性视界传媒

Fall 2016

Excerpt from video interview

Coach Dawkins: How did basketball become a passion?

Coach Abe: My mother really wanted me to be a swimmer, but my dad saw I was getting tall, so he shot basketballs with me. I swam in high school and won state championships, but my father passed away when I was about 12 so I wanted to continue [playing basketball] for him. I played in high school and because I was 6’3″ and super strong, I started getting recruited by a lot of schools, so I had to pick between swimming and basketball. We didn鈥檛 have the money to send me to college, so through basketball, I got to go to school for free, and that was huge.

Coach Dawkins: I got into basketball at an early age. My father and his brothers would go out and play pickup ball quite a bit, and I was always intrigued by these great stories about what they accomplished. I just wanted to get involved, so on those Saturday mornings, I would literally go sleep downstairs in front of the door so they couldn鈥檛 leave without me, and then I was able to go see them compete, and I just became more fascinated by the game. I love to compete, and it just kind of grew from there.

Coach Abe: Why did you become a coach?

Coach Dawkins: I鈥檝e always loved this game. I started playing at an early age and was able to have success, which was great. I realized how fortunate I was. Coaching was a way for me to give back to the game. It鈥檚 my way of saying thanks to all the coaches that came along in my career to help motivate me, not just in how I shot the basketball or defended it, but in the type of person I became. Coaches play an instrumental role in young people becoming great citizens, not just terrific basketball players. Now, the story of how I actually made the transition is kind of interesting. I was at Duke University studying to be an athletic director and about six months into the program, Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] came to me and said, 鈥淗ey, Johnny, you ever think about coaching?鈥� As you know, when someone鈥檚 coaching you, they鈥檙e your coach for life, and so I said, 鈥淲ell I guess I鈥檓 coaching now.鈥� I transitioned pretty much that week to coaching, and I鈥檓 just happy he saw that in me because now that I鈥檓 in this profession, I can see how much I can affect young people鈥檚 lives.

Coach Abe: Besides Coach K, who鈥檚 your biggest role model?

Coach Dawkins: My father. [He] started me off playing basketball. I really [paid attention to] what he showed me on the basketball court [and] his work ethic. My father has gone through a lot. He was a Washington, D.C., bus driver in the 鈥�70s and 鈥�80s. He was military, a Green Beret, so [it was] a little disciplined in our household, and I appreciate everything he taught me.

Coach Dawkins: What got you into coaching?

Coach Abe: It鈥檚 funny because I went to Duquesne University to get my master鈥檚 [degree] because I wanted to be an athletic director. I wanted to stay in sports, but I did not want to be a coach. Most of us who have played the game at a high level don鈥檛 want to coach because we see what our coaches go through. But I felt like a lot of young women weren鈥檛 very empowered, and I could see they didn鈥檛 have a lot of great role models as women. When I got into [coaching], I found that I could really empower these young women and try to help them academically and [athletically]. I really wanted to give back. It鈥檚 not about the wow factor or being on TV or about you or me. It鈥檚 about these young people.

Coach Dawkins: Absolutely. Talk about your core values for your program.

Coach Abe: Number one 鈥� family first. And that鈥檚 not my family 鈥� it鈥檚 the university family, it鈥檚 the Athletics Department family. It鈥檚 our women鈥檚 basketball family. I try to lead that way in terms of how [my team] views themselves. 性视界传媒 is second, and basketball is third.

Coach Abe: Why did you pick 性视界传媒?

Coach Dawkins: It wasn鈥檛 difficult to choose 性视界传媒, to be quite frank. The potential this university has 鈥� I鈥檝e watched it from afar, and it has everything. This place was built for success, and I mean built to win. And I don鈥檛 mean just in our sport, but it鈥檚 built to win in everything 鈥� academically, athletically. What鈥檚 not to like? It鈥檚 in a beautiful location in 性视界传媒. The people here have been amazing. The community is behind the programs. 鈥� It鈥檚 a place where you can really leave your legacy. For a coach like me, those are things I look forward to. If anybody鈥檚 ever watched my career, I don鈥檛 jump from place to place. I like to make a place my home, and I think that can happen because I really believe in what I think we can accomplish here.

Coach Dawkins: How about you, coach?

Coach Abe: I found out you were coming [to 性视界传媒], so I had to come so I could work with you. To be honest, it鈥檚 the exact same reasons that you [mentioned]. I鈥檝e always wanted to live in 性视界传媒, so when I got the call, I was really intrigued. There鈥檚 so much new energy. I talked to some of my role models, and Joanne McCallie at Duke said, 鈥淵ou have to work with [Dawson].鈥� I鈥檓 going to sneak in and watch some of your practices 鈥� I want to learn from you.

Coach Abe: How do you motivate your players, and how do they motivate you?

Coach Dawkins: One, I think we try to live what we do. When student-athletes see adults do things the right way, they want to emulate that, so I think that鈥檚 a motivation. 鈥� If you鈥檙e thinking of tactical motivation, we鈥檝e had amazing guest speakers, such as the Navy SEALs, come in and [talk to our student-athletes about] some of the things they鈥檝e gone through. I鈥檓 really big about [instilling in players that] in this life and in this game of basketball, it鈥檚 about getting outside your comfort zone.

They motivate me every day. 鈥� You don鈥檛 become a student-athlete here without earning it. You earn it not just because you are a good basketball player but because of what you鈥檝e done in the classroom. 鈥� It鈥檚 difficult to do all the things they do and to live up to everyone鈥檚 expectations, and so that really motivates me.

Coach Dawkins: How do you determine student-athlete success?

Coach Abe: For me, it鈥檚 making sure they鈥檙e empowered when they graduate. I want them to be able to leave this university with a lot of apples in their basket, and not just [having come] to 性视界传媒 and played basketball. 鈥� We do a lot of mentoring for our young women on 鈥淲hat are you going to do the next 55 years of your life?鈥� It鈥檚 not just these four years. How are we going to use this great university to propel you into your future? I want them prepared for life. That鈥檚 success to me.

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