By Spring 2037. The succession question has moved from notes to a real conversation. I met with the athletic director, Tom Berardi, on a Thursday in late March. I told him I was beginning to think about my exit timeline. He looked at me for a long moment and said: how long are we talking? I said two years, maybe one. He said: can I ask why now? I said because the program is strong, the staff is experienced, and this is the right time to start a process rather than have one happen by accident or by crisis. He said he respected that. Then he was quiet. Then he said: who?
I've been thinking about this for months. The honest answer is that the best person for this job is someone who knows the system from the inside, who has the players' trust, and who is hungry enough to build on what's here rather than replace it. There are two candidates I'm watching. One is on my current staff. One is elsewhere, younger, and I've had two phone calls with him that told me things I needed to know. I told Berardi I wasn't ready to name anyone yet. He said: whenever you're ready, come back. I said: I'll be back in the fall.
I called Coach Williams that evening and told him I'd had the meeting. He said: how did it feel? I said: right. He said: that's how it should feel. He said that the day he had that conversation with his AD was the first day he fully believed he was actually going to do it, because saying it out loud to someone who had to take it seriously made it real in a way that notes and private thoughts never did. I said I understood exactly what he meant. I do.
When I got home that evening after calling Coach Williams, I didn’t want something celebratory — I wanted something warm, something that settled. A chai latte felt exactly right: grounding, a little complex, the kind of thing you make slowly and hold in both hands. There’s something about the ritual of it that matched what the day had been — deliberate, unhurried, worth the effort.
Chai Tea Latte
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 black tea bags (or 2 teaspoons loose-leaf black tea)
- 1 cup whole milk (or oat milk for a dairy-free version)
- 2 tablespoons honey or sugar, to taste
- 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- 4 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 4 whole cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (or 3 thin slices fresh ginger)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of black pepper
- Ground cinnamon or nutmeg, for garnish
Instructions
- Simmer the spices. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, ginger, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to bloom the spices.
- Steep the tea. Add the tea bags to the simmering spiced water and steep for 3–4 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags. Do not over-steep or the tea will turn bitter.
- Add milk and sweeten. Pour in the milk and add honey or sugar. Stir to combine and heat over medium-low until the mixture is steaming but not boiling, about 2–3 minutes.
- Strain and finish. Strain the latte through a fine-mesh sieve into two mugs, pressing the spices gently. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Garnish and serve. Dust lightly with ground cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve immediately while hot.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 120 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Carbs: 20g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 65mg