Mike Krzyzewski, better known as Duke’s iconic Coach K, had no idea his 2000 book, “Leading With the Heart,” would play a key role in FX’s hit restaurant dramedy “The Bear.” In fact, he had never heard of the show.
“I got texts from people saying, ‘Your book is on “The Bear.”’ I said, ‘What the hell [is] “The Bear”?’” Coach K said on a new episode of Duke’s “The Brotherhood Podcast.”
Early on in Season 2 of the series, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) is gifted a copy of Coach K’s inspirational book by her dad. Sydney becomes obsessed with the book, subtitled “Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business and Life,” and applies its lessons to developing The Bear restaurant and motivating the kitchen staff. “Leading With the Heart” becomes a major touchstone for the head chef throughout the season.
When asked if he is currently watching any TV shows, Coach K told “Brotherhood” host Ryan Young that he had just binged “The Bear.”
“They actually talk about the book,” he said. “It ends up that the lead lady [Edebiri] is represented by CAA, and so am I. So I just sent her an autographed book of ‘Leading With the Heart,’ and I told my agent, ‘In the future, if they keep going, why don’t I do a cameo? Like go and have a meal maybe.’ It’s in my hometown, Chicago. And it’s a heck of a show.”
In Season 2, Sydney becomes increasingly engrossed in “Leading With the Heart,” despite not really knowing who Coach K is. When her fellow chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce) asks her what she is reading, he instantly recognizes the book: “Coach K, the greatest comeback of all time,” he says.
“Why does everybody know that?” Sydney asks, to which Marcus responds: “Sydney, it’s Coach K.”
Coach K served as the head basketball coach at Duke University from 1980 to 2022, leading the Blue Devils to five national titles and 13 Final Fours. He boasts more victories than any other NCAA coach in history, with nearly 1,200.
Watch the full Coach K interview on “The Brotherhood” below.
