What I've Noticed about K this Year

[Faison1]

He doesn't seem to be working the refs as hard as he has in the past. His M.O. is someone who harps on officiating throughout the game.

This year seems to be different, at least from the viewpoint of my living room TV set.

I know in the past couple of offseasons, K has said the Duke program seems to have a bit of a PR problem, and he was going to work to correct that. (Meet with the press more often, make more appearances, etc.) Is the more controlled, even-keeled sideline part of that push? Has anyone else noticed this?

I think it even extends to his relationships with opposing coaches. He seems to be very talkative with them at the after-game handshake.

[hurleyfor3]

Has he been T'd up yet this year? Don't remember it happening.

[alteran]

He doesn't seem to be working the refs as hard as he has in the past. His M.O. is someone who harps on officiating throughout the game.

This year seems to be different, at least from the viewpoint of my living room TV set.

I know in the past couple of offseasons, K has said the Duke program seems to have a bit of a PR problem, and he was going to work to correct that. (Meet with the press more often, make more appearances, etc.) Is the more controlled, even-keeled sideline part of that push? Has anyone else noticed this?

I think it even extends to his relationships with opposing coaches. He seems to be very talkative with them at the after-game handshake.

I think you're probably right that K has backed off some, but part of it appears to be the rules.

There was the NCAA obscenity emphasis, and the emphasis on the coach's box, although Coach K generally already obeyed the latter. :D

I've noticed that officials also seem to be trying to avoid coaches more. I suspect there's an NCAA edict somewhere that we don't know about. In general, I think that's a good thing, if not taken to extremes.

My perception is that he hasn't changed his after game hand-shaking routine at all-- he has always seemed pretty willing to stay there and talk as much or as little as the other coach wants. JMO.

[alteran]

Has he been T'd up yet this year? Don't remember it happening.

Oh yeah. I can't remember the game, but he got T'd up from across the court in one game. It looked pretty ridiculous to me at the time, but apparently Coach K said after the game that he had it coming.

[Matches]

He got T'd up in the game in College Park.

But yeah overall he's been more mellow this year. It's a nice change IMO. I'm not looking for cuddly-bear K, but there were times the past few years when he just seemed unnaturally angry for long stretches.

[Cameron]

I want the Tiger back.

[Faison1]

I'm not sure which way I like better. Regardless, it has not stopped the tireless critique of Duke getting all the calls.

I still contend that ESPN encourages its announcers to create some sort of controversy. In the end, if there was no reason for non-Duke fans to watch, we would get less games on TV. Catch-22, no?

[calltheobvious]

I think you're probably right that K has backed off some, but part of it appears to be the rules.

There was the NCAA obscenity emphasis, and the emphasis on the coach's box, although Coach K generally already obeyed the latter. :D

I've noticed that officials also seem to be trying to avoid coaches more. I suspect there's an NCAA edict somewhere that we don't know about. In general, I think that's a good thing, if not taken to extremes.

My perception is that he hasn't changed his after game hand-shaking routine at all-- he has always seemed pretty willing to stay there and talk as much or as little as the other coach wants. JMO.

This is a really nice pick-up (to use officiating parlance), alteran. I don't know whether anyone noticed, but for the last several years, it was almost always the case (exceptions were technical and boring) that on fouls, the calling official would remain "table-side" after reporting the foul to the official scorer. This was to give officials an opportunity to communicate with coaches better, since the old mechanic was that the calling official would return to a position opposite the table after reporting the foul. That led to a lot more screaming and glare-fests for coaches. The honchos didn't like the results of the "remain table-side experiment," and the old mechanic was reinstated this year.

I've got mixed feelings about that change, but I think that the NABC's formal request to the rules committee to enforce the coaching box, along with the "zero-tolerance policy on profanity" have both helped a lot. Impossible to say with certainty that those factors completely explain Coach K's more docile behavior this year re: officials, but I think they are factors.

[TwoDukeTattoos]

He got T'd up in the game in College Park.

But yeah overall he's been more mellow this year. It's a nice change IMO. I'm not looking for cuddly-bear K, but there were times the past few years when he just seemed unnaturally angry for long stretches.

This was actually discussed last night on the DG show. They said that K is mellower overall - doesn't curse quite much as he used to, etc. I think part of that is simply due to life-cycles. Even B Knight calmed down somewhat during his last decade. But I think it's also because he's interested in media relations, player relations, etc.

[heyman25]

I think Coach K is an outstanding Coach of basketball. However I have listened to his press conferences post game thanks to this website and he is not the most scintillating speaker. He says "and uh" every sentence he speaks. His explanation of why we were not hitting our 3's because of Georgia Tech's perimeter defense. Give me a break. It was a poor shooting performance.This is home court and you would expect by now they could be a little more accurate. I have XM and have yet to hear his show,but after hearing these post game interviews not sure if it would be that entertaining. I am not a bandwagon fan. I went to Duke. I grew up in Durham. I got to see Art Heyman, Jeff Mullins Jack Marin Mike Lewis Bob Verga in person at Duke Indoor Stadium.
He was supposed to be more media friendly this year. Who wouldn't want to say a few words to Stacy Dale. Even Roy Williams allows a few seconds at the half. Not Coach K. Whether he likes it or not, he is still considered aloof by the media.

[TwoDukeTattoos]

He was supposed to be more media friendly this year. Who wouldn't want to say a few words to Stacy Dale. Even Roy Williams allows a few seconds at the half. Not Coach K. Whether he likes it or not, he is still considered aloof by the media.

I've always wondered why he hasn't given halftime discussion in quite a few years now. I've always assumed it was because he wanted to begin coaching the lockeroom ASAP, or because he was priming Johnny for the head job someday.

[Faison1]

I've always wondered why he hasn't given halftime discussion in quite a few years now. I've always assumed it was because he wanted to begin coaching the lockeroom ASAP, or because he was priming Johnny for the head job someday.

I agree. I wish he would do those every now and again. Would be entertaining. All the heavyweigths do it....Roy, Gary, Pearl, Pitino. But I'm sure he has good reasons. I stopped him in the street one time, and he was as nice as he could be. So, I don't think it's a personality issue. On the contrary, in the times I've met him (twice), he has been totally gracious.

Probably couldn't hurt recruiting either....anyone catch Bruce Pearl at half and post UT-Memphis game? Totally engaging.

[Indoor66]

I agree. I wish he would do those every now and again. Would be entertaining. All the heavyweigths do it....Roy, Gary, Pearl, Pitino. But I'm sure he has good reasons. I stopped him in the street one time, and he was as nice as he could be. So, I don't think it's a personality issue. On the contrary, in the times I've met him (twice), he has been totally gracious.

Probably couldn't hurt recruiting either....anyone catch Bruce Pearl at half and post UT-Memphis game? Totally engaging.

Maybe he has difficulty with inane questions.

[blueprofessor]

Maybe he has difficulty with inane questions.

...questions such as,"Mike,how do you feel about your team being 9 points behind at the half?"
Or,"Mike, how do you feel about your team being 9 points ahead?"
Or,maybe,"Mike, how do you feel about how your players have performed?"
Or,perhaps,"Mike,how do you feel about walking to the locker room with your team?"
Or,(fill in your own question),"Mike,how do you feel about....?"
Best regards.:)

[mapei]

If he has difficulty with those questions, he's in the wrong business. That's part of being a head coach at a high-visibility program.

[DevilCastDownfromDurham]

I've always wondered why he hasn't given halftime discussion in quite a few years now. I've always assumed it was because he wanted to begin coaching the lockeroom ASAP, or because he was priming Johnny for the head job someday.

As I understand the party line, it is because K wants to give his assistants some exposure (i.e. national television mini-interview) and good experience dealing with and forming relationships with the media. I'm sure it is good for all these things, but I suspect it's a "sacrifice" that K is very, VERY happy to make.

If only Ol' Roy could have his assistants do his radio show . . .

[Karl Beem]

If he has difficulty with those questions, he's in the wrong business. That's part of being a head coach at a high-visibility program.

Apparently not. Does that upset you?

[Jim3k]

If he has difficulty with those questions, he's in the wrong business. That's part of being a head coach at a high-visibility program.

They're dumb questions, period.

What the interviewer should say is, "Coach, can you say a few words about how the Devils are playing?" Or: "Coach, what are you going to say to your players in the dressing room?"

Totally neutral and allows the coach to avoid his 'feelings.'

[Uncle Drew]

...questions such as,"Mike,how do you feel about your team being 9 points behind at the half?"
Or,"Mike, how do you feel about your team being 9 points ahead?"
Or,maybe,"Mike, how do you feel about how your players have performed?"
Or,perhaps,"Mike,how do you feel about walking to the locker room with your team?"
Or,(fill in your own question),"Mike,how do you feel about....?"
Best regards.:)

I agree with blue. THESE are the kind of stupid questions EVERY coach gets asked at half time. And it doesn't matter if it's Johnny Dawkins, Roy Williams, Bruce Pearl or even a football coach heading off the field. It's like the commentators are trying to get some inside scoop for the people watching at home. But why would any assistant or head coach give honest answers to these questions. Look at the scoreboard and it's pretty easy to figured how the coach feels about how the game has gone so far.

What blows me away is when they ask a coach in any sport what half time adjustments they plan to make. And God bless them, some coaches actually tell the truth. What's to keep some assistant for the other team watching the game on TV from calling down to the locker room and telling what the coach said? It's not even like spygate and the Patriots, you're telling the whole world what you plan to do the second half. If UNC is behind by ten points at the half and Tyler has 4 points, what do you think they plan to do the second half? Why even ask the question?

As for K being aloof with the media or whatever else they say about him. I realize Duke University would like him to be more personable as it's most visable representative. But let's face it, after 25+ years of coaching and most reporters have been doing their jobs well over ten years, both sides pretty much know what they think of the other. If you were in the habit of saying things and they got taken out of context, scutinized and second guessed would you want to keep wasting your time talking. I know I didn't, it's the main reason I divorced my first wife.

[Faison1]

...questions such as,"Mike,how do you feel about your team being 9 points behind at the half?"
Or,"Mike, how do you feel about your team being 9 points ahead?"
Or,maybe,"Mike, how do you feel about how your players have performed?"
Or,perhaps,"Mike,how do you feel about walking to the locker room with your team?"
Or,(fill in your own question),"Mike,how do you feel about....?"
Best regards.:)

Who cares how dumb the questions are....there's no doubt they suck, but the Coach has acknowledged that the program has a PR problem, and part of it is the perception that he and Duke are arrogant. Now, I certainly don't agree with that, but in answering "inane" or "dumb" questions, maybe he solves part of the issue.

I think all of us want the world to see what an awesome man he is....unfortunately, most only see what ding-dong's, like what's his name from Online CBS Sports, have described. So, to me, it's tragic.

[rsvman]

...Coach has acknowledged that the program has a PR problem, and part of it is the perception that he and Duke are arrogant. ....... in answering "inane" or "dumb" questions, maybe he solves part of the issue.

Yes, unless the questions are answered in a condescending or sarcastic tone, in which case it makes the problem WORSE. Can you imagine the backlash if THIS were on the air at halftime?

Doris: Coach K, how do you feel about your team being behind by 9 points at the half?

K: (rolls eyes) Oh, I love it; thanks.

or

K: Duh.

Maybe it's best if he leaves things how they are.;)

[Faison1]

Yes, unless the questions are answered in a condescending or sarcastic tone, in which case it makes the problem WORSE. Can you imagine the backlash if THIS were on the air at halftime?

Doris: Coach K, how do you feel about your team being behind by 9 points at the half?

K: (rolls eyes) Oh, I love it; thanks.

or

K: Duh.

Maybe it's best if he leaves things how they are.;)

Funny!!!!