When two of the most successful NCAA men’s basketball coaches in history on opposite sides of one of the fiercest rivalries in all sports sit down for an in-depth conversation for the first time, it’s sure to make for compelling television.
The occasion also calls for a moderator with deep knowledge and appreciation for the rivalry, ACC hoops, and both coaches. Look no further than ESPN and ACC Network play-by-play commentator Wes Durham.
He hosts Coach K & Roy Williams Rivals Reunited, an hour-long special featuring coaching legends Mike Krzyzewski (Duke) and Roy Williams (North Carolina) in an extended conversation for the first time since their college coaching careers began over 40 years ago, premiering tonight (9 ET, ACC Network).
The Durham family has called many of those Duke-North Carolina duels.
Wes Durham has called ACC sports for nearly 30 years, and his father, Woody, was the legendary “Voice of the Tar Heels” for 40 years.
Wes Durham tells Front Row what fans of both teams can expect from Rivals Reunited:
Once I sat down with Roy and Mike, my number one goal was just to not mess it up. – Wes Durham
What was the biggest challenge about moderating this conversation?
How in the world are we going to take more than 2,000 wins and eight national titles and do it in a 60-minute TV show? How do we chronicle the success of the Duke-Carolina rivalry and the impact it’s had on athletics and on people’s lives? Well, Jordan Smith and Rob Reichley at Raycom Sports came up with the idea to do it chronologically. Over the course of a couple of weeks, the three of us worked out a framework with topics and how we wanted to narrow it down. Once I sat down with Roy and Mike, my number one goal was just to not mess it up.
What can Duke fans look forward to learning about Coach K?
You’ll realize that not only was he a really good basketball coach, but he was a terrific leader. I think there’s a lot about who he is in terms of leadership that if he wasn’t a basketball coach, he would have been successful in whatever it is he chose to do because of his leadership capabilities. I think you’ll see in the way that he talks about the relationships he had with his players and his recruiting philosophies as the hour unfolds.
What can UNC fans look forward to learning about Coach Williams?
I think he’ll come off pretty humorous throughout. You’re going to see that the old Roy from Asheville [N.C.] that came back from Kansas to coach Carolina is still the old Roy. I also think people are going to see more symmetry in Roy and Mike at the end of the hour than when the hour starts.
What’s your personal favorite Duke-UNC memory?
It’s hard to pick just one. But I was in the building for eight points in 17 seconds [UNC’s miraculous 1974 rally]. The most memorable Duke win over UNC was Coach K’s first in 1981.
