MLS Insider, presented by adidas: "Jay and K"
Oftentimes in the world of sports, the best players don't make for the greatest coaches. When they become managers, former stars might find it hard to relate to a struggling player, or -- having gotten through their playing career on talent alone -- have difficulties with tactics.
New England Revolution head coach Jay Heaps has been on both sides of the coin. At Duke University, he was a clear go-to guy for the soccer team and was named college player of the year his senior season. He, of course, went on to have a successful career in MLS as a player, spending 11 years in the league, nine of them with New England.
But how many high-level college soccer players play a second sport in college? And how many on a team as vaunted as Duke's basketball program, coached by the legendary Mike Krzyzewski?
Heaps was pretty unique in that regard, walking on the basketball team to play for Coach K. He didn't play much for the Blue Devils basketball program, seeing just 69 minutes in four years in Durham. But his time on the bench was put to good use, with Heaps picking up a different perspective under one of the best coaches in the country.
The latest edition of MLS Insider explains the role of Coach K in Heaps' own coaching development, with the pair reuniting to discuss their old days at Duke and the role Krzyzewski played in helping Heaps land the Revolution coaching job.
WATCH the previous episodes from the 2015 MLS Insider series below:
October 1: The Gio Show: Giovani Dos Santos takes Los Angeles by storm
September 24: Kekuta and Kah: Gambian "brothers" try to bring a little magic to the Vancouver Whitecaps
September 17: Life on the Wall: A little terrifying, a little lonely and more than a little dangerous
September 11: Columbus Crew SC striker Kei Kamara survives civil war to become star striker
August 27: DC United goalkeeper Bill Hamid goes from humble beginning to MLS star
August 20: After the Flood: Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina still hits home for Patrick Mullins
August 14: Getting to know Kaka, the man who makes the Lions roar
August 6: Stars share the stories behind their favorite goals
June 27: Jozy Altidore's road to stardom
June 18: How Sporting KC's Dom Dwyer, USWNT's Sydney Leroux found love through soccer
June 5: A Keeper's Odyssey: The turning point in Tyler Deric's Houston Dynamo career
May 28: Stars share insight on what it takes to be a 'Free Kick Artist'
May 21: For blood and country: Blas Perez find playing both hero and villain
May 7: At home in Toronto, Sebastian Giovinco rises to meet club expectations
April 30: How Scottish international Shaun Maloney sparks the Chicago Fire
April 23: Sacha Kljestan's career comes full circle with New York Red Bulls
April 16: The magic of Mix Diskerud comes to New York City
April 9: Beards, tattoos and the art of defending the Timbers Army
March 8: Two debuts -- Kaka vs. David Villa opens 2015 season
February 28: For love of the team - how the champion LA Galaxy conquered MLS
