Kids idolize sports figures. They dream of one day becoming the next Tom Brady, Megan Rapinoe, Lebron James, or Candace Parker.

Chris Harvey, Salem State men’s basketball coach, grew up in Somerville, Mass. and was just like many others his age looking up to his local superstars. Little did he know was that his dream of basketball greatness would one day become his future career.

As a youngster in Somerville, there were no video games to play. It was all about how much time you could spend playing outside with your friends. Whether it was roller hockey, touch football, stick ball or Yorka (a local favorite where you hit the pitch off a bounce), Harvey was playing it.

Boston Celtics guard Dennis Johnson was Harvey’s favorite player and helped him to get into the sport. He may not have known it at the time, but a youth basketball league would also plant a seed in Harvey that would eventually lead to him coaching.

“My best friend's father ran a youth basketball league while we were growing up in Somerville,” Harvey said. “It was the East Somerville Youth League. The league was designed for the older grades to coach the younger grades and part of our experience was to coach. Little did I know it would eventually be my career. Frank Ferraro was the architect behind the vision of ESYL. The league brought 100's of the city's youth in, both boys and girls and only cost 50 cents every Saturday. Quite honestly if you did not have the 50 cents, he'd figure out a way for you to attend anyway. Frank Ferraroa and Rich Melillo in so many ways are the reason I am here today.”

When it came time for college, Harvey took some wise advice from his high school coach on where to attend and ended up 47 miles from Somerville at Worcester State. While he didn’t make the basketball team his freshman year, Frank Bowen convinced Harvey to try out for baseball his junior year and he would go on to compete for the Lancers his final two years of college. The memories from his four years at Worcester State still resonate today especially as Salem State and Worcester State face off in basketball.

“Worcester from the first moment I was on campus to now as we bring our basketball team from Salem for games, it still feels like home,” Harvey said. “The friendships, traveling to see my friends play football, the professors who inspired me, held me accountable, provided life lessons that many times don’t come in textbooks. Worcester State was a community, from my lens we all pulled for each other. From being the first class to live in Dowden, to living in 8-3, to living off campus on Wrentham Rd. It was a blast!”

Following graduation in 1994, Harvey began working at Putnam Investments in Boston in their mutual fund brokerage department. While he enjoyed work, there was a tug to basketball he couldn’t deny. Despite not feeling his physicality was there, Harvey knew he had a mind for the game and reached out to Melillo about volunteering at Somerville High School. From 1995-1998, he coached at the high school while also earning his master’s degree in athletic administration from Boston University.

Harvey got his first big break in coaching in 2000 when he was hired by Lasell University. His first season, the Lasers went 17-9 and other the next three years, they would win the North Atlantic Conference title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. He earned NAC Coach of the Year honors in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

He moved on to Tuft University as an assistant coach from 2005-2007 while also starting a teaching position in Somerville before an opportunity at Salem State presented itself.

Since his hiring in 2007, Harvey has accrued a winning percentage of 62 percent with eight MASCAC regular season titles, four tournament championships and six trips to the NCAA Tournament. He has also been named MASCAC Coach of the Year four time and in his 12 years, has worked with two-time Player of the Year honorees Dylan Holmes and Brian Clark plus three-straight honorees in Shaquan Murray, Sean Bryan and Hakeem Animashaun.

Although the success may be attributed to him as the coach of the team, Harvey knows it is more than just wins and losses.

“Earning the opportunity to coach for Salem State and being a part of their tradition of success is something I never take for granted,” Harvey said. “Our success at Salem is attributed to the young men that put their trust in us to put them in a position to succeed. The successes I find the most rewarding are seeing these guys, many like me, first generational college students find their path and purpose. Winning games, championships, and NCAA tournaments are great, don’t get me wrong...but those are rewards of individuals coming together as one, void of ego, selfishness, and always putting the team first.“

Coaching may be part of his job title, but Harvey also serves as the Salem State Academic and Recruiting Coordinator. He oversees all academic support for the students. His duties range from semester workshops on various topics, meetings with student athletes for support, overseeing weekly study hall, working closely with our compliance office on eligibility, working closely with student athletes who are working to get back to good academic standing, providing accountability where needed. I also serve as liaison with our Admission Office to track recruits for our 15 sport programs.

When he isn’t coaching or helping to ensure academic success for the Vikings student-athletes, Harvey enjoys spending time with his wife Hanna and their two kids, Taijah and Maurice. He has even been branching out and putting pen to paper on a sitcom idea that has been mulling around in his head.

His path to coaching may not have been clear to him from the start, but Harvey can’t imagine working anywhere else. When it comes to mentoring those who seek a future in athletics, connections are key.

“My advice would be as much as you can while still in college is to get connected with a department, coach and begin to build your resume,” Harvey said. “If you have the opportunity to go home in the summer and work in your potential field do it. For example, if you want to coach or be in athletics try to find summer jobs that are in those fields or at the very least linked in some way. Start to build your contact list. I would have 10-15 people in athletics/coaching that you email or call once a month. Stay on their radar and build this list. Finally, be kind to people.”