Nagy goes national to help Haiti

South Dakota State head men's basketball coach Scott Nagy's connection with Haiti went national on Tuesday with an article on the men's basketball page on ESPN.com.

Nagy and his wife Jaime, who were both adopted as children, adopted their daughter Naika from Haiti, so they saw first-hand the struggles of the Haitian people, which was only compounded by last week's devastating earthquake.

The ESPN article also caught the attention of other media outlets throughout the country, including WCCO Radio in Minneapolis, where Nagy spoke with host Michelle Tafoya, and AM 700 WLW, in Cincinnati, where Nagy is schedule to appear on Tuesday at about 6:05 CT.

In addition to the radio interviews ESPN asked Nagy to appear on "Outside the Lines" on Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT.

"Having been to Haiti and seeing the plight of those people, I thought it would be a good idea for me to get involved (with Samaritan's Feet) and get my team involved," said Nagy while speaking to Tafoya on WCCO Radio on Tuesday.

Already scheduled to coach barefoot on Saturday the Jacks home game against Oakland to raise awareness, money and shoes for children all over the world, Nagy shifted his focus to the relief effort in Haiti once the earthquake struck.

Anyone interested in donating can simply text SHOES to 85944, which automatically adds $5 to your next phone bill. Donations from the 605 area code go specifically to Haiti for earthquake relief efforts. Donations can also be made online at SamaritansFeet.org or at any Finish Line store throughout the country.

The Jackrabbit Athletic Department and some of its sponsors also got involved in the relief effort in conjunction with Saturday's basketball doubleheader with Oakland. A portion of Saturday's ticket sales, along with donations from Aramark, Coke and First Bank & Trust will all be donated to the relief effort.

"The situation in Haiti really hits close to home for this department," said SDSU director of athletics Justin Sell. "I think it's important that we try to help Scott, his family and the Haitian people in any way we can. That's one thing I really like about this department and the state of South Dakota - we're all a family - and we have an obligation to do whatever is necessary to help our family when they are in need."

Nagy's Jackrabbits tip-off against Oakland on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Frost Arena, following the SDSU vs. Oakland women's game at 5 p.m.