Krzyzewski's broadcasting future, advice for HBO and more

Mike Krzyzewski is on the other side of the mike these days, and he's throroughly enjoying it. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images Richard Deitsch's Mailbag Submit a question or comment for Richard. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Richard Deitsch on Twitter

Each week, SI.com's Richard Deitsch will report on newsmakers from the world of TV, radio and the Web.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski had given hundreds of speeches and thousands of in-game exhortations, but rarely had he faced an audience this accomplished. It made him nervous. On a soggy Thursday afternoon last week at the Sirius-XM studios in New York City, Krzyzewski hosted an offseason broadcast of his hourlong radio show, Basketball and Beyond with Coach K.

Being on the air does not faze Krzyzewski; his guests that day did. On his left sat broadcaster Bob Edwards, a member of the National Radio Hall of Fame. Former Bear Sterns CEO Alan Schwartz sat to Krzyzewski's right. Then, as is often the case in the land of Howard Stern, someone famous walked through the lobby. A quick-thinking Sirius executive shuttled Steven Van Zandt into the studio for an impromptu interview with the Duke coach, a huge Bruce Springsteen fan.

"Steven Van Zandt. Allen Schwartz. And Bob Edwards," Krzyzewski sighed. "It felt like I was back on the Olympic team again. But that's a good thing, to get out of your comfort zone."

Krzyzewski will be 65 at the conclusion of the 2012 London Games, where he will presumably lead the U.S. men's basketball team deep into the tournament. How much interest does he have in broadcasting following his coaching career?

"I would like to do radio," Krzyzewski said. "I don't see myself being courtside at a game. If I am courtside, I might as well still be coaching. I don't know about broadcasting full time, but I love doing this show, and I would always want to do this. I think radio can be a lot more genuine and you're not restricted by time. You can really get in-depth. I think if I did TV, I would really want to do more of a studio thing where you get a chance to talk about stuff."

Last week was one of the few times Krzyzewski did his show without Dave Sims, his cohost and the television play-by-play voice of the Seattle Mariners. "When I first started coaching," Krzyzewski said, "every coach had to have a call-in show. But I hated that format, so I didn't do any radio. Now, for 25 to 30 minutes without interruption, we have a guest who you can learn from."

If Krzyzewski decides to pursue radio or television in the future, he will not lack for suitors. "There would be interest [from us]," said ESPN senior coordinating producer Dan Steir, who oversees men's college basketball production for the network. "How could you not [be interested] in one of the great coaches, educators and speakers of our time? We look for people in the know, who have personality, provide access and discovery, and when Mike Krzyzewski speaks, you learn."

Krzyzewski is by no means a polished radio host, but he was prepared, and engaged his guests with questions that led to an interesting conversation. Edwards and Schwartz discussed the elimination of the middle class and the erosion of trade unions, among other subjects, and Krzyzewski allowed his guests to carry the discussion. His segment with Van Zandt was a standard Q&A, peppered with plenty of praise for Springsteen.

Krzyzewski showed touches of humor, from his take on the newest iPhone ("They have directions even a Polish coach can follow") to wanting to meet Beyonce ("A lot of guys on my Olympic team know Beyonce, but they have never introduced me"). Edwards, who hosts The Bob Edwards Show on Sirius-XM's Public Radio channel, liked what he heard from the coach. "They dropped Steve Van Zandt on him at the last second, and, you know, I thought he did great," Edwards said.

Krzyzewski will decide next month whether to extend his Olympic service. His body language made one think he'd go for it. "I feel younger now and better about coaching than when I took the job," he said.

Krzyzewski said he does not listen to local sports-talk radio, opting instead for Springsteen and Motown while driving his Escalade around Durham. Asked about former coaches he enjoys watching on television, he chooses Doug Collins, Hubie Brown and Bobby Knight, his coaching mentor, who is now on ESPN. "I told him [Knight] his fan base has increased tremendously because he has allowed people to get to know him," Krzyzewski said. "I think he's been fabulous."

THEY SAID IT, PART I

"In the National Football League, you're only judged on wins and losses, so my tenure was not good. I mean, it was very poor. And so it's been said, you learn a lot from failures, and I learned a ton. So I can bring that to the table. I view my experience in Detroit as a positive, not in terms of winning and losing but having gone through it. I think that can help in a telecast."

-- New NFL Network analyst Matt Millen, on how his experiences as a general manager will help him as a broadcaster.

THEY SAID IT, PART II

"[Virginia Tech men's basketball coach] Seth Greenberg could be the next Jimmy V. He's incredibly witty, sharp, and delivers a great message. The only problem is he has no hair. But he might fit there with [Dick] Vitale."

-- Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, when asked what college coach could be a breakout star on television. Pearl will serve as an analyst for NBA TV's coverage of the draft Thursday.

THEY SAID IT, PART III

Howard Stern: Who is Colin Cowherd?
Artie Lange: No idea.
Producer Gary Dell'Abatee: This is another ESPN guy. I have no idea who he is.

(Clip of Cowherd talking about Lange, in which the ESPN Radio host compared Lange to Plaxico Burress and called the comic, among other things, "an obese drug user.")

Lange: Could that guy sound like a bigger moron?

-- Members of The Howard Stern Show, listening to a tape of ESPN Radio host Cowherd discussing Lange's appearance on HBO's Joe Buck Live.