The tone of the article seems to lean toward expecting it to happen. That would be really awesome if K was to return for the Worlds (Madrid) and Olympics. He does seem to get a recharge out of doing it.
I hope that he does return.
The tone of the article seems to lean toward expecting it to happen. That would be really awesome if K was to return for the Worlds (Madrid) and Olympics. He does seem to get a recharge out of doing it.
I hope that he does return.
Any Idea that if Coach K return to the head coach of USA, will it hurt the summer connection with prospect? Especially K like to bring his staff, that no one will contact will target...
Maybe I am wrong, cuz Cal do quite well about recruiting and coaching Dominica...
This is complete speculation, but I would think that K is talking to Durant, Lebron, Kyrie, Paul, and other US superstars in their 20s so get them onboard as well before K announces. I think both parties (coach and players) would benefit from the other. After all, both parties had a great time coaching the other.
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill
President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club
I can't help but think that Duke's recruiting has been helped by Coach K's association with Lebron, Kobe, Durant, etc.
It also can't hurt that Coach K doesn't look 66 years old. Most coaches his age look OLD, but it's strange to think that both of us had the same color hair when I went to grad school at Duke in the 1980s. He hasn't changed that much, but when I look in the mirror I look like my own grandfather.
I was one who did not like the idea of K coaching Team USA. It just seemed to me that it took too much time away from Duke stuff - recruiting, planning, etc. I am pretty sure other top college coaches are working hard for their college teams when K and almost all of the staff are involved with Team USA.
But now I see that the benefits far outweigh the time loss. And also by this time K has a system that his staff knows well so more guess is they work more efficiently than most. I think it helps recruiting and probably more importantly keeps K charged.
My only problem would be that he can not coach Team USA forever so maybe this is a good time to pass the reins to someone else.
SoCal
*If* he re-ups (still an if), I would think that would bode well for his coaching at Duke until at least 2016. *That* is what makes me smile most from this story.
No doubt about it, imo. The Olympic players all LOVE Coach K, and that love and respect can't help but trickle down to the high school stars who admire those Olympic players and NBA superstars. Just one of many, many examples of that love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riMQzJCZJ5Q . Around 1:05, Lebron during halftime warmups of a Heat game notices Coach K doing a sideline interview with the local station and can't help himself, walks over to give his coach a big ol' hug.
I strongly believe that Duke is starting to reap the recruiting benefits of Coach K's involvement with USA basketball. We're starting to bring in the studs again. Instead of having overachieving squads, we're just going to have sick, talented squads going forward.
One tangent off of this. I remember when UNC played at Miami this season, Lebron and Wade were in the stands openly rooting for the Canes and therefore against the Heels. This would NEVER have happened if Miami had been playing Duke. Something that brings a smile to my face.
I suspect K won't retire until Boeheim does. Jimmy's way too close.
Here's to Boeheim having a long, active career!
-jk
I agree that I thought it was hurting recruiting a bit but getting Irving, Rivers, and Parker in 4 years (among others) squashed those fears. I also read somewhere that a ton of the summer is a dead period (or whatever they call it in the recruiting world) and that K didn't really miss that much time although maybe recruiting has changed.
Regardless, seeing guys like Durant, Kobe and LeBron talk about K so glowingly does more than showing up to a game in July. Just reading some HS journals, they all mentioned him being Olympic coach and that seemed to make the players look up to him that much more.
Interesting videos... Laettner interviewing Coach K in July 2012 before London...
Part 1... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlpBFB0GBtE
Part 2... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpv5JXTd94o
K: "Kyrie, will you try out for the team if I take the job again?"
Kyrie: "Uncle Drew and I will be honored."
K: "Okay, I'll do it!"
In all seriousness, how cool would it be for K and Kyrie to get more time together? Can only help both of them.
I'd be happy to see K return to the national team because it would bolster his resume and building the case that he's the greatest men's basketball coach of all time.
Right now, most neutral observers (excluding the Duke fans and the Duke haters) would rate K No. 2 in college ranks behind Wooden. As a Duke goy, I can make the case for K, but for most basketball fans, the difference between 10 titles and four titles is just a bit to overcome.
But ...
It's not really 10-to-4 ... K has won three major international titles -- the 2008 Olympics, the 2010 World Championships and the 2012 Olympics. I would argue that each of those are the equivalent of an NCAA title. By that reasoning, Wooden (who never helped the American national team ... in fact, his best players shunned it like the plague) only has a 10-7 lead. That's small enough that we can start making arguments for K (the NCAA is tougher to win now with a balanced field and seeding; K has more wins overall; Sam Gilbert) ...
If K adds a world championship in 2014 and another Olympic gold in 2016, then we're talking about a 10-9 edge in major titles. I would hope that K could add another NCAA title in that span to make it 10-10 ... then I think we could win the argument with most fair-minded people.
That opens up another argument -- the greatest men's coach of all time -- at any level.
Right now, the list of coaches with at least five major titles (NCAA, NBA, international):
1. Phil Jackson 11
2. John Wooden 10
3. Red Auerbach 9
4. Mike Krzyzewski 7
5. (tie) Pat Riley and John Kundra (he coached Lakers back in the Mikan era) 5
I would argue that K is already the greatest international coach in American history. Hank Iba is the only other coach to win two Olympic golds (also losing famously in 1972) and he doesn't have a world championship. K's 62-1 international record is unmatched.
I think he's already the GOAT ... but adding another couple of international titles will help convince the rest of the world.
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---Roger Ebert
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Who’s gonna bury who
We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
---Over the Rhine
I really hope he does it again, because it definitely helps us and I enjoy watching K interact with the pros. But, I hope they do refresh the assistant coaching staff. They have to start the succession process. I read somewhere that Boeheim would be likely to come back, but they need to start grooming the next head coach. You figure D'Antoni and McMillan are out. I think it would be amazing if Popovich would join the staff and basically gradually take over the program, but I don't see that happening. Selfishly, I wish they'd have the best caliber coaches possible because I like when K picks things up from these guys. Maybe Spoelstra is a dark horse candidate to serve a few years under K and then take over the program?
if this turns out to be true..
Somone more clever and with more time should rework the Duran Duran song "Rio" into a clip to compete with SU's Boheimian Rhapsody...
This line doesn't need editing at all... "You know you're something special and you look like you're the best"..
Put a distinct K- USA theme on it with Duke subtleties...
Could be awesome.
From the college ranks, Bill Self and Rick Pitino come to mind as Olympic coaching candidates.
Self would be 57 years old by the 2020 Olympics; Pitino (who didn't have great success in the NBA) would be 67.
Brad Stevens and Shaka Smart deserve consideration from among the younger coaches?
No doubt these guys are great coaches, but I suspect that guys like Lebron and Durant would be a bit wary of the possibility that they might have to compete against an active NBA coach in June (including dealing with flagrant fouls, media sniping, etc) and then team up with the same coach in August.
Chuck Daly made it work with the Dream Team, but he was in between jobs at the time if I recall correctly (not to mention the fact that Isaiah Thomas was made a sacrificial lamb in the selection process!).
This is why, prior to this week at least, my hunch had been that Doc Rivers would be the guy: The Celtics are winding down fast and he's a player's coach.
But perhaps Colangelo brought a nicer bottle of wine to dinner this time. It would be great to see Coach K in Rio. He and Lebron have a special bond.