WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

Jay Williams says he's not interested in Duke assistant job

By Dave Nathan

Apr 30, 2008

At 27 years of age, Jay Williams has as much perspective on life as someone twice his age. Williams spoke to 99.9 FM The Fan on Wednesday afternoon in a wide-ranging conversation about his life, Johnny Dawkins' sudden move to Stanford, and whether he’d like to coach at his alma mater one day.

Williams is working on television for CBS, and apparently all the things we hear about former coaches and athletes in those cushy roles are true.

“I enjoy the freedom TV gives me,” Williams said. “It’s low-key.”

Apparently, much more low-key than coaching.

Although Williams' name has come up in connection with the open assistant coaching job at Duke, he said that at this point in his life, coaching isn’t for him.

“I know the grind these guys endure,” Williams said. “The recruiting aspect of it, and a lot of your career depends on 14- and 15-year-old kids. You never understand the sacrifice these guys endure. They’re non-stop.”

The coaching business is a year-round carousel that never stops. The season stretches from October to April, and recruiting fills plenty of time in-between. Williams estimates he spends roughly six months working at his current gig.

The former Duke point guard clearly understands the rigors that coaches endure. It’s something he’s come to realize now that his days as a player are behind him.

“When you’re playing, you’re concerned about working out and being focused,” Williams said.

Figuring out how coaches spend their time away from the court never crossed Williams' mind when he was in Durham. But now he knows what kind of work and effort it takes to fill one of those roles, and that at this point, it’s not for him.

As for Dawkins' cross-country move, Williams is as happy as anyone for his former coach.

“It’s such a great fit for him,” Williams said. “I think he aspired to be a head coach. That’s what everyone in the business is there for.”

One of the supposed knocks on Dawkins is that he’s not a good recruiter. Williams said that’s not the case at all.

“I think he’s a great recruiter,” Williams said. “Johnny recruited me. He got me to come to Duke.”

Williams mentioned how important Dawkins was in the recruitment of Gerald Henderson and Nolan Smith, too.

The public persona of Dawkins may look a bit misleading. Many of us have become conditioned to seeing a stoic Dawkins next to Mike Krzyzewski on the bench. Williams mentioned that Dawkins' will to win is quite strong.

“He comes across as very quiet and relaxed,” Williams said. “But he’s one of the most competitive people I know. He talks trash playing horse.”

However, the relationship the two have forged goes much deeper than just player-coach. Williams is keenly aware of how much they have in common on the court, as well as off it.

“I was like the new-age Johnny Dawkins in 2001,” Williams said. “To this day, 10 years after I met him, Johnny Dawkins plays a big role in my life. As a former Duke player, I want to be like Johnny Dawkins. I want to be as classy as he is.”