Play4Kay Hits Home for Chad Thrailkill

Spend just a few minutes observing a practice at Lloyd Noble Center and if you hear laughter, there's a good chance Chad Thrailkill is at the center of it.

In his 12th year at Oklahoma as an assistant on Sherri Coale's staff, 'TK' as he is known to those close to the program has a unique view from the sidelines. He's the only male on the coaching staff, but is always there for a teachable moment, advice and plenty of jokes for his players.

“TK is just hilarious,” redshirt junior guard Maddie Manning said of Thrailkill. “He is always there to make a joke or make you laugh. But being a man he offers a different perspective.”

Thraillkill has served as an assistant with the Sooners since 2004.

Thraillkill has spent almost his entire life around Norman and the University of Oklahoma. His dad, Gene, served as the director for the 'Pride of Oklahoma' from 1971-2000. His older sister, Stacy, worked for over 25 years at Oklahoma and was also a member of the Pride. He's the father of four children, all who have grown up around the women's basketball program.

To put it simply, family means the world to Chad Thrailkill. So does Oklahoma women's basketball.

“He's a really great teacher and he has a unique way about him,” Coale said. “He has a nice mix of intensity. He's funny and creative in the way he teaches. For me as the head coach, he has unparalleled loyalty.”

“I would not want to work for anyone else,” Thrailkill stated. “Coach Coale is such a family person. There's a lot of other places that coaches won't let you have that family time. Coach Coale has made it a priority and that's what this program is all about.”

thraillkill family

Four years ago, the Oklahoma women's basketball family felt like it was constantly getting pounded with bad news.

Thrailkill and his family learned that his sister, Stacy, had developed a rare form of breast cancer called metaplastic carcinoma.

The news hit close to home.

Before that, it was Coale's mother, Beverly, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, followed by an OU assistant coach Jan Ross a few years later.

“It was a tough time,” Coale explained. “We were all still a bit raw. My mother battled breast cancer. Then Jan battled it and then here we go again, yet those experiences allow for common foundations for conversation. You get through it by sharing it. They wouldn't be long sessions, they would be five or 10 minutes of 'how is Stacy today?'”

"He's a really great teacher and he has a unique way about him. He has a nice mix of intensity. He's funny and creative in the way he teaches. For me as the head coach, he has unparalleled loyalty."
— Sherri Coale

For TK, he immediately knew where to draw inspiration from during a challenging moment.

“With Coach Ross going through the same thing, knowing how tough it was, she was the same way my sister was,” Thrailkill said. “Always upbeat. Always thought she was going to beat it. The staff was unbelievable. They were always there for me turn to.”

On Sept. 26, 2012, Stacy lost her battle with cancer. She had one final wish – that her funeral be a celebration of life with all the attendees clad in bright colors.

No exceptions.

“It speaks volumes of to what kind of person Stacy was,” Manning said. “I'm sure she was a lot like 'TK'. A fun and a loving person. That's what the funeral showed us.”

In a time of need. TK's second family was there.

“I remember standing in front at the funeral and just feeling their presence behind me” Thrailkill described. “I turned around and saw their bright colors. To know that was my sister's wish and they took it so seriously meant the world to me and my family.”

After Stacy's death, the coaching staff and players planted a bed of tulips, Stacy's favorite flower, outside the women's basketball offices at Lloyd Noble Center.

A daily reminder as spring time draws closer from a family that still is always there for him.

A bed of bright-colored tulips that honor a sister who is gone, but a spirit that will never be forgotten.