Hugs, Handshakes and High-Fives

On the opening night of the 2010 season, fans young and old lined the baseline of Coach K Court, waiting for the women's basketball team to emerge from the locker room. As they stretched their arms out in anticipation, fans kept their eyes on the walkway, where the team entered the court.

Head coach Joanne P. McCallie, trailing closely behind her team, strode through the gauntlet of hands, touching every one, leaving each fan with a smile.

Hugs, handshakes and high-fives are common place for McCallie - especially during games.

"For me as a coach, if I can facilitate a way to bring smiles to faces, I do it," said McCallie, who joined Duke in 2007 and led the team to the ACC championship in 2010 while being named ACC coach of the year. "I love to see our team followed by kids. Coming out to the court, I'm looking for their hands to give a high-five and create an emphasis on energy and excitement around Duke women's basketball."

McCallie, also known as Coach P around campus, has worked to expand the reach of the women's basketball program by creating an intimate culture with fans. She's befriended employees, given numerous speaking engagements on and off campus and acted as a strong female role model, while compiling an 82-16 record at Duke entering the 2010 season.

And she continues to build the hometown fan base: attendance at women's basketball games has reached record levels since her arrival.

"Clearly in women's basketball, we want to grow our sport and fan base," said Kara Lawson, a women's basketball analyst for ESPN and current WNBA player. "To really flourish as a program, you've got to connect with fans and build a consistent winner, which Joanne has carried on."

Morgan Patrick, a radio analyst who is in his third season covering the Blue Devils for the Duke ISP Radio Network on WDNC AM 620, said McCallie's drive to create a national championship program, while creating an inclusive atmosphere, sets her apart.

"It's unique that she's trying to build this legacy - such a large part of it is going out into the community, in addition to winning," he said. "She has such an infectious personality. She's not just good at selling her student- athletes, she's good at selling Duke and the program as a whole."

Not just a coach

After Debbie Lo Biondo started working at Duke in 1996, she attended as many women's basketball games as possible, starting with the 1997 season. As a tennis player in college, she grew an appreciation for supporting teams that don't pack as many fans into seats as football or men's basketball. For more than 10 years, Lo Biondo has cheered on the Duke women's basketball team inside Cameron for nearly every game, but she didn't expect to form the bond she shares with McCallie and the players.

"I met her informally a few times while I advised student groups, or at freshmen orientation, and now when I see her, she doesn't hesitate to give me a hug and talk to me," said Lo Biondo, assistant dean for Residence Life and Housing Services. "Because of that, I have a desire to know more about her and her players because I feel so connected to the team."

Lo Biondo added that she's impressed with how accessible McCallie makes herself by speaking to fans after home games and thanking them for supporting the team.

"It really helps me to understand who she is as a coach and a person because she's taking the time to treat people with authentic kindness," she said. "The way she talks, it tells me she genuinely cares about players, fans and Duke."

Duke Chapel housekeeper Oscar Dantzler feels the same way. When McCallie brings in basketball recruits for campus visits, he gives a tour of the Chapel. When McCallie came to the Chapel to meet him for the first time, he could tell there was something special about her.

"Whenever I see her, she makes sure to focus her energy toward me, and it makes me feel really special," said Dantzler, who has also spent time with McCallie outside of work at Christmas parties and before Duke football games. "Since she came to Duke, I've been going to more games than I ever did. The way she does all the things for her job and carries herself, it makes me want to make Duke a better place, just like she has."

A public persona

McCallie doesn't shy away from sharing a passion for her team or Duke. More than 1,400 people follow her updates on her Twitter feed, where she doles out happy birthday wishes and spur-of-the-moment events, like when she got distracted while trying to vote Nov. 2.

"Phone interviews made me lose my place in line to vote ...... back to the end of the line! Ah.....the price of promoting the women of [Duke women's basketball]," she wrote in the tweet.

In addition to hosting the team's first-ever monthly radio show, she acts as spokeswoman for Duke Women's Health Associates, advocating for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer - something McCallie herself dealt with when she was treated at Duke for melanoma in 2007. She's also served as guest speaker at more than 40 events throughout the Triangle for groups like the Durham Chamber of Commerce, Special Olympics of North Carolina and the Durham and Raleigh Sports Clubs.

"I care about growing our culture with the people I meet every day," McCallie said. "To me, our team and our sport are more than about winning a national championship. It's about building the community and seeing more and more people in Cameron."

McCallie's teams have seen record seasons of attendance in 2007-08 and 2008-09. This year, the team leads the ACC in attendance with about 4,800 fans a game. That figure is up about 800 fans per game from last year, when Duke was the ACC champion, and McCallie was the ACC coach of the year.

Beth Ray-Schroeder, Duke's director of alumni education, has been a season ticket holder for women's basketball since 2005. She met McCallie in February 2009 when the coach spoke to Duke alumni about women in leadership.

"She had a home game on Friday night and an away game against UNC on Sunday, but she still came out to talk to everyone during lunch on a Saturday and made us feel like we weren't just on a list of things she had to do," she said. "Her warmth, dedication and commitment to Duke - and not just Duke basketball - is totally apparent."

A good influence

McCallie's ability to inspire isn't only through speaking engagements, but also as one of Duke's most public female role models. Dr. Henry Friedman, the James B. Powell, Jr. Professor of Neuro-Oncology at Duke, said that Duke women's basketball games provide an excellent atmosphere for family outings. Watching McCallie and the way she interacts with players and fans can be a good influence on kids - especially daughters, he said.

"Both McCallie and her players are positive role models who can help young woman gain an interest in sports, which has proven to influence girls to have a better self-image and make better judgments about drugs, body image and have higher self-esteem than girls who don't participate in sport," said Friedman, who's been going to women's basketball games since 1999 - many with his now grown daughter. "It's invaluable to have a person like Coach P who isn't just a strong role model for Duke's student-athletes, but for fans too."

McCallie's efforts haven't been lost on her players, either. Senior Jasmine Thomas said she looks up to her coach because of all the things she does off court by balancing time with her family, promoting Duke and being involved in the community.

"There's just something really great about her, like the fact that she's always so giving with her time or if she ever recognizes anyone, she'll stop and have a conversation with them," Thomas said. "She just has an unbelievable passion for everything she does. I love Coach P."