One of the most compelling stories of March Madness began on Valentine’s Day.
That morning, Adam Strom learned he’d been fired as head coach of the women’s basketball team at Haskell Indian Nations University.
He was one of almost 40 employees to be terminated at the federally run university in Lawrence, Kansas. About two dozen Native Americans working as federal employees elsewhere were fired, too.
The abrupt action was part of the massive layoffs being carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk and empowered by President Donald Trump. It’s unlikely either man knew about the Haskell women’s basketball team, their coach, or what might happen next.
The same day Strom got fired, he offered to coach his team for free. Stripped of his salary of about $80,000 a year, he stayed on as the volunteer head coach of the Fighting Indians ‒ and part of what he sees as a bigger mission.
“We’re not just playing for the name across our chest or on our back,’’ Strom told USA TODAY Sports, referring to the team’s jerseys. “We’re playing for our ethnic background. … We’re playing for Indian Country.’’
Haskell, which competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), opened the season 2-10. That tested the relationship between the players and their coach.
Before the second semester started, the players agreed to stay on campus for three weeks to participate in individual workouts and extra practices. “A change occurred,” Strom said.
The Fighting Indians won 11 of their next 15 games on the way to the championship game of the Continental Athletic Conference tournament.
On March 2, Haskell beat North Mexico College for the conference title in signature fashion. They fell behind and fought back for a 57-52 victory, which secured a berth in the NAIA tournament and allowed an unemployed coach and his players to cut down the nets.