This Just In – Mack Brown is one Happy Guy.
I had a nice talk with my colleague Art Chansky the other day about (what else?!) sports in general and Carolina sports in particular. We reminisced about the earliest days of Coach K at Duke and the long-running rivalry between Duke and UNC.
This was like being able to have a conversation with a human encyclopedia on the topic of our favorite Tobacco Road rivalry. We enjoyed discussing the remarkable similarities between Duke/UNC and the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry.
During the last year or two of Mike Krzyzewski’s time at Duke, it seemed to me that he wasn’t … well … happy. It’s pure speculation on my part, but some of this impression comes from the appearance that he was having trouble moving around. He looked as though he was in pain. If that’s right, I hope his retirement has brought relief — I really mean that.
By striking contrast, we also talked briefly about UNC Football Coach Mack Brown, who is certainly having a very very good year so far. There’s something I’ve noticed about Mack Brown (whom I’ve never met) this year.
The guy is conspicuously, effusively happy. After he gives a post-game interview and the coverage goes back to the anchor, it’s common to see Brown continuing to talk to the reporter on the field, finishing with a smile and a hug.
Perhaps this is a result of his work with ESPN during non-coaching years, but I remember well how Brown was during his first years at Carolina. He was a more typical college football coach — intensely focused on winning.
So, does it matter if Brown is happy? I happen to think it matters a lot. A football coach is a leader of young people. I’m glad that he’s (apparently) happy and relaxed. He looks to me like a guy who loves what he’s doing and is staying in the moment — appreciating what a rare gift it is to be in his position.
Happy leaders are more trusted and confident. This is something that feeds on itself. Happy people are good at cultivating healthy relationships that they maintain across decades.
A long-term Harvard study on the impact of happiness — how it’s defined, how to achieve it and its impact on health — is now in its eighth decade. The study tells us that those perceptions are correct. Happy people are healthier and live longer, largely due to their ability to make and maintain strong connections between and among their friends and family.
Specifically, strong connections and healthy relationships are associated with lower blood pressure, less use and abuse of drugs and alcohol and perhaps more laughing, more hugging and more applauding for the achievement of others.
Happy leaders are more focused on success and suffer little distraction from questions that start with “why can’t I …”. Because they appreciate the power of human connection, they cultivate strength in the people around them and encourage leadership and innovation among their subordinates.
So, yeah, Mack Brown seems like a happy guy right now. It’s not because of his team’s success, it’s partly what’s driving his team’s success. So if it’s from the mellowing that comes with age, joy at being back home in Chapel Hill, being a grandfather or husband or just counting his blessings wherever they originate, it’s a joy to watch.
Go Heels! Beat Wake!
(Featured image via 247 Sports)
Jean Bolduc is a freelance writer and the host of the Weekend Watercooler on 97.9 The Hill. She is the author of “African Americans of Durham & Orange Counties: An Oral History” (History Press, 2016) and has served on Orange County’s Human Relations Commission, The Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina, the Orange County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and the Orange County Schools’ Equity Task Force. She was a featured columnist and reporter for the Chapel Hill Herald and the News & Observer.
Readers can reach Jean via email – jean@penandinc.com and via Twitter @JeanBolduc
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