Coach K stays at Duke!

[Eaglesfan27]

It's being announced on ESPN now.

[MrIllini]

cool

Mike has chosen to be a career college coach. Not that it's a bad thing, I totally respect him...but the NBA will not come calling again, IMO.

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

He finally came to his senses. No way he was going to match Jackson's three championships. Too much legacy to live up to in LA, he is his own legacy at Duke. He has a lifetime job there and that is where he should stay.

[Eaglesfan27]

They are saying Rudy T will almost certainly be the next coach offered the job, and this is a big loss for Kobe because he handpicked Coach K.

[MrIllini]

this is why... :)

http://www.ericmcerlain.com/offwingopinion/archives/003421.php#003421

[kcchief19]

Of course, this episode adds just a bit more power to Coach K's power at Duke -- the threat he might leave for the NBA was always a card other coaches could use in recruiting. Now that he's turned down the Lakers, no other college coach can use the threat that he might leave.

[SteelerFan448]

This move will benefit both sides a lot in the end IMO.

[Eaglesfan27]

Of course, this episode adds just a bit more power to Coach K's power at Duke -- the threat he might leave for the NBA was always a card other coaches could use in recruiting. Now that he's turned down the Lakers, no other college coach can use the threat that he might leave.

Excellent point.

[terpkristin]

Even though I go to University of Maryland and will be a "Terp for Life" as my alumni keychain says, & anything that hurts Duke is GREAT to me, I'm glad he's staying. It just wouldn't feel right beating Duke it was done under a different coach.

~tk

[MrBug708]

Job security is important these days. I didn't want him near SC when he got fired is the only silver lining I could think of

Will Kobe be a Clipper?

[JeeberD]

No!

Don't do it, Rudy. Please don't do it... :(

[MrBug708]

You don't want a good coach to continue to be successful? How selfish... :)

[Samdari]

Job security is important these days.

Except the $40 million he'd get as a fired Laker coach would have been more than he will make the rest of his career in college. Job security in this case is a bit overrated.

On the other hand, considering he already has enough money to live in luxury, and has grandchildren living within minutes of his house, I can't see where more money would have any more appeal than that.

[kingnebwsu]

Great end result for college basketball...now if we could just get players to freakin' stay in college...

[rkmsuf]

Mitch Kumsteen is all over the college scene

Lakers: Kupchak contacts Roy Williams

by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com
Tuesday, July 6, 2004

News
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that general manager Mitch Kupchak has reached out to North Carolina coach Roy Williams about the Lakers' head coaching vacancy. After being turned down by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, Kupchak told the Times that former Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich was not his sole focus, and sources indicated he got permission from his alma mater, North Carolina, to interview Williams by telephone. In his first year at UNC after leaving Kansas, Williams took the Tarheels from 8-20 to 19-16.

[sterlingice]

No!

Don't do it, Rudy. Please don't do it... :(
Yeah. I figured this announcement is a triple whammy. Duke doesn't fall apart as a national power overnight, the Lakers don't drag Krew-ja-woo-ski down with their falling apart team, and Rudy is now likely to go there. :(

SI

[Ksyrup]

If you're Rudy T, aren't you getting a bit ticked? Even if you give them the Coach K thing, now they're talking to a guy who just left a great job for the only college job he'd ever consider taking, at his alma mater, and he's only been there one year? And you think he'd leave for LA?

It seems pretty obvious that Kobe wants someone other than Rudy T, even if LA brass is sold on him. In fact, I'm not sure which is worse - Kobe not wanting you as ocach, or Buss not being completely sold on you as coach. Seems as though Kobe would have more of a direct effect on your ability to be successful.

It's also pretty obvious that Kobe is milking his free agency to extract everything he can out of the Lakers. I bet Kupchak is washing his car as we speak.