Beat writers: best coach you've ever worked with/interviewed?

Mike Scioscia.

 

Dan McCarney was great....genuine, earnest and approachable, if not a wee bit on the "motivational speaker" tip.

Torre, Pinella (in my limited dealings), Tom Davis, Doc Rivers come to mind.

Two guys better than you might think - Bob Huggins and Bill Belichick.

One who isn't - Steve Alford.

 

An excellent choice.

So is Tim Wallach, who managed a Cal League team I covered. Accessible, full of stories and a Cal State Fullerton Titan to boot. How many managers greet you for your pre-game meeting by saying, "OK, let's get this done. I want to hear who your fantasy football sleepers are."

Let me also add Bob Toledo (formerly at UCLA) and Barry Melrose when he was with the Kings. Both were accessible, friendly and very informative. I always learned something talking to Melrose, not surprising given what he's doing these days.

Another great coach to deal with was former UC Riverside mens' hoops coach John Masi. The year I covered his program as a 24-year-old beat writer dealing with his first non-prep beat, he was a dream.

 

Barry Melrose earned props during the Kings' Stanley Cup run in 1993 because he charmed all the johnny-come-lately columnists who never came to hockey games in the past. He did have some interesting philosophical discussions, but even those started to wear thin by the Conference finals. And then bandwagoner Anthony Robbins showed up and became part of the entourage. I covered the Kings off and on (mostly on) for 20 years and Melrose played the "if I tell you, I'll have to kill you" card way too much when he was asked analytical questions. He was fired the next season and hasn't coached since.

 

Spurrier's done that a couple times with some of the guys who cover SoCar now.

 

Sirs, Madames,

Maybe it would be a subject for another thread but I've had good (one-time) experiences with guys who are supposed to be difficult.

e.g. I musta caught Phil Jackson at the absolutely right time one day in Toronto years back ... he just filled my notebook (he was pumping his book and I told him that I had spoken with Charley Rosen, his buddy from Patroons days).

Pat Burns would be in that group.

YHS, etc

 

ole miss basketball coach andy kennedy as as good as it gets

 

Post ... of ... the ... year

 

Absolutely brilliant.

 

Not sure how much interest there is in women's college basketball here, but here's my survey of coaches in the ACC in recent years:

Mike Petersen of Wake is a quote-machine. Funny, honest, informative...just ask a half-decent question and watch him go. I just wish his team was better so that he'd get more attention.

I really miss Jim Davis of Clemson. I miss his old feuds with Sylvia Hatchell--"I respect every coach in America but one". Behind the whole homespun folksy shtick was a real competitor, but he was also an entertainer in press conferences. Great coach, too; I think his getting sick slowed down his recruiting way too much.

Kay Yow of NC State is one of the best human beings I've ever met. She carries herself with an enormous amount of dignity. She's thoughtful in giving answers and rarely resorts to coachspeak and is never rude, condescending or short. Every coach in the league loves her and the younger coaches look up to her. Coming back from cancer a third time and coaching again this year is a great story.

On the other hand, Debbie Ryan of UVa is brittle, short-tempered and somewhat of a bully. I don't know what she was like when she was younger and UVa was going to the Final Four every year, but I think the problems her program has had of late have really gotten to her.

Another fine person was Charlene Curtis of Wake, who was probably too nice to be a coach. She has a warm personality and loves to engage interesting questions. I'm happy that she's taken on a career in TV.

Gail Goestenkors of Duke is extremely guarded. She doesn't give away much--you really have to dig for good quotes, and stays so far away from public controversy that it creates a bland exterior at times. Her real personality is far from bland...

Sylvia Hatchell is fun to listen to. She's a total snake oil saleswoman in that she always pumps up her players as being the greatest-ever in everything, though she's toned that down a bit the past couple of seasons. She hates not being on top in the ACC and when Duke was ruling the roost, it really ate at her, making for some fun press conferences where she made snide remarks. And of course, you can always depend on her for dressing in the most garish clothing imaginable. At one ACC championship, Lin Dunn saw Sylvia walk in wearing a gold lame' suit for the title game and drawled, "Elvis is in the building."

Speaking of snake oil saleswomen, I have a hard time getting a grip on anything Brenda Frese of Maryland says. She's so polished and poised that it's hard to tell if she means a single word she says.

Of the newbies, MaChelle Joseph of Ga Tech is nice enough but always seems a bit overwhelmed. Same with Beth Dunkenberger of Va Tech. Katie Meier of Miami is going to be great in the press room, though I haven't had too many chances to talk to her. Don't know what to make of Cristy McKinney yet, though she's had a few good quotes recently.

 

I must have talked to a different Coach K. The times I've interviewed him, I found him to be gracious, quotable and very good at explaining his sport. He puts an effort into it. What do you guys want from him?

 

Jacqui Banaszynski