John Oliver spent a season as a graduate assistant coach for the Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team and is now branching out in new directions.
Since graduating from Saint John’s University, John Oliver has added a few things to his resume:
A Master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Minnesota
An internship working with the U of M athletic department’s Golden Gopher Fund
A season as a graduate assistant coach for the Gophers men’s basketball team
An internship as a recruiter in the UPS employment office in Chicago
His first recorded song, Okay J.O., produced in Minneapolis and now available on Apple Music and Spotify
That’s all. For now, anyway.
“It’s my life. I keep trying to find different ways to live it,” said Oliver, who became a Collegeville campus icon because of his drive, his effervescent personality and his determination to play college basketball despite being born without a left hand.
That was all part of his triumphant story at Saint John’s, which began as uncharted territory for a kid from Southside Chicago.
“When I first got on Saint John’s campus, I was like, ‘Man, this is different.’ I’m a big-city kid,” Oliver said. “Saint John’s helped me to grow up. It’s very hard for me to be uncomfortable in any situation.
“I’m not the biggest nature guy, but just being out in the woods at Saint John’s, by the lake – I think about it a lot when I have a lot going on.”
John Oliver and his teammates
Which is most of the time. And Oliver’s first foray into music – “feel-good music, hip-hop rap with a very ‘up’ beat to it” – won’t be his last.
“I feel like I’ve always been creative in a lot of things I do. Since I love music so much, why not try and be creative in that?” Oliver said. “I played it for my grandparents – they were dancing.”
What’s next? Maybe coaching. Maybe motivational speaking.
“I’ve taken what I’ve had, and I feel like the sky’s the limit,” Oliver said. “It’s one helluva story. I want to be an inspiration through my words, through my accomplishments, and start sharing my story with others.
“Saint John’s showed me I could accomplish anything I really put my mind to.”
In honor of February’s celebration of Black History Month, the annual celebration of the culture and achievements of African Americans in the United States, Saint John’s University would like to share profiles of prominent Black alumni from the past three decades and highlight their stories, reflections and accomplishments.
These profiles will be included in the upcoming Winter/Spring issue of Saint John’s Magazine, as part of a 32-page package that examines and celebrates the history of African Americans at SJU.