The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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38 ■ THE WOLFPACKER WHERE ARE THEY NOW? BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN he location was a given. Each time former Marquette coach and longtime college basketball broadcaster Al McGuire passed through Ra- leigh to see his close friend Jim Valvano, Amedeo's Ital- ian restaurant was the go-to spot. Most of the time, a young graduate assistant was invited to tag along with the lively duo. Terry Gannon, who had been a sophomore sharpshooter on Valvano's 1983 national championship squad, used these meetings to glean as much information from the two basket- ball lifers as possible. As Gannon put it, McGuire "felt the game of basketball as opposed to thinking the game of basketball," and his opinion meant a lot to the recently graduated player who believed a coach- ing career was in his future. But at one of these dinners, McGuire, in own unique way, tried to talk Gannon out of that path. "Terry, here's what you do. You go down the street, you coach the St. An- thony's sixth-grade CYO team," said McGuire, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer. "That's your coaching." A befuddled Gannon wasn't sure what that meant, but Valvano was happy to translate. "He means coaching is a tough busi- ness," Valvano said. "Go talk for a living. If you want to get your kicks coaching, go down and coach the CYO team." Gannon had once dreamed of play- ing in the NBA and had fielded offers to play professionally in Europe after he was done at NC State. But Valvano, the ever-confident coach who meant so much to Gannon, believed he shouldn't take it. "Get on with your life," he advised. "Who are you going to be? Walt Fra- zier?" Valvano thought that Gannon should pursue a career in broadcasting, a pro- fession in which the veteran coach had dabbled over the years. The conversa- tion called to mind one of Valvano's sig- nature phrases that had resonated with Gannon: Why not? If it didn't work out or he hated being on television, then a job on the Wolfpack's bench would always be waiting for him. Gannon decided to do as Valvano rec- ommended. It was a leap of faith, but the advice that the coach was offering One of the key contributors on NC State's 1983 national championship team, Gannon considers Jim Valvano one of the greatest influences on his life and career. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS T TERRY GANNON W H E R E A R E T H E Y N O W ? MAN FOR ALL SEASONS The Former NC State Sharpshooter Has Parlayed His Versatility Into A Distinguished Broadcasting Career