had a good, I knew him well, I had a good relationship with him. And so he asked me, he's like, just come work for us, and then he's like, Dustin's in school at Williams, and so you can just stay, you can stay in his room through the week, and you can work for me, you know, during the week. And um, so that's what I did. Well, um, when I was planning on moving after Christmas was the plan to North Texas, and it was roughly it was Thanksgiving, it was right around the area of homecoming after homecoming because uh I just know Melinda Williams had a play, and Dustin was involved in the cast and play, and so Dennis had come up here to see Dustin, and he just always talked about stuff. And that following week, um, I was in the office with him, and we were just talking work and stuff, and I just I don't know, I felt the Lord had laid on my heart kind of to I don't know exactly what he laid on my heart, but maybe that this wasn't the best option for me what I was thinking. And so he asked me to come. He's like, Well, he's like, Do you want to? I was asking him if he's gonna come back to Williams and visit. He's like, Well, I probably won't visit till after Christmas, we'll go back up till after Christmas. And I was kind of like, ah, he's like, Well, do you unless you want to go up there? And so I was like, Well, yeah, it was like it was like instant, like the Lord was like, put that question out there for him to ask me. And so, yeah, so he brought me up and uh we uh hung out and on a Thursday night, he's like, I'll pay for it, I'll feed you, we'll stay the night. So he him, he drove me up here, and another good friend of ours who uh had graduated, Washtaw at the time was a youth pastor in Hot Springs, Hot Springs Baptist, Tabmore. Um, we drove up, we came up, uh we stayed the night down at the day's inn on Thursday night. I played basketball in the old Carter before the goals and the floor was taken out. Um went to the um the time it was called like PM was a student-led service. Yeah, and uh um went to that, and then on Friday morning I got up and he brought me down and I went with Dustin to class to uh New Testament with Dr. Foster and um had lunch and just saw the campus and and that was it. And we went home and um I knew I was coming. And uh he he ended up I ended up working for him after Christmas that that spring semester, and then I started here in 04 in that fall.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

So what our listeners may not know is that you grew up in an area that has a heavy Waschita Baptist University presence. I mean your pastor, John McCollum, uh, is an alum in a in a I think he's an alum. Uh if he's not, he's uh avid support. He is an alum, okay. Getting a nod from uh our technician producer, uh side man over there. So why didn't you think about that? Why wasn't why were you not feeling called to go in that direction as opposed to called to coming this direction? And I'm glad you did. And I I'm just curious that that's pretty countercultural for where you grew up.

SPEAKER_00 5:49

Well, and I went to several things. They had a big um college, like a their student-led, what's called refuge, and a lot of people went to that. And even at that time, I would drive to Arkadelphia with some of my friends, and we'd go to their refuge, their service. Um, and there was a couple of those girls from our church at Lakeshore Heights that had gone there, um, that was going there. Um, I really think when I I just started looking at the financial side of it when I was at that time, and I knew that it was um uh more expensive, and I really didn't know anything about Williams until um Dustin attended, and then I started hearing a lot of stuff. And the crazy thing is when it came out, then the next thing I know, there's like 20 people in my church that were like, Oh, I went there, I went there, you know, and these are some senior adults who I went there when it was Southern. I went there, you know, it was two years, and and me and me and uh, you know, Mr. King, we met there and we were we got married, and you know, it was just crazy how many people in my life um at the time who went there and well and so there was a stint there that I was working and doing some stuff for Hot Springs Baptists at the time with Tad and uh just as some part-time stuff. Well, and at that time, Miss Williams was was still was still there. Um and I can remember um I was helping with uh some of the uh janitorial service and doing some stuff on as an ex extra job, and they were trying to help me and just prepare and get ready, and I can remember he said, Oh, I can introduce you to Miss Williams, and I'm like, Okay, Miss Williams, and they're like, No, like Miss Williams, Miss Williams, and I was like, like Williams Baptist Williams. I was like, Oh, and so I can remember he took me into her Sunday school class and introduced me to her at the time, and so that was kind of really it. Um, and I I don't know, I just I I was very much different at that time in life. Like I wanted to be different, like I didn't go with the norm. You know, um if if everybody was was pushing for uh Chicago, I was pushing for Orlando. You know, I mean it was just kind of like I know better than that. The the well now I'm a little more realistic, but yeah, you know, I didn't mind to argue a little bit back then either about stuff.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

So you came to school here, and it sounds like there were several influencers God used to lead you here, people in your life, maybe some church relations, some work experiences also along the way, and all of them led you to this point, and you were here. What'd you study?

SPEAKER_00 8:09

Uh uh major in Christian ministries. Okay. I did not know that.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

That's the first time I'm hearing this.

SPEAKER_00 8:15

Everybody just assumes it was LPS. Sports management or yeah, something like that, yeah. So no, so no, uh Dr. Foster uh was uh him and Dr. Gore both um my first two years, and then Dr. Norval came in, and so that's when they kind of broke some because my uh I did the I was emphasis in youth, and then I had a minor in sociology. Um so then I transitioned over to with Dr. Norval uh the last two years under him as as an advisor. And so that was because originally like the plan was I felt the Lord call me into youth ministry. And so, and I tell people, they're like, Well, what happened? I was like, Well, nothing. I I did what I was supposed to do, and then he changed the plan. And so it wasn't I was doing during that time a lot of youth ministry-related stuff. Like sure. I mean, I was helping at Rich Creston in Benton, I was helping with Hot Springs Baptist right before I came back to Williams as an employee. Like I was heavily involved in First Baptist with Wallace and and Brother John. And so with their recreation ministry and doing some stuff and with upwards basketball and all that kind of stuff. So I was I was really, I tell people like I was engulfed in it and surrounded by it. I just never surrendered to like a full-time paying youth ministry job. Like I spoke at camps, I did disciple now's. Um, I was the um camp director for our associational camp at Spring Lake for for two years. Um and I was, I mean, I was active, involved in numerous church retreats and D now's and all I did all that stuff, and then I felt like it came to a point in my life where okay, God said, Okay, I'm gonna use ministry, I'm just gonna use it for you in a different way.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

And now Okay, I want to talk about that. Okay. Tell our listeners about that experience that God is using you in ministry, but it's looking different than what you initially thought it would look like.

SPEAKER_00 10:06

It the crazy thing now is like it's still youth ministry, it's just a different age of youth. Yeah you know, it's more what you would define as college ministry, you know, from the classroom or from all the other jobs I've had here and work, you know, working through admissions or student life or um, you know, as an assistant with basketball and now head head basketball. Um, but it was like he said, Okay, we did all this, and you didn't really like fully like invest, like you're like 75% there, and now it's time we're returning the chapter to something else that I've got planned to you. And then at that time I was more eager and older and more mature and and I guess you'd say more ready to listen. And so um it was a lot easier at that time. I I tell people all the time, you know, there's a few times in my life that I've really felt like the Lord kicking me in the rear end through the door. Yeah. Like, you know, you feel his guidance and leading you in certain directions. Um but when I came back here to work in 2010 when Miss Angela Flippot and, you know, hired me, um, I knew I was getting a job before she ever offered. And I just because I walked out of the building, this building that we're in, actually now, the admin and uh my college roommate Tommy was here and he was we came up together and he's sitting in the car waiting on me to come out. And when I he gets in the car, like I get in the car with him and he's like, Well, how'd it go? I said, I'm coming here. And he's like, Did they offer? I said, No. He's like, Why do you I said because I can feel it? I said, I'm getting kicked in the rear end through the door. Like, it's it's I'm coming. And so at that time I was in management with Dick Sporting Goods. I had gone back home and um I had took a job, and it wasn't necessarily what I wanted to do. It was just a quick um, I knew they would hire me because my experience and I was really good at it.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

Um So that was the doorway into the ministry of Christian higher ed. Yes, sir. The admissions office. Okay. So but you're not doing that now. No, you are now the head coach of the Lady Eagles basketball team. So, where in this journey did that pivot occur?

SPEAKER_00 12:03

So after my first year, um, you know, uh some of that history, we had a lot of grad uh student assistants with some of those programs. Um, and Coach Alfred had a student assistant who was graduating, and she knew that I had been around the men, you know, I played for Coach Ryder and had been around, and she knew me well. And so she had just kind of asked me at the end of that season if I had was interested. And I was like, absolutely, like, why would I? I mean, I would love to be involved in it somehow. And because at the time, you know, I always like, oh, I could go back and maybe help Coach Ryder do something. Um, but he had somebody here at that time, and you know, it wasn't that was at that time he was one of the first full-time assistants. He was doing some other stuff. Andrew Watson, he was doing some other stuff, he was uh working in admissions. Matter of fact, I guess I kind of got his job because he had transitioned out.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

So Andrew was the assistant basketball coach?

SPEAKER_00 12:53

He transitioned out to sports information director.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

I did not know this about Andrew. Assistant basketball coach.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

It's crazy the stuff I'm learning through this podcast. And he was over Intermurals and Recreation. So they had kind of created that for him to take over. So he helped Coach Ryder, and uh, so he was, you know, actually full-time employee that was doing some of those things. And so there wasn't anything open, and so Coach Alford just asked me, and I was like, absolutely. And so um um, and so that's kind of where it started, and then I worked with her for several years and in admissions, and then assistant director of admissions for Andrew, and so Andrew had left and came back. Aaron Abbott was here, who's now a trustee for us, and so which we graduated together as well. Me, him and Andrew all graduated together, and he um um was director at that time of admissions, and I started helping him, and um uh or as assistant, I just expanded a little bit, expanded role.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

So let me let me tell you what I'm hearing, uh, kind of summarize the Mayberry, John Mayberry story here. Grew up in a hardworking home. Parents were hardworking people that instilled that work ethic in you. Uh sometime junior high high school, you got involved in church pretty heavily, came to know the Lord while you were in high school. And so that that journey, that thread of influence also was woven into the fabric of your life. Uh got out, continued to work, began to play basketball, uh, somewhat in high school, but m more so, I guess, in just college. Just college, in uh community college in rec rec leagues, and then through the influence of friends, uh through some life experiences, uh encouragement of others, you found yourself here at Williams as a Christian ministries major and graduated with that degree. While here, uh you began a semester of playing for Coach Ryder and then transitioned into an assistant or a graduate assistant, then eventually came to work in the uh student recruitment office, enrollment management. You had been a manager out in the marketplace in retail, uh, sports goods, and then all of that converged into becoming an assistant for Coach Halford. Those are that's quite a stream of tributaries that are flow into the river for your life that the Lord used to lead you to be at the place you are today. Looking back at that, uh how how do you uh how do you interpret those things? How how do you see all those things now in hindsight that you look back and say, yes, that person was instrumental, yes, this major was instrumental, yes, this work experience was instrumental, yes, my parents were instrumental. How how do you how do you reflect upon all of that? If if we were in a class and you were teaching about a calling, a theology of calling, a theology of work, and you're giving your own personal testimony about this is what the Lord did in my life, what would you tell the class?

SPEAKER_00 16:10

The Lord's plan is always bigger than yours. If you just trust and listen, listen is the big part. Um, you know, being faithful and being available and being teachable. You know, I look back at those moments where I had my own plan and I wanted to do what I wanted. And he just kind of put some intricate moments in my life that that made a huge difference. Like even coming back here, um the crazy, one of the crazy small details to that story I didn't even tell you. I had called um Jerry Van Kirk, he was the director of campus um um safety at that time, campus police, and he was here when I was here as a student, so I had a great relationship with him, and I was asking him because I had seen the admissions counselor job open. And I called him, and of course he was very, yes, you need to apply, you need to do it, you need to, you know, go for it. And I was like, I was like, okay, well then I called Coach Ryder and talked to Coach Ryder about it, and he was you know affirming me, you'll be great, you'll be well, still I didn't think that was enough, so then I called Dr. Norval and talked to Dr. Norval about it, and he was like, Yeah, that'd be great. You know, you need to do it, you'd be interested in it, you'd be really good. You know, I I can see you doing this type of thing, you know. And um so the job like uh it was closing on, I want to say the application closed like on that Friday, and that was what was on the website. Well, on Thursday morning, um Jerry Van Kirk called me and asked me, and I talked to him earlier in the week, like on that Monday, and he was like, Hey, did you you know we're talking about something else? And he asked if I applied, and I said, Well, no, I didn't. And he not necessarily got angry, but he was like very demanding, very forceful. He's like, You need to get, why did you not, you need to do it, you need to get it done. And so I instantly, of course, you know, I didn't really know all that how that worked, so I'm kind of in panic mode. So I run and you know, print off, of course, technology is not what it is today. I run and print my resume and all this stuff, and I go straight to the post office and I overnight it to Angela on Thursday to get it to hear by Friday because I'm worried about it.

SPEAKER_01 18:11

Email was invented then, John. Email had been invented.

SPEAKER_00 18:15

It was. Um, but that was uh uh not really like uh um a big deal, I guess. I don't know. I just it wasn't um I don't even know. Uh only I don't even know if I had an email at that time. School email still probably. Um and what were you doing? Uh at that management. At that point I was management in Dix. Okay. Because it was around March maybe or April, something like that. It might have been April. It was probably in April. Um and so I I mean I overnighted it because I was worried about the application closing and her not getting it and her, you know, denying it right off the bat. Um so even stuff like that. And you know, now I know it's of course it's a little different than that, how that works. But um she called me like on that, I want to say it might have been that Friday afternoon or maybe that Monday, and then I came up on that Thursday um to interview, and then she called me the following week on Monday and offered it to me. Um and so, and then I'd start till I finished out at Dick's, but I um do because I started physically January 1, like you know, budget year. Um on that January 1. It was crazy because I came up and then of course I had to ask her like for the first week off, the second week, because I was I was still uh um camp director for the associational camp. And so I had spent all this time preparing and planning for camp. And she was like, Oh, it's not a problem, we'll we'll make it work. And so I the second week on the job, I took off for a week to go to a camp.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

So I want to put you on the spot here pretend, and I know it's gonna be a a large, long stretch of the imagination that I am a prospective basketball player for you. Let's pretend let's just say you're the now the men's coach just to make it kind of fit me. And you're recruiting me. And my questions are not about basketball, they're not about competition. My questions are okay, what is your program going to help me do? How is your program a ministry to help me find my purpose? Like you found yours. I need you to help me find mine. I'm looking for that person to spend the next three to four years with me, walking in my life journey to help me discover my calling, my purpose. What what would you say to me is the ministry expression of being a head basketball coach on a collegiate level?

SPEAKER_00 20:45

Well for everybody, I think to some extent it's different, you know. First finding out, you know, what kind of your goals are and what things you're interested in, what you're looking for. And even in my case, that wasn't really at my point in life, my goals were not really aligned with what God had for me or wanted for me. But I didn't know that or understand that at the time. Um but for me first and foremost, and I tell our even our females the same way, and it would be no different from coaching on the men's side. Like I could really kind of care less about what you think about me as a coach. Like that's not really important to me. Um, I I don't necessarily not to be we're gonna win. Like I we're not gonna win them all, but we're gonna win. Like because we do things the right way or what I think is the right way, you know, as far as uh putting the Lord first in what we're doing and what I'm doing um more than even what they're doing as players. But for me, um, and so you know, I think he just blesses those things. But for me, it's more important and for you as a for you in your case of this conversation, I would tell you that it's more important for you to see me um as a spouse and for you to see me as a father, um, and for you to see those qualities and those characteristics in me as a Christian man. And as a believer first, those are the things that are more important to me because I think those are the things that's going to make a difference in your life later on and in the in the future, not me coaching and you playing basketball. But you see my work ethic and how I prioritize, you know, my family, as you can see, copy and tate all over the place and uh with us. Um those are those are bigger, bigger picture things for me. And that's what's most important. Um because I think if if you can get that from me and you can apply that into your own life and your own relationships now, then the basketball part of it's easy. Like that's not hard. Um I mean I can sh I mean I can create ways for you to score and show you how to play things, play defense, and um, and again, just being realistic and knowing, again, we're gonna win, but we're not gonna win them all. Like you're never gonna win them all. Even the best in the world don't win them all. And so um approaching it from that standpoint um and having discipline in those things and um those things of you know, being a man of integrity and of character and of work ethic and value. Um, if you can do all that, then the wins are gonna come. Like that doesn't really really matter. Um so from that standpoint, you know, I I maybe I answered your question, but I, you know, I tell the girls the same thing, just in their case, it's more of a not I'm telling them for their future spouse, you know, and and for the future, you know, dad of their children, like things that they're looking for, and they see those qualities in me first, um, before they see the things on the coaching side of it. Like, like and I'm very um, and I would tell you or any and I'll tell any other recruit the same thing. We start the season every year. I tell them, I'm gonna make way more mistakes than you'll ever make in basketball. Like, um, but I'm not afraid to tell you I'm wrong and I've messed up and I've made a mistake. And then, but I'm also gonna tell you, hey, let's fix it. Like, like how let's let me fix it and get back on track and assess myself so we can all get back on track, you know. I'm not afraid to own up to those things. Um, just being transparent with them. Yeah. Um, you know, I told a young lady this morning that I I think on the basketball side the relationship standpoint is is a little different than on the guys. You know, guys will play hard just because of their pride and their ego and things like that. And um, where girls are a little different, like they want to know that they're loved and they're cared about, and that, you know, you've you've put your hand on them and you've cried with them and you've done those things, and and then it's easy for them to want to run through the wall and do the things right on the basketball court. Um, but you got to do the other stuff first before that stuff comes. Yeah. Um, so again, just uh those type of things from me. And I hope that answers your question. It did.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

So glad you're here. So glad the Lord led you back to your alma mater. John, you're doing a great job, and we're proud of you, and we're looking forward to seeing how the Lord continues to use you in the ministry of being a coach at Williams Baptist University. Thank you for joining us today.

SPEAKER_00 25:03

Can I tell you one thing for you get on? You sure can? I'll tell you something that's been, I think, in the last several years that's made the biggest difference. Um, and this is something that I uh we kind of take for granted, I think, as believers. You know, we you know, we talk about praying without ceasing and doing some of those things. But I think the biggest thing in the last, especially in the last five years, is praying specifically for God to bring us that bring me the basketball players that He wants me to have, not who I want, not who can shoot 40 or 50% from from the field or shoots the highest percentage. You know, and I think a lot of times if if if some of our people would do that more in in our vocational settings and our work settings and and who we are, uh then we'd find the right fit a lot more. And so things would be a lot better.

SPEAKER_01 25:48

That's a good place to end it in a great word. Thank you for that encouragement and that exhortation.