In April 2022, college football coach Matt Lubick fulfilled a decade-long dream of running the Boston Marathon. He set an ambitious goal of finishing in under three hours, but headwinds slowed him during the race, and he finished in three hours, one minute.
When Lubick ran the Boston Marathon, he cared only about his finishing time. He looked at his watch every two steps, for all three hours and one minute of the race. Lubick constantly told himself, Breath. Relax. Breathe. Relax. You got this. Breath, Relax. Breathe. Relax. You got this. That marathon was both physically and mentally grueling, but for the long-time coach, the 26.2 miles he walked on October 19, 2023 was much more emotional and exhilarating.
Lubick was the only marathoner on that course, a 60-meter bridge and tunnel on the 11th floor of the Anschutz Center for Advanced Medicine in Aurora, Colo. It took him 13 hours, from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m., to walk 26.2 miles, and he did it hooked up to an IV unit. It was Day 1 of his chemotherapy for leukemia.
Lubick, diagnosed on Oct. 7, walked all 51,550 steps briskly, with that wobbly, six-wheeled IV unit feeding him chemotherapy and fluids. He ran through all of the sobering statistics about what individuals with cancer could die from, about the percentage of people who become casualties, but he focused on the hope his doctor gave him the day he was diagnosed. Thats why Lubick, whose work as a coach is rooted in percentages and numbers, was so moved by the people who told him to do something different: Dont listen to any of that!
At first he hadnt set out to walk the distance of a marathon. That idea popped into his head around mile 18: OK, I might as well do this. Those first eight hours were pretty easy, he thought. But then, it became something different. This wasnt about his finishing time. This was about proving something to himself and having faith in God.
This time, the chorus in his head was much different: Im not a friggin statistic! I am not a friggin statistic! I am not a friggin statistic! A statistic doesnt do this!
For much of those 13 hours, he prayed and talked to God. Lubick was grateful for the support of his nurses and doctors, who in addition to their encouragement also switched out the batteries to his monitor. Just be smart, they told him. If you need to sit down, sit down. He never needed to. He felt great, he said, for most of the marathon until the last two hours. Soreness set in. But thats about the time when his running buddies stepped up and talked him over the top.
Something else, though, was also motivating him.
Lubick is the 51-year-old son of Sonny Lubick, a legendary former Colorado State coach and one of the most beloved figures in coaching. His brother, Marc, is a cancer survivor and an assistant quarterbacks coach with the Buffalo Bills. Matt Lubick has coached in every conference in major college football, and hes coached everything from defensive backs to wideouts and special teams.
Hes been an offensive coordinator at Oregon and Nebraska, and at almost every program hes worked, Lubicks been regarded as the most dogged recruiter on staff. At Ole Miss, he found an undersized three-star recruit in Florida named Dexter McCluster, who blossomed into a Rebels great. One year at Arizona State, he almost signed all 25 recruits by himself. After he was let go at Nebraska in 2021, despite his Huskers offense ranked No. 16 in yards per play in the country, he landed a job at Kansas as a senior offensive analyst.
Coach Lance Leipold and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki were impressed by Lubicks wrinkles in the option attack and creativity in the red zone. Lubick was always studying, picking up ideas from everywhere from the NFL to Division II Nebraska-Kearney. The year before Lubick was hired by Kansas, Kansas ranked No. 104 in the country in offense. In 2022, the Jayhawks shot up to No. 6.
A key reason for the dramatic change, according to Kansas coaches, was Lubick, who lives and watches the Jayhawks from 620 miles away. Leipold was fine with Lubick staying in Colorado, other than his offseason and training camp visits. He makes suggestions about everything from the passing game to upcoming opponents to Kotelnicki over Zooms that often last up to two hours.
He had always been a big film watcher, but in his role with Kansas, where he didnt have to attend practices or recruit, he was really freed up. Lubick would wake up by 4 a.m., be at his local Starbucks for 5 a.m. opening and order his black venti Pike Place, and then dive into all the film he could handle, often downing eight cups of coffee during his film study.
On Saturdays, hed go to his parents to watch his Jayhawks. Lubicks one hobby away from football projects, aside from the two days hed do rides for Meals on Wheels, was distance running.
Lance is really a great CEO and lets his coaches coach, Lubick told The Athletic. He said that selfless attitude is also epitomized by Leipolds longtime offensive coordinator Kotelnicki, who has the wherewithal to mesh the ideas seamlessly. It takes a huge non-ego to let me (have input in game planning) and hes still the one coaching it and let it fit his vision.Lances leadership skills are amazing, and his staff is second to none.
In summer 2022 when Lubick came back from Kansas, he felt off. His mother convinced him to go see a doctor. He had a freakishly low white blood count, he said. Just before the Jayhawks opener against Missouri State, on Aug. 22, doctors admitted him to the hospital for three days. Initially, doctors thought it was something viral. They tested him for West Nile. He was discharged and doctors advised him to stay away from people. He had no symptoms. He kept working for Kansas and kept running.
Then, on Oct. 5, he went in for a bone marrow test that revealed he had leukemia. Though the diagnosis sounded devastating, Lubick was not really fazed by it; he felt he was more prepared for it because of all the people hed talked to and heard their inspiring stories.
As a football coach, you always prepare for the worst, he said. Thats kind of my nature. I talked to three friends who had been through this, so it didnt really throw me for a loop. And I knew I still needed to do my red zone presentation for that week.
After Lubick was fired from Nebraska, he needed to do something, he said. Hed always kept a strict diet and workout routine; the running joke on almost every staff hed been on was that Lubick had lower body fat than players. After leaving Lincoln, he ramped up his distance running. Some of the people he was training with were competitive marathoners who noted that he had talent.
You can make Boston! they encouraged.
Lubick was surprised by the feedback, but decided he should pursue it. That encouragement, and getting fired, ended up being a blessing.
Physically, Im a little more prepared for this because of the marathon training, and psychologically too, because marathon training is not easy, he said. Its like three hours a day where youve got to run, and youve got to run when you dont feel good.
His devotion to running and his new role in Kansas even allowed him to visit a doctor in the first place.
I dont think I would go to the doctor if I was coaching, said Lubick. The only reason I went to the doctor in the first place is because I was so worried about my training. I didnt want to take two days off (from running), so I went to get medication, and thats when I got my first hospitalization.
If I was coaching full-time at a school theres no such thing as sick in football. You just go to work every day. In a weird way, looking back at it, it mightve saved my life.
Lubicks friends both inside and outside the football world have rallied to his side. Brian Armstrong, a former teammate of his from Western Montana who is now the offensive line coach at Fresno State, connected Lubick to a man hed coached with named Tom Purcell who left football and is now the CMO at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Hes been a blessing along the way to bounce things off, Lubick said.
Siri Lindley, a professional triathlete who overcame leukemia, has become a great resource, telling Lubick what to expect and why fostering a positive attitude is so vital. To Lubick, that has meant finding purpose and meaning within a different type of adversity.
I can control my attitude, my exercise and my food, he said. Im really trying to emphasize that, trying to build those things up. Walking gives me energy and it helps me think. I used to always run. They say not to push it. Its been very therapeutic to exercise for a whole bunch of reasons.
For someone who has never been married and whose adult life has revolved so much around football, this fall has made Lubick very reflective.
I have spent so much time thinking, whats the purpose of this? Lubick said.
A week into his chemotherapy, Lubick did feel a tinge of guilt because he wasnt able to help the Jayhawks prepare for Oklahoma State. But he was able to jump back into his routine for Iowa State. Lubick has done the majority of his chemotherapy as an outpatient.
Its therapy for me, he said. The KU staff calls and sends texts every day. I couldnt ask for a better support system.
And hes had a similar impact on others at Kansas.
Its been so good in so many ways for us with Matt, Leipold said. He and Andy developed a really good relationship early. Matt is so extremely thorough and thought-provoking. Sometimes hes been here and stayed with me and my wife or stayed with Andy. Hes been great for us.
This fall after he visited during camp, hed said he wasnt feeling well, but didnt know what it was. Once he found out, hes been in constant contact with our video coordinator. He talked about having two screens up in the hospital. When I saw that he walked that marathon on his first day, I thought that was frickin amazing. I think its refreshing for him to on the zooms with the staff thoughout all this and I think its made us all in this building even more appreciated for what we have seeing how quickly it can all be turned upside down.
Lubick will get a stem cell transplant on Dec. 8. That, his doctors told him, means his body is responding well to the chemo. He feels fortunate that he has the best doctors in the world, and hes been training for the stem cell transplant much like he did the Boston Marathon. He tries to bike 10 miles a day. Sometimes he walks 8 or 10 miles. Hes also been intentional in trying to gain back weight that hes lost. His recovery from the transplant is expected to take three months, where he wont be able to drive or go to a grocery store, so hell rely on his parents.
When Kansas beat No. 6 Oklahoma for the Jayhawks first home win against a top-10 opponent in 39 years, Lubick watched it from his house in Colorado, while trying to get his red zone presentation ready for the upcoming Iowa State game during the commercial breaks. He cant stay up all night like he used to. I have to be smarter and plan ahead now, he said.
He is aware things are about to get a lot harder with his treatments. When he met with the stem cell doctor, Lubick was reeling.
A big part of it was him explaining just how serious this really is and about all the things that can go wrong, said Lubick, but at the same time, I felt grateful that he was so compassionate and that I have someone who is one of the best in the field to oversee the transplant.
The stem cell is gonna be where the rubber meets the road and thats where you get the most sick. Its like Mike Tyson said, everyone has a plan till you get punched in the mouth. When everything hits the fan and I start getting really sick from the chemo, thatll be where I hopefully can give a testimonial to help others.
He has always considered himself religious and spiritual, but since being diagnosed with leukemia, he looks at things much clearer.
Ive always been looking for purpose and meaning in my life, Lubick said. I always felt coaching was that for me. I can see it changing. The things I used to think were so important and I got stressed out about arent that important really. No one wants to get this, but I can feel it refining my character. Its teaching me more about empathy, forgiveness and patience. I feel like that stuff is changing in me for the better.
This has brought me closer to my parents and my family. Its brought me closer to God. Its teaching me to be more patient and be more reliant on my faith. God is putting people in my life to help me through this. I know that. I can feel the prayers and the people supporting me. We would tell our players this you either get better or you get bitter. Well, I feel pretty darn fortunate. Every day is a gift. I took that for granted. I took relationships for granted. I dont any more.
(Top photo of Matt Lubick (left) with Mark Helfrich (right) while coaching at the University of Oregon in 2016: Brian Murphy / Icon Sportswire via Getty)
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How Kansas football coach Matt Lubick found strength in marathon running to battle cancer - The Athletic
