Basketball Coaches Should Go Back to Suit and Tie
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The NBA and college basketball have a significant problem. Coaches are not wearing a suit and tie at games anymore. The new policy began during the NBA’s Orlando bubble and has continued two years later. College basketball followed suit, and the NBA is in no rush to change its dress policy. The NBA bubble allowed coaches to wear team-issued polos, quarter-zips, sweatpants, jogging pants, and the traditional suit and tie garb. Once teams left the bubble, the NBA disallowed sweatpants and jogging pants. Currently, we see coaches sporting quarter-zips, polos, and dress pants. On the other hand, college coaches can still wear sweats and joggers.
Professional baseball and football cannot be considered in this conversation because those sports get played primarily outside, and coaching staffs need to prepare for all types of weather. The NFL has forced coaches to wear team-branded gear since 1993. MLB managers wear the same uniforms as the players, hearkening back to the traditional player-coach role from professional baseball’s early history. On the other hand, ice hockey has every coach dressed in a suit and tie for every game.
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The pandemic was a prime reason why basketball coaches stopped dressing in business attire. Coaches in both levels agreed that strange times required unusual dress. However, the pandemic was not the sole reason for making a suit and tied optional. The National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA), a union representing the NBA’s coaches, made a deal with Men’s Warehouse that provided coaches with ten suits to wear throughout the season. The contract expired three years ago. NBA coaches Monty Williams and Gregg Popovich recently discussed their dislike for the suit and tie, preferring the NBA’s updated dress code.
(Photo by Eric Gray/ AP Photo)
Williams and Popovich both appreciate the new dress codes convenience. In an interview with the Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin, Williams said: “Your dry cleaning bill is gone. You can pack like one bag for a three, four-game trip.” Popovich echoed his former assistants’ sentiments, appreciating the simplicity that comes without worrying about changing one’s look and lugging several bags while traveling. Besides the new dress code conventionality, Williams enjoys the new dress code for its comfort. Williams also addresses that the fans look at what the players wear for their inspiration. “It's a player's game,” Williams said. “No coaches are going to set any fashion trends.”
Williams and Popovich make good points; however, the quarter-zip, polo, and khaki look are wrong. The country club and school administrator attire do not belong courtside. It’s like the coach woke up late and rushed to the stadium. It does not reflect each coach's time and care in their squad. The NBA is one of the country’s premier professional leagues. When a coach is dressed to the nines, it reflects the NBA's high status and attention. The professional look emphasizes the seriousness and time put into developing and managing a successful team. I have not seen one coach dress in a suit and tie, even during the playoffs.
(Photo By Corey Henry | The Daily Orange)
Even in the college ranks, I cringe when I see the older generation of college coaches. The older men of college basketball: Jim Boeheim, Tom Izzo, Jim Larranaga, and Mike Krzyzewski dress in tracksuits and polos. Maybe it is their age, but it looks like they are taking an exercise break or attending one of their retirement home excursions when they march up and down the court in their joggers and zip-ups. Tracksuits and quarter zips are not the distinguished looks those legendary coaches deserve. Coach K is 75-years-old and looked like it when he retired in a tracksuit. Villanova head coach Jay Wright, renowned for his sideline style and class, opted for a more casual look this season. It did not look or feel right.
Popovich continues to set the standard for coaching in the NBA. Popovich, with five NBA championships, is considered among the best of all time despite three straight losing seasons. Williams leads one of the NBA’s best young teams that advanced to the NBA finals last year and won the most regular-season games, 64.
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Boeheim commanded an 11-seed Syracuse Orange to a Sweet 16 appearance. Larranaga took his 10-seed Miami Hurricanes to an Elite Eight. Coach K and Jay Wright took their respective programs to the 2022 Final Four. Their combined success could indicate that the casual look is here to stay. Still, basketball will always look better when the coaches do too.
