The PR Battle Herb Sendek Couldn't Win

by Frank Williams - April 7, 2006

Herb Sendek announced Monday that he was resigning as head basketball coach at my alma mater, North Carolina State University, to accept the head coaching job at Arizona State University.  I believe Sendek made this choice because he came to the realization that he was engaged in a Public Relations battle he could never win. 

This situation provides a classic demonstration of the power of perception.  It proves that perceptions are real, even if they are inaccurate.  Two competing perceptions battled for position in the weeks and months leading up to Sendek's decision to leave NCSU. 

Perception #1:  Herb Sendek is a Good Coach, and N.C. State Was Fortunate to Have Him

In a March 18 WRAL blog post, Jeff Gravley pointed out that the NCSU Athletic Council met the previous week and came away with nothing but praise for Herb.  Gravley also pointed out that Nina Allen, Chairman of the Faculty Senate Committee at NCSU, sent two e-mails to N.C. State Chancellor James Oblinger; the notes were filled with strong support of Sendek from the faculty.  Gravley spoke with Allen, who said "He (Herb Sendek) should be lauded and continue as head coach." According to Gravley, Allen pointed to the basketball team's success on the court with five straight trips to the NCAA tournament and positive numbers in the classroom.

Perception:  Sendek Was Underappreciated

As Herb Sendek came under increasing fire from my fellow NCSU graduates, many members of the college basketball community came to his defense.  In one media report prior to Sendek's resignation, Texas coach Rick Barnes said Sendek (a former Barnes assistant) wasn't properly appreciated at N.C. State.

Barnes had this to say:  "I don't think there's a finer coach anywhere. I look at the job he's done at N.C. State, I think it's remarkable, really.  I know this: If there was any job open today, if the N.C. State job was open today and Herb Sendek was somewhere else, he would be one of the first people they would call because he's going to do it right, he's going to do it in a way the players are going to love him. Again, you have to admire him for the way he goes about his business.  I'll be quite frank, I don't think it's ever been fair for the way he has been treated. I think he's one of the most underrated coaches. I think he pours everything he has into the State job and I don't think they could find a better coach." (The News & Observer, March 19, 2006)

Many 'Pack fans wanted Barnes to replace Sendek, and it is widely believed that NCSU made a strong pitch for him to leave Texas and come to Raleigh.  To the chagrin of many 'Pack fans, Barnes just announced that he is staying at Texas. As an aside, it is possible that Barnes' perception that N.C. State's fans treated Sendek unfairly contributed to his decision to reject the 'Pack's overtures.

ESPN's Andy Katz echoed these sentiments in an April 1 Blog, saying "Herb Sendek's decision to leave N.C. State for Arizona State didn't shock his new colleagues considering the way he had been treated by the Wolfpack faithful.  The perception was that Sendek was being unfairly criticized despite coaching the Wolfpack to five straight NCAA Tournaments. He was in a no-win situation, since his personality is a bit vanilla at times compared to the star power of Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams. Still, N.C. State's loss of the cerebral Sendek will be Arizona State's gain, although it may take some time for him to get the Sun Devils moving again."

Many members of the NCSU fan base held a different perception, believing that Sendek was not the right man for the job and that a change needed to be made. 

Ghosts & Shadows

Herb Sendek battled ghosts and shadows throughout his tenure at N.C. State.  He was haunted by the ghosts of Everett Case, Norm Sloan and Jim Valvano, who collectively won ten ACC championships and two NCAA championships while coaching the 'Pack. 

These ghosts were aided and abetted by the shadows of ACC rivals Duke and UNC, both of which are located within 25 miles of NCSU and each of which won an NCAA championship during Sendek's tenure as the 'Pack's coach.  In addition, Duke has won seven of the last eight ACC Tournament Championships.  To top it off, Sendek was 17-54 against NCSU's three in-state rivals (Duke, UNC and Wake Forest). 

The ghosts of Case, Sloan and Valvano, combined with the shadows of Duke and UNC, combined to create enormous -- possibly unrealistic -- expectations among the Wolfpack's fan base. 

Many fans have also expressed their displeasure with the 'Pack's methodical offense.  A March 6 blurb in The Charlotte Observer had this to say:  "N.C. State's motion offense can be tolerable when the Wolfpack is making 3-pointers and winning. But when the Wolfpack is losing, coach Herb Sendek's methodical system makes it easy to go to the concession stand during play without worrying you will miss something exciting."

Based upon the continuous onslaught of comments posted on message boards like StateFans.com and my own conversations with other fans, it is clear that many fans simply did not believe that Herb Sendek was the right coach to take NCSU to the next level.  Whether right or wrong, many vocal members of the Wolfpack fan base view the N.C. State basketball program as one that should be on par with its neighbors in Chapel Hill and Durham.  They believe the program should be a consistent Top 15 fixture, win ACC Tournament Championships, and advance deep into the NCAA Tournament every year.  The fact that the program's two main rivals are at the peak of success adds fuel to the perception that Sendek's teams underachieved. 

The high expectations of N.C. State's fan base, combined with the fact that Sendek's teams fared poorly against key in-state rivals,  contributed to a lingering perception that he didn't have what it takes to win the big games.  Additionally, many fans are pining for a coach with more charisma; they want a personality in the mold of Jim Valvano.  When you add in the fact that many fans simply think the team's offense is boring, you have a recipe for an unhappy, vocal fan base. 

The Breaking Point

I believe that Herb Sendek decided to leave N.C. State and accept the coaching job at Arizona State because he realized he was in a Public Relations battle he could not win.  To use Andy Katz' words, he was in a no-win situation.  The breaking point likely came when State fans heckled Sendek as he left the court following the Wolfpack's defeat to Wake Forest in an ACC tournament quarterfinal. (Hampton Roads Daily Press, 4/7/2006)

An April 1 Sports Illustrated article had this to say: "Sendek was very upset at the criticism he received this season despite guiding N.C. State to the second round of the NCAA tournament."

The SI article quoted an unnamed source as saying, "I spoke to him [Sendek] a few days ago and it's as low as I've ever heard him."

Simply put, I believe Herb Sendek realized that he would never be able to please the most vocal members Wolfpack fan base.  I believe he realized that he was not -- and would never be -- appreciated by many of State's fans and alumni. He realized that many members of the fan base would always judge his teams based solely on their performance against the 'Pack's primary rivals, Duke and UNC, who happen to be at the peak of success.  Herb Sendek realized that the ghosts and shadows would haunt him as long as he remained the head coach at N.C. State, and he made the decision that he believed was in the best interests of his family.  I, for one, wish him well in his new endeavor.

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