Technician Sports Editor Taylor Auten spoke with new Chicago Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro about his new job, the state of N.C. State basketball, and his memories of playing for the Wolfpack.

Technician: Having never coached professionally, is it intimidating taking over as head coach for an NBA Team?

Del Negro: Well it’s not intimidating. I’ve been around pro basketball, whether as a player or in the front office, or on television, or radio etc., so I’ve seen a lot of different views on the pro game. Obviously, this is a different one, but I feel very confident, very comfortable, and I’m with great people which makes it even better.

Technician: Do you still keep up with N.C. State basketball?

Del Negro: Absolutely, Sidney Lowe is a good friend and Quentin Jackson. I talk to them quite often.

Technician: Do you recall the last game you saw?

Del Negro: Last year at the ACC tournament, I think it was.

Technician: In 1987, you won the Everett Case Award and the Wolfpack won the ACC Championship. If someone told you after that game that it would be the last ACC Championship for N.C. State in 20 years, would you have believed them?

Del Negro: Probably not. I know they’ve been in a couple finals since then. That’s difficult, but I don’t think it’s been for lack of effort. The ACC is difficult. Year in and year out, it’s the most competitive league in the country and obviously there is a lot of quality teams.

Technician: Do you think the program is headed in the right direction now?

Del Negro: Absolutely. It’s going to take some time. The problem with pro sports or major college [athletics] is that it is hard for people to be patient. College and pro are much different. The situation with kids coming out at an earlier age, makes it that much harder for college coaches.

Technician: You were the third of Jim Valvano’s former players to step into an NBA head coaching job. Is that a coincidence?

Del Negro: Sidney [Lowe], Nate [McMillan] and myself have been very fortunate. We’ve had great people in our lives, whether it is our wives, or our family or coaches we took things from. Obviously having coach Valvano as a mentor, not only as a coach but as a friend, those are valuable lessons that obviously help. There’s no question, coach Valvano passed away way to young, and I wish he was here to bounce things off of and to talk to, not only in basketball but in life. He was a very, very intelligent person and a person I respected tremendously, and I think Nate and Sidney would say the same thing. Certain people in your life touch you in certain ways and have an impact on you, and I think for us, coach Valvano was one of those people.

Technician: Is there anything Valvano used to tell your team that you will use in your career as a coach?

Del Negro: Coach Valvano used to tell us that we’re all ordinary people, but in life you want to do something extraordinary. You want to do something that no one thinks you can do or accomplish. It’s just working hard, being prepared and paying attention to detail. Preparation is a huge key for success. Things coach Valvano taught me were how to be really passionate about things, how to bring a great sense of intensity but also how to enjoy what you’re doing. There are a lot of stories and things you could say, but the most important things are the memories I have of coach Valvano, my experience at N.C. State, all the tremendous support and fanbase back there with the Wolfpack. I don’t get back there as often as I’d like.

Technician: Between you and Chris Corchiani, Valvano seemed to like guards of Italian descent. Do you plan on drafting any Italians soon?

Del Negro: Well, I don’t know if he’s Italian, but Derrick Rose is an awfully good point guard, and we’re very lucky to have him. If there are any Italians out there that can help me win basketball games, I’m going to take a look at them. Whether they’re Italian or not — if they’re Italian it’s only a positive — its about winning, and I’m going to put the best players on the court to help me win basketball games.

Technician: Do you still keep in touch with your former teammates?

Del Negro: Periodically I talk to different guys. I got a nice message the other day from Lorenzo Charles. I talk to Thurl Bailey. I’ve seen Derek Whittenburg a couple times. I talk to Corch [Chris Corchiani] once in a while. I talk to Chucky Brown once in a while. I talk to Quentin Jackson periodically who’s with the team. We all have different lives and different things going on, but when we get together it’s a lot of fun.

Technician: Anything else?

Del Negro: Tell everybody there with the Wolfpack I said “hi.”