Coach K something special
Mike Krzyzewski, head coach of the Duke Blue Devils who won his 1,000 college basketball game on Sunday against St. John's, epitomizes everything good about Chicago and his Northwest side blue-collar upbringing.
With his style and demeanor, the 67-year-old coach has managed to be successful and adjust with the ever-changing game of college basketball.
I can actually share firsthand what it's like to play for him because he was my coach at the first Michael Jordan Fantasy basketball camp I attended in 1997 at Bally's in Las Vegas.
The coaches selected their teams, and it was no surprise Coach K picked all Chicago guys for his roster. Our team actually won the league that year, and I saw the man most people in the media don't get to see.
Here we were - a bunch of over 35 guys - playing our hearts out because he believed so strongly in us. His calmness in the huddles gave us confidence, and I still can't believe we managed to beat teams coached by guys such as John Thompson, Eddie Sutton, Bob Huggins, Hubie Brown and Roy Williams.
The three-day camp was an amazing experience, and this over-the-hill gang just didn't want to let Coach K down.
But with Coach K, it didn't stop there. He befriended one of our teammates, Ross Deutsch, a terrific player and a great guy, who we called the "little general." Not long after the camp, Ross's young son, Rory, was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and when Coach K heard the news he was right there for him with support and encouragement.
Sadly, Rory passed away, but Coach K still wears a pin on his jacket when he coaches in his honor. It's easy to spot on his lapel when you see him on the sidelines of a game.
Coach K continues to be instrumental in the Rory Deutsch Foundation set up by Ross and his wife, Mindy, at www.roryd.org. With support from their family and friends, they have done a great job raising funds to help eradicate pediatric brain tumors.
On a personal note, we lost our little cousin, Jake Lauricella, to the same dreaded disease. With all of the demands in Coach K's life, he still maintains a strong awareness of what's important.
Coaching didn't start out well for him at Duke. He actually had a losing record his first three seasons (38-47). Can you believe they actually wanted him fired in Durham?
Thankfully, the administration apparently knew what they had.
I've always thought that John Wooden at UCLA was the man. Coach K might have further to go to match Wooden's 10 titles, but 11 Final Four appearances while recruiting against North Carolina and the ACC - as well as teams like Kentucky getting top talent - is pretty impressive too.
His accomplishments are phenomenal but his consistency of character is beyond reproach. Nowadays, that makes him stand apart from the rest. Congrats Coach K.
Program notes:
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