BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Campbell men's basketball coach Robbie Laing recalled his days on the gridiron Thursday during a pre-practice address of the Fighting Camel football team.

Football coach Dale Steele regularly invites guests outside the program to speak to his team, and he introduced Laing to his 100-member squad around 3:15 p.m. The 2009-10 Atlantic Sun Conference coach of the year, Laing guided the Camels to a school record 19 regular-season wins last winter and the program's first league regular season title since joining the Division I ranks in 1977-78.

Laing opened his short talk by describing his start in college athletics as a quarterback on the Vanderbilt freshman team in mid-1970s.

"I went to Vandy because they told me I could play both football and basketball," said Laing, who is entering his eighth year in charge of the Camel hoops team. "I've gotten up with my eye looking out the ear hole a few times. I've been there, and I can relate to what you are going through."

Laing went on to describe several keys to winning championships on the Division I level.

"First, you've got to trust your coaches; they are constantly making decisions to win ball games," said Laing. "You've got to trust the guy next to you, the people you are with every day."

Next Laing stressed preparation as a key to success.

"Secondly, you've got to prepare," he said. "Most people dream about success in the future, but they don't understand that the future is coming up on you a little bit every day. You've got to prepare to win in order to play with audacity and eventually develop a swagger and the confidence to win."

Laing then encouraged the team to play with heart.

"Anybody can be a hero during the first four minutes of the game," he said. "The question is, are you playing with passion and heart midway through the third quarter and into the fourth quarter? One of my favorite quotes came from Juan Pierre, the Florida Marlins' center fielder after they won their second World Series Championship. He told the media, 'you can't scout heart.'"

Finally, he reminded the 2010 football squad that the basketball team didn't win a title overnight.

"You keep preparing, and keep on doing it," said Laing. "You put a play together, then string together two plays, then a series, then a drive, then a win, then a season, and you get a championship."