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Former basketball player, coach turns author
Freddie Owens, a former Milwaukee basketball star and college coach, is turning to writing with the release of his first book, focused on life, growth and legacy.
GREEN BAY, Wis. - From standout high school basketball player in Milwaukee to a college career with the Badgers, Freddie Owens built a legacy on the court. Now, he’s leaving a different kind of mark – this time on the page.
What we know:
Owens’ basketball journey took him from the streets of Milwaukee to coaching high school players in Green Bay. The sport served as his ticket forward, first as a player and later as a coach. In 2023, as interim leader of the UW–Green Bay men’s basketball program, Owens notched a win over UWM in his hometown.
Owens says his world was small growing up, but he was paying attention. As he got older, he became determined to see possibility instead of limitation.
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"Whether it was from my household, family, being unstable, or something on the basketball court, or grades in school, or being in unfortunate situations – wrong place, wrong time in the inner city of Milwaukee. I’ve always thought about things as a glass half full," Owens said.
The relationships were real life, Owens said, while basketball often felt like a dream. That dream included Big Ten championships alongside some of the best players and coaches in Wisconsin basketball history, followed by a wide-ranging college coaching career that took him across the country and eventually to a Horizon League win.
Big picture view:
Now, Owens is stepping into a new chapter as an author.
"For 30-plus years, it’s been tunnel vision and everything has been about sports and the game, and now I’m in a phase of my life where it’s about legacy," he said.
That shift was reinforced when Owens became a father during the same year as his coaching milestone.
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Asked what a sequel might include years from now, Owens didn’t hesitate.
"It’s definitely going to be about fatherhood, because right now, I have no idea what I’m doing," he said.
Owens’ first book, titled "Echoes of Stark Park," will be available later this month on Amazon and in bookstores. While it marks his first published work, Owens says he’s already begun writing something new.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by the FOX6 sports team.