Meet Pat Ferdinand: teacher, coach, and rapper
Raider Times photo / Grace Duguay
Coach Pat Ferdinand (bottom left) and the Watertown High girls’ basketball team won the 2016 EMass title at TD Garden.
January 5, 2018
Pat Ferdinand is an instructional assistant at Watertown High School. He is also the girls’ varsity basketball coach and a part-time rapper.
Pat is a very nice guy who cares about the students in WHS. When he makes music, he doesn’t have explicit language because he wants everybody to listen to his songs and for people to enjoy them.
I sat down with Pat to discuss his life. Everything from his duties at WHS, to his family, to his life as an artist and coach.
Q: What do you do for a living?
A: I am a director for an AAU program, run basketball camps for Nike, an administrative assistant to 222, parent, and high school girls’ varsity basketball coach.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in the Midwest. Illinois, to be exact.
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: I still train mixed martial arts when I have time. I also am a hip-hop artist that talks about his regular life when I rap.
Q: How many kids do you have?
A: I have one daughter. I teach her how to fight [laughs].
Q: What’s your favorite basketball team?
A: Hands down, the San Antonio Spurs.
Q: Who’s your favorite current basketball player?
A: It’s Kawhi Leonard. I think he is the best player to be seen right now, not to mention the fact he is on the Spurs, my favorite team.
Q: What’s your high school basketball record?
A: [Before the season], 93-38. That’s about a 71 win percentage.
Q: Where did you go to school?
A: High school: Waltham High. College: UMass Boston. It was there I studied education and working with people.
Q: Who’s your favorite all-time basketball player (besides Michael Jordan)?
A: Arguably, Scottie Pippen. He is an elite player.
Q: What are your best songs?
A: My best right now are “Balling on a Budget.” Again, I love performing songs about real life. “Cooking in the Kitchen” is another one of my favorites. Many of my songs can be heard SoundCloud.
Q: Who is your favorite musical artists of all time?
A: I really dig J. Cole, Ab-Soul, and Fabolous.
–Jan. 4, 2018–
