While many people around college basketball have been showering Coach K in admiration and applause as he finishes up his final season as head coach of the Duke Blue Devils, former North Carolina Tar Heels star Jerry Stackhouse isn’t one of them.
The Vanderbilt Commodores head coach had some fun with Duke and Coach K following their loss to North Carolina last week that ended with some drama in the handshake line. Duke assistant Chirs Carrawell refused to shake hands with UNC head coach Hubert Davis over a perceived slight before the game.
Stackhouse was asked about Mike Krzyzewski during his own press conference on Monday and he took the opportunity to poke fun at the legendary coach and Duke, while also pointing out that he never lost to Duke while he was a Tar Heel.
Jerry Stackhouse doesn't hold back on Duke, Coach K…
"We still hate him and we're super glad to spoil the party… he had a temper tantrum at the end, so we must have really got under his skin."
Just a great quote from Stackhouse: https://t.co/l927uc7MbF pic.twitter.com/vudaWB6KFq
— Ross Martin (@RossMartinNC) March 7, 2022
“I’ve got tremendous respect for Coach K and what he has been able to accomplish,” Stackhouse said. “I said before, it’s hard for guys to accomplish things, to have a 10-year run. For you to do that multiple times — 42 years — unbelievable accomplishment, unbelievable leader, unbelievable winner. But at the same time, we still hate him and we’re super glad to spoil the party. I was able to get back to the locker room and catch the last few minutes of that really, how the guys performed at the end of the game. Super happy for Hubert and what he has been able to accomplish. He has had ups and downs this year, a lot of doubters and naysayers. At the end of the day, he has won 20-plus wins. Probably got the ACC Player of the Year this year in Bacot. So I didn’t lose any sleep over that. And he had a temper tantrum at the end, so we must have really got under (his) skin.
“That’s the way the Carolina-Duke rivalry is supposed to end. Got assistants not shaking hands, and those dudes — (Chris) Carrawell and all those guys — pretty good dude, but it just shows you how that rivalry really means something. They were upset. I never lost over there, so I don’t know what it feels like. I never lost to Duke period, so I can toot my nose up a little bit more at them. But enough of that, Anchor Down.”
Stackhouse played at North Carolina from 1993-1995, which just so happened to be a boom time for the Tar Heels and an up and down period for the Blue Devils.
In his third season with Vandy, Stackhouse led the Commodores to a 15-15 record, their first non-losing season under his watch. He’s got a ways to go before he can match the likes of Coach K, but Stack certainly doesn’t mind throwing down some smack talk, especially when it comes to Duke.
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