Cagers' assistant does more than hold clipboard

By MICHAEL LELLO
Collegian Staff Writer

The man sitting next to Penn State men's basketball coach Jerry Dunn on the bench may look like he's simply holding a clipboard. But Nittany Lion assistant coach Chuck Swenson is much more than college basketball's equivalent of the backup quarterback. He brings a strong sense of strategy, recruiting and game-day savvy, highlighted with a personal touch cultivated from working with different players and coaches for 23 years.

Learning from the masters

One way to learn a craft is to study under the masters, and Swenson had the opportunity to learn from two of the best, Indiana's Bob Knight and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski. Swenson, who earned both his undergraduate and masters degrees at Indiana, was a graduate assistant coach for Knight from 1976-77. Swenson was part of the 1976 coaching staff that guided the Hoosiers to the NCAA Championship.

Knight, whose outbursts and tantrums have become legendary, was not an easy boss to work for, according to Swenson.

"He definitely is a taskmaster," Swenson said of his former mentor. "He's very demanding, period. Of his players and his staff. But he demands the same of himself."

Although the two haven't worked together in over 20 years, Swenson said Knight occasionally calls him for insights on other players and teams. In 1977, Swenson was hired by Army to assist coach Mike Krzyzewski. It was at West Point where the two forged a lifelong relationship, Swenson said. They endured some difficult seasons at the military academy, the most dismal resulting in a 9-17 finish in 1980, which proved to be the duo's final season at Army.

"One of the reasons we're close is because we went through the tough times together," Swenson said.

In 1980, Krzyzewski was hired to resurrect a struggling Duke program and he brought Swenson along. While Krzyzewski would eventually make a place for himself as one of the game's all-time greatest coaches with seven Final Four appearances and two championships at Duke, it was an uphill climb for "Coach K" and his staff.

In fact, after three sub-par seasons, the Blue Devil faithful were anxious to get rid of their new coach.

"The majority of the alumni asked that Krzyzewski be fired," Swenson said.

But then-Duke Athletic Director Tom Butters felt that Krzyzewski was taking the team in the right direction and rewarded him with a three-year contract.

During his last two years in Durham, N.C., Swenson served as director of basketball operations overseeing all internal affairs, including all dealings with Nike, Inc. In 1987, Swenson left to take a head-coaching job at William & Mary.

Krzyzewski and Swenson still talk frequently and remain close friends.

"We are good friends," Swenson said. "We have always been like brothers."

Krzyzewski, currently at the helm of the nation's No. 1 team, credited his former assistant with being both a valued companion and instrumental part of his own coaching achievements.

"I stay in very close touch with Chuck," Krzyzewski said. "Chuck's been pretty much a lifelong friend for me. He's been a big part of the success I've had at Army and at Duke University as my assistant and he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to coach Dunn and his program at Penn State. They're lucky to have him."

A Dunn deal

About 15 years ago, Dunn, then an assistant under Bruce Parkhill at Penn State, and Swenson, a Duke assistant under Krzyzewski, crossed paths for the first time. Both were scouting high-school talent at a Prep Stars basketball camp at UNC-Charlotte. Dunn needed a ride to the Raleigh-Durham airport, and Swenson obliged. The two struck up a conversation during the three-hour drive and realized they shared many common basketball and coaching philosophies. When Dunn was hired to replace Parkhill following his abrupt resignation before the 1995-96 season, he decided to offer his top assistant position to Swenson.

According to Dunn, Swenson has been a perfect fit for the Lions.

"I think he's done a real good job both on the floor and in recruiting and is a great person," Dunn said. "Coach Swenson's been a lot of places. He's worked for different people and has relationships with different coaches around the country. He brings a lot of experience in practice and in recruiting and I just think he's a well-rounded coach."

Building a program

While Swenson works primarily with Lion guards in both games and practices, his primary contribution to the team has been as a recruiter.

"I think to be a good recruiter you have to be good with people," Swenson said. "I try to come across with a sincerity that people can trust, because if you don't have that, you're not going to get very far.

"Some kids are lied to throughout the recruiting process about playing time, and I try to be honest."

Swenson, who said the most satisfying recruit he ever helped land was Danny Ferry at Duke, admitted "sometimes you do everything right and you don't get the kid." Other times a recruiter is lucky and stumbles on a diamond in the rough. Case in point ( Lions guard Joe Crispin.

Swenson was tipped off about Crispin, who starred at Pitman High School in Pitman, N.J., by Bob Hurley, coach of high school basketball powerhouse St. Anthony's. Swenson got to know Hurley when Hurley's son, Bobby, played for Duke.

Initially, Swenson wasn't interested in going after Crispin, an unknown commodity on a virtually unknown team.

"(Hurley) called me and said, 'This kid Joe Crispin, he can play.' I got mad. I said, 'I don't want some little kid from Pitman.' "

But Swenson knew Hurley had an eye for talent, and Dunn went to watch Crispin play. Crispin is now in his second season as a Lion starter and his younger brother Jon has signed a letter of intent to play for Penn State next season.

One player recruited by Swenson last year, forward Tyler Smith, is already contributing to the squad.

"He's just such a down-to-earth kind of guy, I think everybody that he recruits really likes talking to him," the freshman said. "He's a funny guy that is really easy to talk to. And that's what you need for a guy who goes out and recruits."

The human touch

Coaching can bring out the animal in some floor generals, as they scream profanities at their players throughout practices and games. But Swenson tries to bring a personable approach to the hardwood, often attempting to brighten a sulking player's spirits with humor.

"I actually try to get them to laugh, to get them to relax," he said.

Swenson said he also feels he is someone players can approach to voice their concerns, either positive or negative, during the heat of battle.

"I think they need a sounding board," he said. "I think I've built a trust with them where they know they can say things to me, so I've got a pretty good feel for how they really, truly feel. They're not going to tell the head coach, usually. Coach K used to always say that someone needs to have the pulse of the team, to know what's going on."

Swenson's had his finger on the pulse for 23 years.