Who was the Best and Worst Head Coach you have ever spoken with

Most coaches I deal with on a regular basis are local, but I will say this: Tommy Lasorda is the biggest fuckin' prick that ever walked God's green earth.

 

Yeah, it is pretty cool when coaches do that. I had that happen with former Eastern Washington coach Kirk Earlywine once last year. I called him for our weekly interview and got no response, which I figured was because his team had a game the next night, and I must have just missed him.

Later that night, I had a high school basketball district tournament game. Because of a mistake, I arrived at the gym an hour earlier than I planned (I like to be there about 20 minutes to tip, got the start time wrong). About 30 minutes before tipoff, I get a call. Of course, it's Kirk Earlywine. Being in a high school, which never has good service, I had to struggle to get my interview, but to his credit, Kirk never complained. I've always been grateful for guys like that.

 

Bowden called me back in college. I just about went into shock. I talked to him for 10 minutes, and probably could have for longer, but I was so nervous I rushed him off the phone because I didn't want to waste his time. I called 10 big-time coaches for the story I was doing and Bowden was the only one who called me back.

I dealt with Jay Wright once, for a story on a recruit he didn't get and he called me back and was great. He ended up telling me a great anecdote on the kid that I used in my lede.

In the NFL there are so few who are good... Steve Mariucci was great. Jeff Fisher was really good.

 

Saban was tough to commuinicate with and had to have things served up his way or else he'd get pissy. This was after LSU won at Ole Miss to win the West for Eli's senior season.

 

Most hockey coaches are pretty good. I think Jerry York is one of the classier guys I've dealt with. Greg Cronin could be a bit testy after a loss, but he'd drop a couple killer lines and actually took a genuine interest in the work reporters were doing. in the AHL, Rob Riley in Springfield is a good one, and I've dealt with a bunch of awesome D-III coaches as well.

 

Larry Coker couldn't have been nicer the time I dealt with him. He apologized profusely for calling 20 minutes later than our agreed upon time and gave me his cell phone number so I could call him directly if I had any follow up questions.

I know I may be alone on this one, but Mark Mangino was good to me too. I genuinely liked and admired Herb Sendek when I covered him. Chuck Amato was a douche on several levels.

 

The college hoops edition:

The Good: John Dunne (St. Peter's), Mike Rice, Andrew Toole (Robert Morris), David Cox (both at Georgetown and Rutgers), Phil Martelli, Jay Wright, Bruce Pearl (engaging, at least, in my few opportunities to talk to him), Dan Hurley.

The Boring: Jamie Dixon. Good guy, just doesn't say much of interest. Ron Everhart.

The Bad: Mike Deane (while at Wagner), Mark Schmidt.

 

You're not. I also very much enjoyed dealing with Mark Mangino.

 

My best was Ray Mears (who choked back tears telling me about Bernard King, 15 years after coaching him) and Barry Switzer, who was a great quote several times for a young sportswriter.

The worst? Norm Stewart. Fucking asshole.

 

Only dealt with York a few times, but the guy was all class.

 

I got you beat. I was doing a preview on an upcoming game for my college paper in 1983 and called Bear Bryant, more as a lark than anything. I knew there was no fucking way Bear was calling me back. Then the phone rings and a lady says, "Please hold for coach Bryant." Yes, I was suitably stunned.

I talked to him for probably 20 minutes but I didn't get a lot of usable stuff because half the time I couldn't understand a word he was saying. Does anyone but me remember a cartoon called "The Hillbilly Bears"? Well, Bear Bryant sounded just like Pa Rugg.

That might have been the highlight of my college sportswriting career. At least in the top five.


EDIT: Just noticed I mistyped the year. It was '82, Bear's last season at Alabama.

 

Oh, yeah, and Bill Curry and Vince Dooley were both greatness.