Whether in hoops, real estate or everyday life, investing has paid off big for former BYU basketball standout Terrell Lyday

BYU’s Terrell Lyday drives to the basket on Air Force’s Lamoni Yazzie at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, February 1, 2001. | Jason Olson, Deseret News

After leaving BYU, Terrell Lyday made it to the top of European basketball with championships and honors, bringing home money for investments to set up his family in Fresno.

PROVO — From deep in the “Where are they now” files …

The Fresno Flier is now a 40-year-old father of two who still finds time to shoot it up with friends on the basketball court.

Terrell Lyday, a former BYU basketball player who came to Provo from the junior college ranks, used a decade of experience playing professional basketball to help finance real estate investments in the San Joaquin Valley. He owns apartments and houses and is into property management.

This past week he was remodeling a house he obtained for his mother and later rented out to tenants, doing a little carpentry, plumbing and electrical. “I’m going to fix it up and sell it. I’m tired of rentals. I ended up putting in a new kitchen and carpet, it wasn’t too bad.”

Yes, Lyday still follows the Cougars and keeps in touch with his former coach Steve Cleveland, who lives about 10 minutes away. He also regularly calls current BYU deputy athletic director Brian Santiago, who was on Cleveland’s staff when he got the BYU job in 1997.

So, what’s he been up to?

“Just investing. I do a lot of investing in the stock market and things like that. Then I own a couple of apartment complexes and a few houses I rent out. I spend a lot of time looking for opportunities, trying to find properties. I think I’m going to jump into the furniture business. I got my business license for it, but I don’t know right now. What I end up doing really is micromanaging.”

Courtesy Terrell Lyday

Former BYU star Terrell Lyday poses at Disneyland with his fiance Jacqueline Gutierrwez and children Jordynn (16) and Tresyn (2).

His daughter Jordynn, 16, keeps busy with team water polo and he has a 2-year old son Tresyn, who usually has play dates and runs around everywhere. “But we haven’t been doing much of that with the coronavirus these days — we’re pretty much self-quarantined.”

Lyday said people from Fresno know he attended BYU and he gets feedback all the time on that fact, plus he hears what people say about how the team is doing, like beating Gonzaga. Before the virus hit, he regularly played basketball four times a week at 6:30 in the morning. “I’m in pretty good shape, I can still shoot.”

Lyday’s professional career ended in Russia when he collided with another player knee on knee. Other than that, he never had a major injury in his sports career. “It crushed my bilateral release and chipped a bone in my kneecap and that’s what kind of sent me into retirement.”

Former BYU coach Steve Cleveland calls Lyday one of the smartest basketball players he ever coached, a talent that had a feel for the game and a terrific shooting stroke.

Lyday was one of the cornerstones of Cleveland’s attempt to turn BYU around from a one-win season in 1996 when the administration plucked him from the junior college ranks in Fresno, California. He brought with him Dave Rose and Heath Schroyer, both who later became head coaches.

Lyday was only at BYU for two seasons, but during that time he became 14th all time in 3-point baskets made with 127. He ranks 11th at BYU in 3-point field goal percent at .396, ahead of Jimmer Fredette (13th at .393) and is fifth in 3-point field goals per game with 1.92. He also ranked fifth in steals per game with 99 in his 66-game Cougars career. He ranks sixth in number of games making five 3-point shots.

“I had a great time in Provo. It was a great time in my life and I loved every minute of that period in my life. It is an experience I look back on and Im glad I chose to play with BYU. I love the fans and I love Provo. The way the fans treated us was unbelievable.” — Terrell Lyday

He spent more than 10 years playing professional basketball in Europe, where he helped win championships and earned all-league honors with teams in Poland, Turkey, France, Russia and Italy. He played and won at the highest levels of pro hoops outside the NBA.

To be exact, he started his professional career with Unia Tarnow in Poland before going to Galatasaray in Turkey. He played for Cholet and Aswvel in France before stops with Ural Great in Russia and Benetton in Italy. He finished his career with Triumph Lyubertsy in Russia before retiring after five seasons with Unics Kazan in Russia.

Courtesy Terrell Lyday

After enjoying a 10-year professional basketball career overseas, former BYU standout Terrell Lyday is now a real estate entrepreneur in California.

Over the course of his career he earned enough money to carve out a comfortable life, making good investments and financial decisions.

“My favorite country was Italy because it is a lot like living in the United States and the weather is like it is here in California,” he said. The best competition was in Russia, where he was also compensated the most.

He keeps in contact with former Italian teammate Travis Watson from Virginia, who still lives in Italy. “It’s just crazy what’s happened to Italy right now.”

His final season at BYU was in 1999. He had come to BYU two years prior from Fresno City College near his home after prepping at Herbert Hoover High.

“I had a great time in Provo. It was a great time in my life and I loved every minute of that period in my life. It is an experience I look back on and I’m glad I chose to play with BYU. I love the fans and I love Provo. The way the fans treated us was unbelievable.”

Now, where did he put that pipe wrench?

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