By Pete Van Mullem
(June 5, 2023)
I called Jerry Krause’s cell phone one evening. He was scheduled to speak to our students the following week and I wanted to finalize arrangements with him. The phone rang once, twice, and then a third time. Just as I expected to get his voicemail the hall of fame coach picked up the call. He seemed groggy, a bit muddled like he’d been sleeping – which was the case. Yes, I woke him up! The clock on my wall read 7:40 PM. It turns out Coach Krause was in Louisiana preparing for a coaching clinic the next day, a time zone three hours later than mine. I apologized profusely.
I assumed the long-time Pacific Northwest teacher and coach, now in his mid-70s, was just 100 miles up the road, at home in Fish Lake, near Cheney, Washington. Instead, he was down South, doing what he loved: teaching the game of basketball. Jerry Krause made a name for himself in basketball. He is considered the most widely published author on the sport, with 30 books on the topic.
For his lifelong dedication to teaching and coaching, Krause received multiple hall of fame honors including the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame (2000), National Association for Sport and Physical Education Hall of Fame (2000), Eastern Washington University (EWU) Athletics Hall of Fame (2005), and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (2022). The National Association of Basketball Coaches awarded him with the prestigious Cliff Wells Appreciation Award in 1998 and the “Guardians of the Game Advocacy Award” in 2003.
Coach Krause’s impact in basketball is global, yet his roots run deep in the Pacific Northwest where he spent 17 years leading the EWU Men’s Basketball Program (1965-87) and 14 years as director of basketball operations for the University of Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Program (2001-15). A trained educator, Krause earned his bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University and both his master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Northern Colorado. He served as a member of the EWU faculty for 30 years.
On May 24, 2023, Jerry Krause passed away at the age of 87.
Coach Krause and I laughed about the late-night phone call as I walked him to his presentation session. He spent the next hour sharing his story with our students and offering advice from his then 54 years as a teacher and coach. When I heard of his passing recently, I remembered how timeless his leadership tips were in 2014 and how they still resonate today. Below are eight audio clips from his presentation titled: Personal Leadership – Serving Others at the 2014 Dr. Bob Frederick Sport Leadership Lecture Series.
The Foundation of Leadership (4:02)
- Lead yourself, and develop yourself before you can lead others
- Who you are is more important than what you do
- The greatest gift I can give others as a leader is my best example
Know Yourself to Grow Yourself (0:46)
The 3-Pillars of Wisdom from Don Meyer (3:22)
- Always pick up trash
- Always say please and thank you
- Always take notes
Aspire to Become a Master Teacher (1:49)
Do the Harder Right (3:52)
“Do the harder right, rather than the easier wrong”
Living to Learn (1:34)
“Learning has to be so important to you – it’s one of the basic things of life”
The Laws of Learning (8:33)
Laughing Fun and Learning Fun (1:37)
“Kids must have laughing and learning fun if they are to grow up and love the sport”
Author Note: Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) hosted the Dr. Bob Frederick Sport Leadership Lecture Series from 2013 to 2019. Over 120 leaders in the sport industry (sport management, athletic administration, coaching, education, and recreation) presented to students, faculty, staff, and the local community. The lecture series honored the life of highly respected Dr. Bob Frederick of the University of Kansas for his lifelong commitment to teaching, coaching, and athletic administration.
Web Sites and Media Sources
Eastern Washington University Athletics
Gonzaga University Athletics
KHQ News (Spokane)
National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)
The College Basketball Experience
Spokesman-Review
