When Dave Thorson last worked as a college basketball coach in the early 1990s, mobile phones were the size of bricks. The University of Minnesota assistant would ring up long-distance bills as long as laundry lists.
More than two decades later, Thorson, now 51, sat in a crowded gym at the Adidas Uprising in Dallas this spring, taking full advantage of his hand-held device and unlimited data plan.
He feverishly texted his new boss, Drake coach Niko Medved, about their recruiting targets. Medved, a former Gophers student manager under Clem Haskins when Thorson was on staff, couldn't help but smirk about the role reversal with his new assistant and longtime friend.
"He's texting me about when all these teams are playing next," Medved said, chuckling. "I text him back, 'Dave, you got the schedule right there in the book.' "
Thorson, who left DeLa-Salle last month after winning his ninth — and sixth consecutive — state title, had a whirlwind of a first weekend back in recruiting for the first time since he was with Haskins at the U from 1990-94.
"I had to put some WD40 in my recruiting joints," Thorson joked. "I walked into the gym and thought it's been a while since I sat looking at six courts trying to figure out how I can position myself for kids to see my shirt."
Some of the same college coaches and friends who descended on DeLaSalle over the years to look at Thorson's top prospects suddenly were competitors for prospects. Some of those peers called him crazy for going back to the college game.
But people close to Thorson understood he was looking for a new challenge after spending 23 years with the Islanders.
"There was some unfinished business left professionally that I wanted to take a run at," he said.
That run will look a little different this time around. Instead of spending days watching game tapes of players, he can now get web video instantly. Everyone knows who's recruiting who.
"Literally, within 10 minutes of setting up recruiting visits it's on social media," Thorson said. "There aren't very many secrets anymore."
Thorson and other assistants two decades ago would embark on 20-day recruiting road trips in July, which the NCAA allowed then. Now there are two six-day periods for summer evaluation. Nike and Adidas camps once dominated exposure.
Now AAU is a much bigger deal. And so is the transfer market. But it's still about relationships and hard work.
"Dave's a tireless worker," said Medved, a Roseville graduate who coached Furman the past four seasons. "He's got great enthusiasm and passion. Obviously, he built a program at DeLaSalle that is Hall-of-Fame caliber. But there's a piece of [college coaching] that never left him."
In 1989, Thorson went from playing at Hamline to spending a year as a South Dakota graduate assistant before Haskins hired him as a volunteer assistant in 1990. Two years later, he was promoted.
Four members of U's since-vacated 1997 Final Four team were recruited by Thorson, including Eric Harris from New York and Charles Thomas from Kentucky. Thorson prided himself on helping Haskins get Minnesotans John Thomas, Sam Jacobson and Trevor Winter.
Drake will recruit Minnesota heavily, too. Former Edina star Graham Woodward and former DeLaSalle guard Samm Jones are returning Bulldogs players.
"When I was an assistant at Minnesota, we would be happy if we had one or two guys to recruit from the state," Thorson said.
"There are multiple guys who can play Division I basketball now every year."
Former DeLaSalle activities director Darcy Cascaes, who worked alongside Thorson for 15 years, wasn't shocked when Thorson announced his departure. They had talked years ago about his desire to make the transition back to college.
"I don't think other situations were the right fit or the right time," she said. "Now it was an opportunity he couldn't pass on."
On a prospect's recent unofficial visit to Drake, Thorson tagged along to tour the campus with his wife, Rita, and 8-year-old daughter, Ella Ray, who fell in love with the Bulldogs slobbering mascot, Griff.
Thorson knew the situation was right because of his bond with Medved.
"When I got hired at Minnesota one of the first things Coach Haskins asked me to do was organize the student managers," Thorson said. "Niko was my right hand. So having the ability to work with someone who I have so much respect for and have such a long relationship with — it's incredible."
