When Chris Haslam joined the Oregon State men’s basketball coaching staff last April, it was clear he would bring a unique perspective to the program.

A native of Southport, England, Haslam has played basketball all over the world. It’s one of the reasons this year’s team represents countries from all over the world too.

International recruiting has been a big part of Haslam’s role across his decade-plus coaching career, and with the Beavers representing nine countries when they take the floor, the hope is that it leads to more international success.

One of the selling points that Haslam uses to recruit international players is that his experience is one that they can relate to.

Growing up in England, his first love was not basketball. He played more traditional sports in the country like soccer and rugby until he was 16. That’s when his physical education teacher, who played basketball, had the students play it in class.

Haslam immediately fell in love.

He was already 6-foot-8, which helped, so he began playing in local gyms. That’s where he met athletes who brought up the idea of going over to the United States. At first, Haslam didn’t think much about it. But the opportunity presented itself to head to Savannah, Georgia for his final year of high school, and he took it.

Haslam’s family supported him throughout, telling him “you can always come home but you can’t have any regrets.”

It’s safe to say that he didn’t.

Haslam stayed with a host family in Georgia, and parlayed that into an opportunity to play at the University of Wyoming. That turned into a 13-year professional career, where he played across Europe, including England, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Germany and the Czech Republic.

“Very lucky. I got to play professional basketball at a very high level for 13 years. Not many people get to do that,” Haslam said. “And I was lucky that I didn’t have any major injuries, so when I retired it was on my own terms.”

He learned a lot of lessons during that time, but one was to not take experiences like this for granted.

“I played with teammates that just wanted to eat McDonalds and play 2K,” Haslam said. “And I’m like we’re close to Florence and Pisa and Rome. If you’re open to it and open your eyes and take it all in, it’s experiences that are invaluable.”

Haslam said that the experience playing around Europe and around the world has helped him become the person he is today. And it’s helped him become the coach that he is today.

After a short stint as a player-coach in England, he returned to the United States and was an assistant coach at Lamar Community College in Colorado, then spent a decade as an assistant coach at Montana State.

And that is where his international approach was on display.

“Basketball is an international game now,” Haslam said. “You look at the NBA and high level international players. And know how many international players are now at the NCAA level? It’s a global game.”

During the 2020-21 season, Montana State’s international players accounted for 44 points per game, the second most in Division I. The next year, the Bobcats ranked 10th.

“Having played in pretty much every country across Europe, the contacts I’ve made, knowing the different levels … it’s been very valuable recruiting internationally,” Haslam said.

After following Montana State coach Danny Sprinkle to Utah State for one season, Haslam joined the Beavers in April. He had to get to work immediately as the team saw a mass exodus through the transfer portal.

Micahel Rataj from Germany was already here, but a handful of international players like Liutauras Lelevicius (Finland) and Maxim Logue (France), plus international players already in the country like Parsa Fallah (Iran) and Isaiah Sy (France) joined the program.

“I talked to him a lot over the summer,” Lelevicius said. “I like the way he sees basketball, he’s enthusiastic about it. How much energy and effort he puts in.”

So far, the infusion of international players has been a success. From 13-19 a season ago, the Beavers are 17-8 and in the top half of the West Coast Conference.

Haslam hopes that a successful season will lead to more and more international talent choosing to come to Corvallis.

“It’s a domino effect,” Haslam said. “Now kids, parents, agents, people see that, see the support system in place here, that it’s an attractive program to come to.”

Haslam’s message really resonates with recruits. Knowing that he came from overseas to play in college allows the players to know that they’re not alone.

“I’ve gone through that journey that they’re about to do or are doing,” Haslam said. “Leaving home, going thousands of miles away, leaving your family, leaving your friends, getting thrown in the deep end here in the states to pursue their dream. I think I can go back to my time and what I went through, and when I talk about it in recruiting … I think these kids can relate to it.”

But it’s not just about recruiting them; it’s about making sure that everyone is comfortable when they get here. Haslam mentioned multiple times about the “support system” in place with the Beavers. With guys from all over, and some with English as their second language, it was an adjustment.

“An international kid coming to the States, especially from a non-English speaking country, takes time. It’s difficult,” Haslam said. “So you have to have knowledge of that and experience with that to have an environment to help these kids coming in until they get accustomed and get comfortable.”

But everyone feels on the same page right now, as Fallah says that it doesn’t even feel like there’s guys from nine different countries. The team has created a connection between everybody.

“I can’t really feel it,” Fallah said. “It feels like we’re all from the same country. I can’t tell any difference.”

Haslam said that the support system starts with the culture instituted by the man in charge.

“It starts with (head coach Wayne Tinkle),” Haslam said. “He’s the leader, and it’s the culture he sets within the program. He’s an unbelievable coach and a fantastic human being. … We talk about how our standard is the standard.”

But that goes hand in hand with Haslam and the staff’s approach in recruiting. It’s not just about finding the most talented guys overseas; it’s about finding the right fit.

“Yes we want talented players, but personality and character of the kids themselves is so important to coach Tinkle and us as a staff.” Haslam said. “… We got good guys from anywhere and everywhere.”

Tinkle has called Haslam’s hiring a seamless fit so far. He also works with the bigs, an area that has seen an improvement from a season ago.

“He’s been a great addition,” Tinkle said. “Not just with his recruiting and network there, but I love our meetings. He’s never afraid to challenge, go in a different direction with this set, that set, coverage defensively.”

Twenty-five games in, his work in bringing in talent and working with them when they get here has led to success. Haslam hopes it’s the beginning of a trend.

“If you’re a recruit from wherever outside the U.S., it’s kind of like ‘OK, we’re from different countries but there’s still that connection being non-American,’” Haslam said. “It’s something they could come into and see they’ve had success, they’re doing well with other international players.”