In the latter half of the 20th century, there was a heated rivalry in the ACC division of college basketball, particularly between Duke, North Carolina State, and North Carolina. Duke was in a good place, but disaster struck when their coach said he wanted to leave. Now, they were on a hunt for a new coach. Finding the right coach is one of the most important parts of constructing a basketball team, especially in college. In collegiate basketball, players are on the team for a maximum of four years. However, the star players often only play for one or two years. As a result, coaches are one of the only constants in college basketball. Also, the coach is the one that puts together the team, so it’s important to get someone who knows what he’s doing. After an extensive search for a new coach, Duke ended up hiring Mike Krzyzewski, better known as “Coach K”. He posted a poor record during the previous season, but Duke knew much more went into the right coach. In the search for a team’s new leader, managers frequently look for their passion for the game and how they convey it to the players, so the coach isn’t just effectively a statue standing next to the bench.
Passion is something sought after in a coach because of the impression it makes on the players and its influence on the coach’s effort. First, a coach’s passion would certainly change the attitude of the players. Coach K, for example, was extremely competitive and got through to his players. It was displayed in just his first game against Dean Smith, the coach of the rival North Carolina in the ACC. At the end of the game, the clock ran out after an inbound play to attempt to tie the game. Coach K immediately ran out to convince the scorer’s table to convince them that there was a second left on the clock, giving his team another chance. There, Dean Smith went up to shake his hand. Instead of shaking his hand, Coach K neglected it and said “The goddamn game’s not over yet, Dean.” The new kid on the block showed he wasn’t intimidated. Events such as that lit fires under the players. If the coach has no energy, the players follow right behind. If the coach is out there shouting at scorers after the game, those players would be hyped to come back stronger. Second, dedication to the game also influences the coach’s own actions. Their love for the game would lead them to value training great players. They’ll throw every bit of knowledge they have if it helps the athletes improve. An unmotivated coach simply wouldn’t put that level of effort into sharpening the team’s skills. Passion is key to a good coach, but it’d be worthless if they couldn’t get it through to their players.
Communication is key to becoming a great coach because it’s needed to form a connection with the players and to give knowledge to the athletes. If players don’t listen to you, they’ll never implement what you’re trying to tell them. So, as a coach, if you want to help players improve, having a good connection with them is vital. Before hiring him, someone outside the organization saw Coach K’s brilliance in commanding the court. His name was Steve Vacendak. Vacendak wasn’t with the team at the time, but was coincidentally hired by Duke soon after he realized Krzyzewski’s coaching excellence. When Vacendak went to watch Coach K coach, he was astonished by how well he connected with his players at such a young age. He said that “there wasn’t a single minute when he was talking when all eyes weren’t locked on him.” Vacendak was so compelled by Coach K’s command on the court that he wrote his name down on the list of potential future Duke coaches. He knew the importance of communication in the team. Without it, there isn’t any trust between the players and the coach, which would tear them apart. Additionally, if the coach can’t speak to their players, they’re entire existence is useless. The whole goal of a coach is to provide knowledge to the team’s players. Communication skills are absolutely key in a competent coach.
In the hunt for a new coach, teams often look for things such as their desire for excellence and how they convey their knowledge. A coach is basically a random person off the street if they don’t have passion and aren’t able to show it to their players. When Duke was looking for someone new to lead their basketball program, Coach K fit both conditions. He was a competitive person and made a strong connection with his players, something rarely found with such a young coach. With his strong foundation of coaching talent, Coach K was able to become one of the most respected basketball coaches in history. Among other accomplishments, he won a total of five national championships and three gold medals. There are many things to look for in a coach, and Duke clearly saw the right things in Coach Krzyzewski.