Coaching at Notre Dame is 'awesome' for North
By DAN SHALIN - March 5, 2009

Most Chicago sports fans know Mike North and Dan Jiggetts have recently resumed their broadcast partnership.

But many may be unaware of North's involvement with another team, namely the Notre Dame High School boys basketball team. The hot dog vendor-turned media celebrity is in his second year as an assistant coach for the Dons, who brought a 17-8 record into Tuesday night's IHSA Class 4A Notre Dame Regional semifinals.

North volunteers his time on head coach Tom Les' staff, offering a little bit of hoops knowledge, some empathy and -- perhaps surprisingly -- a calming voice.

"He has a good perspective. Not necessarily Xs & Os, but perspective about what (kids) are thinking & what they're doing," said Les, in his second season at the helm. "He likes the kids, & the kids like him. I'm pretty tough on the kids. So when I'm on them, he puts an arm around them. We work well together."

North, the laid-back member of the staff?

"People can't believe it after they watch me on TV or listen to me on the radio," said the always outspoken and sometimes controversial broadcaster. "I'm the guy that's going to have to pat the kids on the back and say, 'We'll go back and get 'em.' "

North, whose television show, "Monsters in the Morning," is on Comcast, said the Notre Dame opportunity came along at just the right time in his life.

"It's awesome. I quit drinking two years ago and said, 'How am I going to eat up the six or seven hours a day if I'm not drinking anymore?' " he said. "I found a nice little release and it's helped me so much. The best thing that's ever happened to me, especially in the last two years since I stopped drinking, is Notre Dame High School. It's not really a hobby, it's an adventure."

North's involvement with the program began prior to last season when he was emceeing a fund-raiser at the Niles school. Les, whose brother Jim is the head basketball coach at Bradley University and a sometimes North guest, introduced himself to the host.

"(North) said, 'If there is anything I can do to help, I'm more than willing.' So I took him up on his offer," said Les, also a volunteer coach who works full-time as an electrical and mechanical contractor.

North joined the staff after receiving his coaching certificate, which included passing an eight-hour test. He now sits on the bench alongside Les and fellow assistants Tom Mocogni and Kevin Clancy, the latter a one-time Dons star who played college ball at Loyola.

North believes the coaches' real-world success also helps them impart life skills to the student-athletes. After attending every practice during his rookie campaign, television commitments have limited North to about two practices per week this winter. North often mentions the team on his show, and the school is a sponsor.

The ND gig isn't North's first involvement with Illinois high school sports. A decade ago, he was instrumental in establishing 16-inch softball as a varsity sport in the Chicago Public League. Currently, 54 schools field teams.

North has had his detractors over the years. But the Senn High alum continues to appeal to fans who enjoy his everyman persona, his strong opinions and willingness to ask tough questions.

Though North has achieved fame and fortune, Notre Dame star guard Mike DiGregorio said the talk show host-turned-coach remains down to earth.

"He doesn't come in and flash fancy stuff around us," DiGregorio said. "He comes across as a regular guy, who happens to be famous and have a show."

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/niles/sport ... s1.article

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No more L word.

Wow. I can't believe someone would actually say that publically about a school job.
Bascially, he's saying he would drink 6 or seven hours out of every day???

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Well if your parents can afford 34k for you to go to the school I don't think North could come in with anything flashy that you haven't seen before.

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Cant believe he passed an 8hr test

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Its an 8 hour take home test.

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i'm pretty sure if i made a million $/year and worked 4 hours a day, most of the rest of my hours would involve booze.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

So, he doesn't really know basketball X's and O's, he just shows up for a couple practices a week to "put his arm around" young boys when the coach yells at them, and he basically does it to stop himself from drinking 7 hours a day.

I swear I couldn't make up stuff any weirder than this.

I see "Hoosiers" happening all over here. Alcoholic Mike North is given an asst. coaching job by Tom Les to keep him sober and out of trouble, but North suffers a relapse and is in the drunk tank, listening to the game on the radio, as NDHS makes it all the way to the state finals.

Even when selflessly donating time, he still cannot win with some of you.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

yeah, then he cons the school to sponser his shitty tv show

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Frank Coztansa wrote:
Please die in a fire.

All the plaid skirt schoolgirls are the release and the adventure.

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No, he can't. Not when he states in a newspaper interview for public consumption that a job "coaching" school kids is a good thing because it stops him from drinking 7 hours a day. He's a low-class pud. I thought he was "involved with over 200 charities." All that charity work still gave him 7 hours a day drinking time? I didn't know Jack Daniel's and Smirnoff are charitable endeavors.

I gotta say it is quite comical to watch some of you jump every time North's name is mentioned.

When is MrsPappysCrappy going to make her first statement concerning North?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

The picture in the article looks like he's out drinking before the game. With gray hair, he'd look like Dennis Hopper.

If it was selfless, then his comments for this article should have been this, and ONLY this. "I'm just here helping the kids. This isn't about me."

Yeah Dolphin, he's such a good guy. "street justice", "Just drop a bomb on Afganistan" "He should wear a sombrero" "Hug a black guy" "Steak and bj day" "chinaman" "I'm drunk and driving. I think I'll call a radio show and tell them that"" "here is my gambling sight. I take your money and you can look at Mr. Skin whike you're at it" "I'll pick up a prostitute" "I'm a high school drop out"

Did I miss any?

Yes, he should be around young boys molding their minds. He should be in jail for being a liar, prick, racist con man.

Wow. If this is the standard then half the city of Chicago would be in jail.

Give me a break. If you don't like North and his act then fine, but don't be ignorant.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

If he was really selfless, then we wouldn't be reading about it! He's become the guy who claims he does lots of anonymous good deeds.

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Hirsute.

claims that he helps over 200 charities, lets see how much time or money he has given and the names of all these charities. "duh, uhhh, i'ze didn't write down all my contributions, but i'ze helped thousands of youse poor folks"

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Frank Coztansa wrote:
Please die in a fire.

He had been coaching for almost two whole seasons before this story was written.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Then he gives the speech. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Lhw4M-GTg
The best way is to think on how North would sound giving such a speech

And I gotta say it is quite comical to watch you jump to read and post about it.

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken

+1

Not to pick nits, but I thought one actually had to have a diploma of a school to claim alumnus status?

As for the "regular" (modest) guy North

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Half the City and I'm ignorant?

I think its very Ironic that a self promoter brags about the hundreds of charities he donates time and/or money that dont exist and then TAKES hundreds of dollars from suckers proclaiming to be an expert on a gambling website in which he sucked and didnt make anyone a dime.

Should he go to jail for that? No, I was being a little bit silly but this is a perfect example why me and so many others hate the fucker.

I would give him credit for the coaching thing if he didnt talk about it so much. He's doing it for ONE reason only. Not for the kids but for himself. He wants this for his imaginary resume that may help him get a job, field named after him or some kind of humanitarian award.

I can see the plaque now in the ND gym (as well as the plaque on Mike's teeth): "Welcome to Mike North Court, named in honor of our assistant varsity basketball coach, who isn't really that good at X's and O's and never graduated from high school himself, but nevertheless graciously donated his time and efforts to our team in order to prevent himself from drinking for seven hours a day."

For the unveiling, the day will be proclaimed Steak and Blow-Job Day in Niles and Mr. Skin, the Bookie Priest (Mike will have to do a quick costume change), and Fritzy will make speeches extolling Mike's greatness. To demonstrate Mike's unswerving commitment to diversity and equality, the ropes unveiling the plaque will be pulled by a Chinaman in a coolie hat and a Mexican in a sombrero as the ND band plays Caucasian Man.

What they didn't tell you was that everyone else completes it in about one hour.