Coach K's influence felt prominently in Chicago-based hit Hulu show 'The Bear'
Season 2 of Hulu's hit television series "The Bear" features an unexpected source of motivation for one of the main characters in the critically acclaimed comedy/drama — but it's one that college basketball fans know very well.
Sydney, portrayed by actress Ayo Edebiri, receives former Duke basketball Coach Mike Kryzewski's book "Leading with the Heart" as a gift from her father. Coach K's cover first appears in Episode 3 after Sydney rejects her father's suggested career prospects. She chooses instead to plug away as a chef in the chaotic world of Chicago eateries under the tutelage of prodigal son Carmy Berzatto, portrayed by Jeremy Allen White.
"Courage and confidence," a restaurant server says to Sydney as he puts down a plate topped with green onions and an egg sunny-side up over rice. The book sits on the edge of the table as he goes on, "Coach K fan?"
Sydney confirms she's not a fan. Yet.
"It's a Krzyzewski thing: Courage and confidence lead to decision-making," the server says. "Go, Devils."
So, does everyone in Chicago quote the all-time winningest coach in men's college basketball history? Sydney realizes she's missed out on the Chi-town legend of Coach K, who hails from a working-class Polish neighborhood on the northwest side of the city. With 13 Final Fours and five national championships to go with 1,202 wins, Krzyzewski stands alongside other Chicago hoops heroes Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Maurice Cheeks and on and on.
But none of them get as much love from "The Bear" as Coach K.
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Krzyzewski was just as surprised as the audience to find out that he was featured in the television show.
“This was all a surprise to me,” he told The News & Observer last month when all 10 episodes of the binge-worthy show dropped. “Just started receiving texts from people last week about being mentioned on the show. All positive. We will have to watch it!”
The coach's wise words are sprinkled over the season, a tasty addition to the blue-collar, Chicago-based story about dreams and the work it takes to reach them.
In Episode 4, Sydney's colleague Marcus (Lionel Boyce) asks what she's reading over a Facetime call. She holds up the book and Marcus says, "Coach K: The greatest comeback of all time."
Of course, he's referring to the Miracle Minute game from 2001, when Jay Williams scored eight points in 15 seconds as Duke rallied from a 10-point deficit at Maryland with 55 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime and eventually win.
Sydney, however, is not privy. "What? Why does everybody know that?" she asks Marcus.
"Sydney, it's Coach K," he says.
"Why are you saying his name like it's Martin Luther King Jr.? He's, like, a college basketball coach," she responds. Later, in Episode 8, she'll watch the game on her way home on the train.
But the Coach K references don't end there, going so far as to show interview footage of Krzyzewski in Episode 7. "I always wanted to be part of a team. And obviously, I wanted to lead that team. What an interesting life it is to be a leader," Krzyzewski says to conclude the interview.
More Coach K references pop up, with Syndey eventually taping a photo of Krzyzewski onto her workstation for inspiration.
The motivational speeches and leadership techniques of the Duke/Chicago icon parallel Sydney's journey through the show. It's definitely worth a watch.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Coach K in The Bear on Hulu based in Chicago
