What would VN do if?

[jsc1973]

No doubt their fans wanted him out. Heck most didn't want him to begin with. Fortunately they had an AD that beleived in him and didn't listen to the fans. Which is what Butch did hiring DeBord and what I hope Hart does with this hire.

Tom Butters was the Duke AD, and he had the full support of the administration and total control of the department. There were a lot of people calling for K's head. He lost to Virginia by 43 points in the 1983 ACC Tournament to end an 11-17 season. He lost a few games at the start of the '84 conference slate and the shouting got louder. Butters shut them up by giving Coach K an extension at that point.

To me, the best part is how K responded to what Virginia did in that '83 game. UVA ran up the score on Duke, and then UVA coach Terry Holland complained to the media about freshman Jay Bilas roughing up Ralph Sampson in that game. That night, the Duke coaches were having dinner, and one of them toasted to "forgetting that night ever happened." Coach K responded "here's to never forgetting tonight."

Virginia lost its next 17 meetings against Duke. Holland never beat Coach K again.