Coaching royalty at the ACC meetings

Covering the ACC spring meetings isn’t as glamorous as it sounds.

Reporters spend most of their time perched outside hotel conference rooms, waiting for coaches and athletics directors to sprint past, trying to avoid doing interviews after they finish their meetings.

But it can be fascinating to watch powerful college athletics figures interact in the hallways of the Ritz-Carlton resort at Amelia Island, Fla.

During a break Tuesday morning, Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski ran into Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden. Between them, they have won five national championships.

Krzyzewski initiated the conversation, talking about his alma mater, Army, where he also coached before he was hired at Duke.
“The biggest fan of yours is the superintendent at West Point,” said Krzyzewski, who was there a few weeks ago.

Bowden explained that Franklin L. “Buster” Hagenback, now a lieutenant general, coached on his staff at Florida State. Bowden slapped Krzyzewski on the back, thanked him for mentioning Hagenback and said he would like to visit West Point some time.

Krzyzewski made it sound like Bowden will be treated like royalty if he does visit.

“Everywhere (Hagenback) goes, he talks about you in the most positive light,” Krzyzewski said.

– Ken Tysiac