From the streets of Little Havana to the sidelines of Rocky Top, Lady Vols assistant coach Gabe Lazo’s journey is one fueled by faith, family, and heritage.
As the University of Tennessee celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, Lazo’s story stands as a reminder of what it means to chase your passion, give back, and lift others along the way.
Finding Purpose Through Faith and Family
“Watching my mom struggle, right, and not having anyone to empower her is probably why, God put me in this position right now,” Lazo said, reflecting on the foundation that shaped his purpose.
For Lazo, every step of his journey, from the courts of Miami to the bright lights of the SEC, has been grounded in gratitude and a calling to empower others.
“What a special place, right? Obviously, the history of Pat Summitt, the history of winning, the standard of winning. I love it, and I appreciate that. You know, I’m someone that; I love pressure,” said Lazo.
Now entering his ninth season in coaching and his second with the Lady Vols, that excitement continues to grow.
“We feel we have a very good group now,” said Lazo. “We are a different team. I think we’re also a different staff, because we’ve learned, you know, so much on how to work with each other. And, you know, the fan base will be really, really excited,” he said.
“Always grateful, never in my wildest dreams, right? That I ever expect, or even, you know, see myself here,” Lazo added.
Rooted in Heritage
Lazo’s sense of pride and perseverance is deeply rooted in his Cuban heritage.
“Oh, it’s everything. It’s everything. I mean, you know, just thinking about you know who we are, right? Me, me as a Cuban, the work you know, nothing is ever given to you. You have to go out there and earn everything,” he said.
That blue-collar mentality, he says, is something head coach Kim Caldwell values within the Lady Vols program.
“I’m glad that that’s something that Coach Kim really values here at Tennessee, right? Is that blue collar mentality and the effort, and that’s, that’s how I was raised,” said Lazo.
Representation and Responsibility
During his first season at Tennessee, Lazo was named to the Board of Directors for the Latino Association of Basketball Coaches, an organization focused on mentorship and representation within the sport.
“It’s always about giving back. It’s an unbelievable organization, right? Where we just try to help each other grow,” said Lazo.
That desire to mentor others was born early in his coaching career.
In 2012, during his first job as a high school coach in Miami, he quickly discovered how passionate he was for the sport.
“Oh, boy, yeah. It’s a lot. It was a lot,” Lazo laughed.
“The one thing that I quickly realized was how passionate and how much I loved it,” Lazo added. “A big mentor to a lot of us Latinos, especially in the Miami area, Shakey Rodriguez always talked about chasing your passion, ‘Don’t chase the money. If you chase your passion, in return, the money will chase you.'”
The Power of Mentorship
That mindset carried Lazo through each chapter of his coaching career.
From FIU, to Stony Brook, to George Washington, where he learned under Caroline McCombs, and later to Mississippi State with Sam Purcell.
“Caroline McCombs really, really prepared me. She was very hard on me, but she was a winner,” Lazo said.
“Sam Purcell means the world to me. He changed my life. He gave me that opportunity, or I would say I earned that, yes, and then he really allowed me to be myself,” said Lazo.
Being one of only a few Latino coaches at the collegiate level, Lazo understands the weight of representation.
“I think when, when you have some type of success at the highest level, it it gets attention, right? And then it inspires the younger high school coaches. I come from the bottom of the bottom, you know, there’s not many high school coaches at this level,” said Lazo.
Lessons From Home
The roots of Lazo’s resilience trace back to his parents. His mother, Adela, fled Cuba during Fidel Castro’s regime, chasing freedom and opportunity for her family.
“No question,” said Lazo, when asked if his mother was his biggest mentor.
“You know, as a young you know as a kid, my mother sold Avon. She was an Avon lady. Every night I’ll get in the car with her, and I would go with her,” said Lazo.
“I would watch how she would hustle, coach, prime, work to make some extra money. And that was something that really hit me at a young age, because I was maybe 7, 8, 9, 10 years old. “
“I would say the work ethic my mom really got up and went out and hustled. And I’m talking about in the in the streets of Little Havana, where I’m from,” said Lazo.
Lazo’s father also left a lasting mark on him after they reconnected when Gabe was 18.
“He passed away when I was 32, but my dad went to war for Cuba. He was in the Bay of Pigs. He was captured. He was a political prisoner. So a lot of that Cuban pride also comes from me learning, you know, who my father was, and the impact that he had in Cuba,” Lazo said.
“Worker, yeah, the hardest worker that I know,” he added.
Together, those lessons forged the values that guide him today.
“You know, a lot of people who are born here, sometimes they don’t realize how good we actually have it. You know, my family in Cuba, you know, at seven o’clock at night, the electricity is turned off,” said Lazo.
“They can’t go buy food at the corner. You know, it’s all given to you on a weekly basis, and you run out of food, then what? So I would say having gratitude, you know, being thankful to be in such an unbelievable place like, like America, right, where you know anything is really possible here, but you do have to work your tail off,” said Lazo.
Empowering the Next Generation
Now, Lazo channels those lessons into his work with the Lady Vols.
Here, he aims to be more than just a coach, but as a mentor and example.
“You never take it for granted. And you know, you just try to lead by example. Empowering them is so important. You know, watching my mom struggle, right, and not having anyone to empower her is probably why, God put me in this position right now. I can empower these younger women right to achieve whatever they want to achieve,” said Lazo.
As his journey continues, Lazo hopes his legacy will be about authenticity and impact.
“I hope that when they bring up my name, they think about man, ‘That guy was fun, you know, he was authentic. He was a little crazy, but just someone that generally cares for them as a person,” said Lazo.
As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, Lazo’s message to young, aspiring coaches and athletes is simple:
“Don’t be afraid. You know you’re gonna have to sacrifice. Don’t always chase the money, yeah, chase the passion, like shake, like shaky. Always said,” said Lazo.
From Little Havana to Rocky Top, Gabe Lazo’s journey is living proof that passion, purpose, and perseverance can take you anywhere.
