That's some high quality H20

What if I told you the greatest job on campus required you to work 30 to 40 hours a week for the majority of the school year? What if I told you that same prime job allowed you to return home for a mere two days of Gonzaga's four-week Christmas break? What if I told you that the job description included doing several loads of sweaty laundry a week? What if I told you the greatest job on campus was unpaid?

Some would rather apply to be on the custodial staff of CM.

But then what if I told you the position came with an abundance of free, top-of-the-line athletic gear, including sweats, shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, and shoes? 

The job description also includes frequently bringing a Gatorade to a coaching icon who has more than 300 career wins and required you to memorize the chewing gum preferences of several athletes who will go on to to play professionally.

Over the course of the year,  as the head manager you'd travel to places like Vancouver, B.C.; Champaign, Ill.; and Cincinnati, Ohio, all in a chartered plane.

"My pay is learning," Head Manager Tyler Seth said. "I get to watch a top-25 program practice every day, watch games, travel with the team, see a bunch of sweet venues, and I get gear."

Perhaps you'd like to rip up your application for the custodial crew and submit your resume for this position. Perhaps you should know a little bit more about the job before you interview.

The managers arrive about 45 minutes early to every practice to make sure the locker room is clean and to get out the basketballs and other equipment for practice. They make sure all of the coaches have their favorite drinks.

"I'm in charge of getting Coach Tommy Lloyd's Diet Mountain Dew for every practice," Manager Colin Stevens said. "It's become a specialty for me."

Once the players arrive, the managers make like Austin Powers and shag balls during shootaround. During practice they take stats, work the timer, and play "dummy" defense in drills.  Every practice is filmed by managers Jade Klette and Brendan Sabean.

"They are just as much a part of this team as anybody else. They take care of all the behind-the-scenes things, they get practice ready, turn practice down," Coach Ray Giacoletti said. "On game day it's the same thing: They're getting everything ready for the game, and they're out of here later than everybody else."

Game day setup includes preparing the whiteboards, making sure all of the coaches and players have water and anything else they might need.

"Gum is crucial. Every player has their own favorite gum," Seth said. "We have Extra in pink, blue and green. Coach Few is a four blue guy. That's his pregame ritual: four pieces of gum."

While Klette and Sabean film the home games, Seth and Stevens are courtside handing out water bottles.

"During the game it's the greatest gig ever," Seth said. "Home games I just sit at the bench and watch while the coaches' kids pass out water."

Despite the excitement of game day, the job is not an easy one. Klette and Stevens agree that the most difficult part of the position is time management.

"Balancing school, friends and managing can be tough," Seth said. "You're like a student athlete, but you're not an athlete. You go to all the things but you don't get the recognition."

While the managers do most of their work away from the watchful eyes of the typical Bulldog fans, the players notice and appreciate their efforts.

"They work hard, they take their jobs seriously, especially rebounding for us," center Rob Sacre said. "You can call any manager at any time and say, ‘Hey, can you come rebound for us,' and they'll always do it."

"The basketball team is essentially like a family," Klette said. "We're here every day during the season, during workouts, during breaks, we don't get to go home very much, so this is kind of like a family away from our family."

The players see the managers as more than just water boys, as some of them are friends on and off the court.

"First of all, the managers are just guys that you want to hang out with and kick it with and talk to," Sacre said.

 Seth spent two summers living with Sacre and former Gonzaga guard Steven Gray, noting that they both have "lots of personality."

The four managers have solid relationships with each other. They further build camaraderie by doing a "1-2-3 Manage!" cheer before tipoff.

So how does one get chosen for such a job?

Klette initially intended to play basketball at a small school in Montana before he came to Spokane to watch the NCAA tournament in 2010 and tour GU.

"I still wanted to be involved with basketball, so I sent Mike Roth my resume and told him I was very interested in doing something for the team no matter what it was. I interviewed on the phone and in person with Coach Krause," Klette said.

Seth's uncle is friends with former GU assistant coach Leon Rice, now the head coach at Boise State, who gave him an interview for the position.

Stevens took a different route, choosing to live the life of a "typical college student" his freshman year before a family friend who works in the Athletic Department told him about an opening for a manager spot that he applied for and received.

Perhaps you too could get the greatest sports job on campus. Just make sure you're adept at doing laundry.