I probably should have guessed something was up when I saw him carrying boxes out of the gym yesterday. Maybe the sad look on his face was another hint. But how was I to know that the boxes I offered to help Pete Gaudet load into his car contained the final remnants of over 13 years of service to Duke University?
I had only met the coach two or three times prior to Monday. Your first impressions of the man can't be anything but positive: a rare sense of humor and an easy-going, friendly manner. And a good memory, too-he immediately recognized me and stopped to say hello on his way out of the East Campus Gym.
I didn't find out the news until later that night. Pete Gaudet, who coached Duke basketball for 12 years and taught physical education for the last two and a half years, is headed to Vanderbilt University to become their top assistant. The teacher will once again be the coach-a role Gaudet could not refuse.
Gaudet was always a behind-the-scenes guy for Mike Krzyzewski's program. As a restricted-earnings assistant for his last four years with the basketball program-a position which has now been eliminated by the NCAA-Gaudet worked for relative pennies by college basketball standards. But the opportunity to coach basketball was what mattered, not the money. Coach Gaudet just wanted to be around the game, and more importantly, the students.
"There are some undergraduate kids who had nothing to do with the basketball program, basketball teams or even my class that said, 'I'd like to be a better shooter, a better player,'" Gaudet said. "I've [enjoyed] working with those guys... I don't really care what age the kids I work with are. I've worked with pros and college players, but I always enjoyed working with kids, too-the 10 and 12-year olds-at camp."
And the kids loved Gaudet, from the campers to the undergrads. His upper-level P.E. class, Theory and Practice of Coaching, was one of the most popular in the department. The teacher kept things lively, with a sharp wit and even sharper knowledge of the subject. Pete Gaudet knows how to coach.
Outside observers of Duke basketball might never have known that this humble man, seated quietly beside Krzyzewski on the Duke bench, was so instrumental in the glory days of the program that stretched for a full decade. But those in the know were well aware of the impact Gaudet had in teaching the long line of big men who graced Cameron's hardwood floor.
From Alarie to Ferry to Laettner to Parks, Gaudet made Duke famous for hard-working, versatile big men. He had the gift that marks a great coach: turning potential into performance in his players. Every one of those big men improved his game each year under the tutelage of Gaudet, and all four wound up playing in the NBA. All this earned Gaudet a reputation among other coaches as an authority on basketball's low-post game.
"He is legendary in the basketball fraternity for his knowledge of the game," said Gaudet's new boss, Vanderbilt Athletic Director Todd Turner.
Unfortunately, some people are not destined for the limelight. Without Gaudet's guidance, Duke never would have reached such lofty heights as seven Final Fours in nine years. But while coaches around the country knew of Gaudet's ability, few fans even recognized the coach before the 1994-95 season, when Krzyzewski's absence due to illness and injury thrust a reluctant Gaudet into the furnace that is head coaching in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The result was a nightmare that both Gaudet and Blue Devil fans alike are still trying to forget. Duke dropped five straight games after Krzyzewski's departure, and stumbled to a school record-worst 2-14 conference mark. A restricted-earnings assistant filling in for a legend, Gaudet never had a chance. The fact that Duke held leads in many of those losses was heart-wrenching, but it was also a testament Gaudet's excellent preparation. He had his team playing to win every night, and he could not be responsible for the missed baskets and defensive breakdowns in crunch-time.
A man who for so many years toiled in anonymity was suddenly exposed to the media crush surrounding the toughest basketball conference in the nation. There's nowhere to hide in the ACC, and Gaudet found that out in a hurry. But the pain he felt as the newest-and most beleaguered-coach in the conference was certainly not unheard of.
Of the eight returning coaches in the ACC, only one managed a winning conference record in his first year. And that one, Florida State's Pat Kennedy, had already coached at his school for five seasons before the Seminoles joined the conference.But for a program coming off a run to the National Championship Game, a 13-18 record was downright terrifying. Critics attacked like vultures, and the '94-95 season became an opportunity for everyone to kick Duke-and it's interim coach-while it was down. The coach took more heat in three months than he had taken in his entire coaching career.
No one should have to face what Pete Gaudet endured. But if anyone were ever up to the challenge, it was this man. Seven ACC losses by five points or less, and never once did he point a finger at a player. No name-calling, no expletive-filled tirades, no criticism of the officials, just a quiet perseverance and a patience that would have made Job proud. For that he earned the respect of the very same critics who had attacked him so harshly.
If things go well for Vanderbilt, it just might meet up with Duke Nov. 22 in the second round of the Preseason NIT tournament. No doubt Blue Devil fans would welcome Gaudet back warmly if and when the Commodores visit Cameron Indoor Stadium. Until then, though, Pete Gaudet-the teacher-will be missed by his students, and Pete Gaudet-the man-will be missed by the entire Duke community. But Pete Gaudet-the coach-will once again be doing what he loves, and no one deserves another chance more.
Adam Ganz is a Trinity freshman.His views DO necessarily reflect those of the sports staff. Good luck coach.
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