Coach K joined Chris Russo in Cameron last night for a live two-hour Town Hall broadcast on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Radio channel 86. More than 3,000 SiriusXM subscribers submitted questions to ask Coach K, with 20 selected to travel to Durham to ask in person. Russo interviewed Coach K as well and special guests Bobby Hurley, Bobby Cremins, Jay Bilas and Christian Laettner called in during the two-hour event.
We live-tweeted at the Town Hall via @dukeblueplanet — here are our tweets to provide a quick recap…
Here at Coach K’s Town Hall with @siriusxm. B. Hurley calling. “No kid has played with more heart.” “My most daring player.” #coachktownhall
Coach K said Hurley’s 3 late v. UNLV in 1991 Final Four is the biggest shot in Duke history
Bobby says freedom Coach K gave him was amazing. Coach K: “Foolish to draw up a play for Bobby.” BH is asst coach at Wagner
Coach K calls West Point “best leadership school in world.” Taught him to challenge limits and win together.
Coach K at speaking engagements- “I can tell a joke that’s a 2 but it rates as a 10.” Because he looks so serious on TV- people surprised
Coach K on 903: “For a coach you never have an individual accomplishment. It is a team accomplishment.”
“Kids should get more. They shouldn’t get paid.” Coach K when asked about paying college athletes
“Kids will get down on themselves — We’re asking them to change limits. You have to keep encouraging them.”
“NCAA Tournament is the greatest sporting event in the country. It captures the nation. We can’t lose that.”
Coach K feels college basketball needs someone to run the sport / a national office with transparency under NCAA umbrella.
Coach K says he looks at talent, academics, character in recruits. Givers not takers. Respect shown for parents, teammates
Early coaching/figuring out ACC for Coach K was like “learning how to drive in Times Square instead of Durham.”
Jay Bilas joins show. Jay worked for local ABC station in Durham while he was a player here. Got started early with TV work.
Jay not “not surprised at Coach K’s success… But no one could have reasonably predicted the consistent excellence.”
Jay: One thing every former player can say is that Coach K gave them his best every day.
Coach K compared Ty Thornton and Billy King. Not team’s best shooters/scorers but great leaders and toughest players
Big emphasis for Duke and USA squads for Coach K is encouraging/guiding players to take serious ownership in the team
C. Laettner on now. One of the top 5 in college history according to Coach K. Two buzzer beaters in Elite 8. Biggest winner
Christian: “I agreed with 110%” of everything Coach K said. Still does
Coach K said if frequent Final 4′s with no national title meant he had monkey on his back he wanted more monkeys
