Sometimes, you never know when a connection you make can pay dividends in the future. For new men's basketball assistant coach Julian Swartz, that statement rings true.

Simply by being in the same gyms or showcases on the recruiting trail during his time at Georgia Tech as head coach Charlie Henry, Swartz built a mutual connection with him, one that would find him at Georgia Southern years later.

It's been a long and winding path for Swartz to make it to Statesboro. From being one of the best players Waukesha High School has ever had to currently coaching the Eagles today, he's built his pedigree through many stops in a variety of different roles.

His first stop after Waukesha was working with Tom Crean as a graduate assistant at Marquette and Indiana. Following that, he worked as a counselor in the West Allis/West Milwaukee school district, but that drive to be a coach continued to be on his mind.

From that point, he would develop a relationship with then-Memphis coach Josh Pastner, who in Swartz's words, he remained in consistent contact with him to try and fuel that.

"I put all my eggs into Coach Pastner's basket, and I worked hard for an opportunity there," Swartz said. "I went on my own probably five times down to Memphis just to get in front of his face. I was doing whatever I could to help and develop a relationship. Finally, in 2012, a support staff opportunity [became available] on his staff, and I jumped at it."

When Pastner's exploits took him to Georgia Tech, Swartz was one of two staff members to follow him to The Flats in May 2016. Swartz went on to serve in several roles with the Yellow Jackets, including director of basketball operations and an assistant coach.

During his time in Atlanta, Coach Swartz gained a strong recruiting reputation. He used that to his advantage during the Jackets' rebuild process as the team used a strong first season to build up to an NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2021 season after winning the ACC Tournament.

"It was year five of the program, and as Coach Pastner said, you need five years whenever you take over any rebuilding program," Swartz said. "We had a great first year in Atlanta that not enough people talk about, making it to the finals of the NIT, and Coach [Pastner] winning Coach of the Year. We had a good fourth year going into COVID and that strong conference season helped jumpstart 2021. I think it symbolized the development process of that team."

All good things must end, and for that staff, Georgia Tech opted to move in a different direction following the 2022-23 season. While it was tough for Swartz to be let go, he is at peace with it, as it allowed him to have a different perspective on the sport, stepping away for a year and moving back home to Wisconsin. While he was at home, Waukesha High School retired his no. 42 during the last season, an honor Swartz doesn't take lightly.

"I had been away for around 11 years and stepped away to invest in family. I was able to have some experiences and make memories that I missed out on," he said. "I loved every second of it. I still stayed busy with basketball, but it was a year I could grow and see the game from different angles."

Swartz didn't fully distance himself from the sport, however. He consulted basketball programs at all levels, including assisting future NCAA Tournament team Northwestern with advanced scouting reports - something he enjoyed doing.

"I was just a general consultant, purely from a volunteer perspective," Swartz said. "I helped out at the youth level, high school and even colleges, including helping put together advanced scouting reports for Northwestern. That allowed me to step back and truly study the game, which I couldn't do previously when I was busy."

Following Georgia Southern's 9-24 campaign during Charlie Henry's first season, an opportunity came up for Swartz to jump back into the coaching scene.

The connection he made all those years ago with Henry paid off, as he was announced as an assistant coach on April 18. Swartz didn't need any persuading from the returning roster or the location as he put his full trust in what Henry was building in Statesboro.

"I have a strong conviction that [Coach Henry] will lead this program to greatness," he said. "In our time getting to know each other, I was blown away by his intelligence. The attraction to be a part of a rebuild and a part of something special was there."

He mentioned the returning core of players as a bonus that reinforced his decision to join the Eagles. Since he arrived, he got right back to work on the recruiting trail, something the staff has had to navigate with the changing landscape of college basketball and how the transfer portal has become so prevalent.

"I've been impressed with our recruiting effort and process," he said. "We've been all hands on deck as a team. The community has been great. The athletic department leadership has been amazing in their efforts, and our whole staff has done a great job being energy givers rather than energy takers. We have an opportunity to do something special and get better as a team, and I think we're on the verge of doing so."

The staff has already made several splashes in recruiting, recently adding Rhode Island transfer forward Tyson Brown, UTSA guard Adante' Holiman and incoming freshman forward Micah Smith, who is one of the highest freshman recruits in Georgia Southern history.

Regardless of how the remainder of the offseason goes, the Eagles' newest assistant is ready to impact the team positively heading into the 2024-25 season and year two of the Charlie Henry era.