Know Your Bulldog: Austin Rose

by Greg Campbell, Assistant Director/Communications

A lot of work can get done on the golf course. Corporate leaders and small business owners, alike, have closed deals or negotiated terms on the long, rolling fairways of courses all over the world.

My question would be, how much work could an NBA general manager get done in 18 holes?

That is something that Mississippi State fifth-year senior men's golf student-athlete Austin Rose would love to find out.

While a professional career in golf would be nice, Rose knows one thing: the hardwood is what he loves.

"Obviously, I want to play golf professionally," said Rose. "If that doesn't work out, I honestly don't want to get into the golf business. I really want to work in the basketball. I want to do basketball operations or, eventually, I'd love to be a general manager for an NBA franchise."

Basketball was his first love, but there isn't a big market for 5-foot-10 college or professional basketball players. Rose admits that he watches entirely too much basketball, keeping an eye on how coaches, players and organizations grow throughout a season and from year to year.

"[I watch] a lot of basketball," said Rose. "Honestly, probably too much. I wouldn't necessarily say I study the game, but I like to see the growth, the changes in philosophy or how coaches adapt from one year to the next. I love it."

His love for the hardwood started when he was seven years old and his family would make the trek down US-45 to watch State play inside Humphrey Coliseum.

"We've had season tickets for football and basketball since I was three," said Rose, "but my [earliest] memories of basketball are from when I was seven years old. I remember watching Laurence Roberts and the two-thousand four team. [Roberts] was all world."

For the first couple years, the Rose family viewed the Bulldogs from section 232, row four, before moving to Section 111 for a few years. They currently hold down row seven in section 114, where you can still sometimes find Austin sitting side-by-side with his family.

The senior has carded 51 rounds during his Mississippi State career and has truly enjoyed his time on the Starkville campus.

"I have met a lot of people and been a lot of cool places thanks to the sport, including during my time [at Mississippi State]," said Rose. "I think the most important thing I think I can always take with me will be the relationships."

He is hopeful that some of those relationships can help him take his next step, inside the front office with an NBA franchise.

"I am a big New Orleans guy, so the Pelicans would be a dream job," said Rose.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Know Your Bulldog: Austin Rose

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