Duke
Krzyzewski to coach his grandson this season
By Jeff Gravley, WRAL Sports anchor/reporter
Durham Academy graduate Michael Savarino has had front row seats to some incredible basketball memories. Whether it's at Duke or the Olympics where he met his favorite player. "Oh of course, Kobe. He's my all time favorite player," a smiling Savarino said. "The way he would treat my family and my grandfather, he's just an unbelievable guy and an even better player."
Savarino's grandfather is Hall of Fame Coach Mike Krzyzewski and in July, Michael will enroll at Duke and play basketball for his grandfather as a preferred walk-on.
"He loves the game, so he wanted to play college basketball," Krzyzewski said. "He went to all these camps, but he loves Duke. He wanted to come to Duke and I was happy about that because he earned it and if he's coming to Duke, then he should be a part of our basketball program because he's good enough to be a walk-on."
"I've always tried to avoid that reputation of living in your grandfather's shadow," Savarino said. "I chose this because I feel like I earned it. I feel like I've worked hard every single day for this. I wanted to come to Duke because I wanted to be a part of this program. I want to embrace everything about it and just play under my grandfather, who I've watched my whole life."
Savarino could have played at Army, like his grandfather did from 1966-1969. Columbia and several smaller Division 2 schools were an option for Savarino to play basketball. "But everything I was looking for was right in my backyard," he said.
Duke is the program that he grew up with, in a family that has invested countless hours of work and support. "It's been a dream for me my whole life. But it's going to be an unbelievable experience when I walk in the locker room with my jersey hanging up saying Savarino for the first time. I don't know how I'm going to react or anything like that."
What Michael has seen from behind the bench, he will now be a part of on the bench. Up close, sometimes personal and confrontational from the head coach. "Sometimes I look at him in the huddle and I see him yelling at the guys and I just don't understand how some of the guys don't respond to that," Savarino said about his grandfather's temperament in the huddle. "If I look him in the eye and he's yelling at me like that, I'd literally run through a wall for him. I can't wait for that. I invite that actually."
Don't expect any preferential treatment from the Hall of Fame coach. "I won't coach him like a grandson and he doesn't want me to coach him like my grandson," Krzyzewski said. "He wants me to coach him as a basketball player."
But one thing has to change. Michael can't continue to call his grandfather, Poppy.
"It's definitely not Poppy anymore when I get here," Savarino said with a laugh. A smiling Krzyzewski shared the same sentiment. "Yeah, if he uses Poppy he's going to be running stadium steps and I'll kick him out of practice. He'd better say coach."
I don't think that will be a problem.
Krzyzewski to coach his grandson this season
By Jeff Gravley, WRAL Sports anchor/reporter
Durham Academy graduate Michael Savarino has had front row seats to some incredible basketball memories. Whether it's at Duke or the Olympics where he met his favorite player. "Oh of course, Kobe. He's my all time favorite player," a smiling Savarino said. "The way he would treat my family and my grandfather, he's just an unbelievable guy and an even better player."
Savarino's grandfather is Hall of Fame Coach Mike Krzyzewski and in July, Michael will enroll at Duke and play basketball for his grandfather as a preferred walk-on.
"He loves the game, so he wanted to play college basketball," Krzyzewski said. "He went to all these camps, but he loves Duke. He wanted to come to Duke and I was happy about that because he earned it and if he's coming to Duke, then he should be a part of our basketball program because he's good enough to be a walk-on."
"I've always tried to avoid that reputation of living in your grandfather's shadow," Savarino said. "I chose this because I feel like I earned it. I feel like I've worked hard every single day for this. I wanted to come to Duke because I wanted to be a part of this program. I want to embrace everything about it and just play under my grandfather, who I've watched my whole life."
Savarino could have played at Army, like his grandfather did from 1966-1969. Columbia and several smaller Division 2 schools were an option for Savarino to play basketball. "But everything I was looking for was right in my backyard," he said.
Duke is the program that he grew up with, in a family that has invested countless hours of work and support. "It's been a dream for me my whole life. But it's going to be an unbelievable experience when I walk in the locker room with my jersey hanging up saying Savarino for the first time. I don't know how I'm going to react or anything like that."
What Michael has seen from behind the bench, he will now be a part of on the bench. Up close, sometimes personal and confrontational from the head coach. "Sometimes I look at him in the huddle and I see him yelling at the guys and I just don't understand how some of the guys don't respond to that," Savarino said about his grandfather's temperament in the huddle. "If I look him in the eye and he's yelling at me like that, I'd literally run through a wall for him. I can't wait for that. I invite that actually."
Don't expect any preferential treatment from the Hall of Fame coach. "I won't coach him like a grandson and he doesn't want me to coach him like my grandson," Krzyzewski said. "He wants me to coach him as a basketball player."
But one thing has to change. Michael can't continue to call his grandfather, Poppy.
"It's definitely not Poppy anymore when I get here," Savarino said with a laugh. A smiling Krzyzewski shared the same sentiment. "Yeah, if he uses Poppy he's going to be running stadium steps and I'll kick him out of practice. He'd better say coach."
I don't think that will be a problem.
