Coach K: The Great College Basketball Coach

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It is the early 1960s, sitting front row at the Duke vs. North Carolina men’s basketball game. The crowd is going ballistic after a Duke player, Art Heyman, and a North Carolina player, Larry Brown, are pulled apart from an outrageous brawl. This moment is where the intense rivalry between the two teams all began. It is now 2018 and the rivalry still remains ever so strong. During the 2017-2018 season, Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Coach K, is the head coach for the Duke Blue Devils. He was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1947. Coach K was coached by the legendary Coach Bob Knight at West Point. Following his player years, he was an assistant coach to Bob Knight at Illinois, and then he was the head coach at his alma mater for five years. Furthermore, …show more content…
First off, he needs to be a tremendous leader for the team. In order to do this, he makes sure to become completely familiar with his players - to know them on a personal level. In an interview he expressed this, “We aren’t coaching x’s and o’s, we are coaching people” (Duke Men’s Basketball). He knows that in order to create a team that is going to have the best opportunities at beating other teams, he and his players all need to feel like they are in this “together”. Working together calls for adequate communication and listening skills. During a practice or game, Coach K allows his assistant coaches and captains to speak during the huddles, to show them that he believes in what they are saying. By allowing them to do this - which is quite difficult for most coaches - it builds stronger relationships. Acquiring these qualities shows that he is there for his players and is willing to help them through anything. In addition, having empathy when it comes to the players academic and personal lives. “We have copies of everyone’s syllabu for the semester and Mike Schragge alerts me each week on Thursday or Friday about what is coming up the next week academically” (Duke Men’s Basketball). Coach K takes the extra step in knowing his players academic schedule. When several of the players have a test coming up, he may cancel practice the day before or have a light practice with no film afterwards. This is not only being empathetic when it comes to players, but also smart on Coach K’s part. He wants his players to be concentrated, relaxed, and positive when they come to practice, not worried about an upcoming test. Another very important coaching aspect is being able to build confidence in each of his players. Motivating them to do their best at all times is crucial, and more than one form of this should be present. “I don’t think there is anything wrong
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