"I would say she cares somewhat about us as people but doesn't care for everyone the same. She has a hard time keeping up with the volleyball today and how to teach us (instructs in a way that doesn't make sense). She is a good person I think but makes questionable decisions when it comes to dealing with her players. Very indirect and inconclusive. I don't believe many players would stay if they weren't here for the school that Duke is."
"Joining this team was my biggest and only regret in life. The team culture is incredibly toxic, mainly due to the head coach. She is tone deaf, lacking in compassion, socially inept, and could care less about the teams mental health or academic success. All three of her assistant coaches quit and they were all that was left of the glue holding the team together. If you are considering getting recruited to the Duke Womens Rowing team, I ask you to genuinely reconsider your options. This is not a team you want to join. Your love for the sport with diminish and your mental and physical health will as well. Examples: the coach continuously lied about my development/boating/position on the team, called me by the incorrect name countless times, never asked about my personal life or experiences on the team or at the school, and never showed emotion other than anger or stress. Her way of motivating the team after a hard day of pieces was saying “You're all slow and this team is not a top 10 team” and that was it. When I found myself in the hospital one weekend with severe tonsilitis and mono, I returned to the team practice and she said, “Heard you had a fun weekend in the hospital!” with an evil smile and no follow up questions asking how I was. In fact, she made me return to practice a day after being discharged. "
"Jamie really cares about his players and the team. He is not the most emotional guy, but he is supportive and helpful. He is very honest in everything that he does and he holds the team to a high standard which breeds success."
"Kerstin was a great coach and role model. She creates a great culture and focused on pushing everyone on the roster to be the best they could.
If I had a complaint, it was that she is not the greatest tactician or strategist. Xs and Os aren't her strength and she leans on assistants a bit too much her. Most teams know that her teams can't handle a zone and it creates at least 1 or 2 games a year Duke loses but shouldn't;t. "
"At Duke we have laundry services, fuel zone, amazing facilities, and these are all within walking distance. The staff works hard to make sure this is a place athletes can thrive."
"The Duke Track team is very close, which is nice. The facilities are nice, but it is clear that most students here are very focused on school. The alumni is very generous with the buildings on campus."
"As someone who was once an 18-year old, ecstatic to be a member of the Duke FH team, I can comfortably say that I would never want to do it again. Although Duke University is a fabulous institution that opened a multitude of doors for me, I would not want to play for Pam again.
Throughout my recruiting process, I did not interact much with Pam, however, I had full confidence that she’d coach me to the best of my ability and truly show me that she believed in me. As previous reviews mention, Pam is one to show favoritism toward certain people and disregard the remainder of the roster. Throughout my Duke FH career, I felt as if I wasn’t playing “my game” because I was so focused on pleasing the coaching staff, as I knew the repercussions that I would face if I didn’t. Obviously, Pam is a very seasoned coach, however, she is not up-to-speed in regard to the ways in which the sport has progressively developed over the past few years. Therefore, it is very difficult to receive necessary feedback that will translate into a “championship-winning” team.
Off the field, Pam is a very nice woman. However, it is very clear that she does not show genuine compassion/interest in her players’ personal lives outside of field hockey. In my opinion, open communication and personal support contribute to success on the field. Ultimately, she doesn’t know how to cultivate a true, unified family. "
"Pam Bustin was a solid coach back in the day but as hockey continues to grow she does not. Not only is she no longer a qualified coach for a top tier DI program, she is not qualified to be a leader for impressionable women. "
"Do not recommend. At first glance it looks like she cares a lot and is knowledgeable but this is not true. She does not care about her players beyond field hockey and Hardly motivates you if she doesn’t like you. "
"Chris Pollard is a general. If you don't understand that college sports are a business, you will not understand or appreciate Coach Pollard. If you can appreciate that Duke University is spending 6-figures a year on your athletic development and Chris Pollard is being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to win baseball games in the ACC, you'll understand why decisions are made with risk mitigation in mind, playing time is a resource investment, and strategy is over long time horizons."
"Not there to be your friend, he is there to get you better. Super knowledgeable, brought on two really great new coaches this year, and a super recruiter. Consistently brings in talent year after year that are able to make the grades at Duke too."
"Robbie Church is a great person, he knows how to recruit great women who can build a strong team together. He is not very honest though, and doesn't change his mind once he has a view of a player. "
"Jamie is overall, a good college coach. He is excellent at managing the team and seems to be one step ahead when it comes to planning. On the flip side, one does require some internal motivation and energy during practice as he tends to be reserved, which can also occasionally affect his accessibility to players. Overall, great team leader. "
"Dan is very passionate about what he does.
He is very understanding of the rigorous lifestyle of a Duke Student Athlete.
At times his coaching seems irrational and not optimal however.
Be a swimmer and student at Duke was an incredible experience."
"I would not recommend anyone playing under this coach. She is extremely out-of-date in her volleyball technique and knowledge. She is stuck in her ways and not open to new ideas. Picks favorites and bases playing time off of athleticism and politics. Overall, you will not grow as a player or person under her. She should not be a volleyball coach."
"Coach Cutcliffe is the only experience I have with a D1 coach, but i genuinely can’t imagine a coach being better than him. He is the most personable coach I have talked to and he knows how to get the best out of his players. I wouldn’t want to play for anyone else."
"Robbie recruits his players based on how good of people they are. If you are an outstanding player but lack respect, he is not interested. He wants to help his players in any way he can and it’s a very genuine coach. Highly recommend playing for him if you get the opportunity."
"Pam is fully invested and dedicates so much to her players. She not only wants the best for the program, but also wants the best for each and every one of us. "
"I would not recommend any young girl to play under her. From my experience, she chose favorites beforehand and would not give all the athletes a fair chance at playing. Her communication is poor and was very indirect. She did not handle athletes with strong personalities well and loved the "teachers pet" kind of personalities. "
"Pam cares about each one of her players as human beings, not just players. She makes it clear that she wants us to succeed outside of hockey, but is also unbelievably focused on creating a top program and winning a national championship. "
"Coach Lanham (and the coaching staff) preach "being a good person" above being a good wrestler, they do not practice what they preach. They were very difficult to communicate with and resorted to shouting angrily, often. To summarize, I felt extremely used by the program by the time I had finished. Many of my teammates felt the exact same way. "
"Jamie is a great guy and coach. He is a phenomenal manager of the team and makes sure the girls have everything they need throughout the year. He holds the program to high standards and that reflects in his actions as a coach. He is not the most emotional guy but he cares a lot about the team and supports them at all times. "
"She's a mother first, and cares about all her players as people not just as assets to the team. This was one of the most important factors in my decision to play for Duke and it has held true in my years as a player with her. She's always had my back. "
"Absolutely terrible - Would not want anyone else to have to go through what I did when I played under her. Always beats around the bush & is never straight up, does not know anything about the game, picks favorites off of skewed judgements and false perception of reality, and worst of all is discriminatory. Never had a worse excuse for a "coach""
"Cutcliffe for president! Lol, on a serious note for y'all recruits, wow what a dude! Recruiting experience was dope, and then getting to Duke and balling out was even better. You want this man as your coach and to have your back even post college! He hooks it up."
"Coach Cut is a great coach, and an even better guy & you can tell that throughout the program. Everyone that is involved in the lives of the student athletes is treated with the upmost respect because of the family culture he has brought to the program. I could've gone to a dozen other schools but Duke was definitely the right way to go"
"David Cutcliffe is a great college football coach. He is old school in his style and preparation. He built up the duke football program from nothing and it can be credited to his commitment and work ethic. He is also career oriented and focuses on life after football. Players should go to Duke to play for hin"
"Coach Cut is committed to two things. Discipline and Conditioning. He is also committed to molding young men into great people, and accepts nothing less than exceptional effort. If you're all about you, you won't make it under Cut. If you grind and commit and buy in, you'll will exceed your greatest expectations. Stay out of his doghouse."
"Coach Ogilvie is a fair track director. He is knowledgable about most of the events and has a good understanding of the kids on his team. Although he has the qualities to be a good director, he sometimes fails in areas of one on one communication and gets too caught up in the numbers game. "
"Extraordinarily passionate; willing to sacrifice for his athletes. Some athletes tiptoe around him because he can be intimidating, but the key to a good relationship is to stand by your affirmations. Understands what it takes to succeed at the highest level, and can mold even moderately talented individuals into great wrestlers."
"Best coach in college football both on and off the field. Honest, caring and brings out the best in you when you didn't even know your own strengths. Truly a great person that sets high standards that you'll live by the rest of your life. "
"Robbie genuinely values his players as individuals because he knows that they are not simply his players. He understands that academics comes first, and encourages his players to be good people off of the soccer field. "
"My Duke Swimming family is one of the best parts of being here at Duke, but my swimming experience has been a challenge. My head coach definitely plays favorites, is not consistent in how he treats his swimmers, and is not the most understandable when it comes to injuries and school work. If you love having close teammates, and are able to coach yourself - fully recommend DST; if you require motivation and a hands on coach - maybe look at other options."
"I have developed a great relationship with my coach and I can say I am very happy with my decision to play at Duke University and especially under Kerstin Kimel. She is one of the few very well rounded coaches with an understanding of how to develop players while also pushing them to compete (both on and off the field)."
"Ramsey is a great guy, very organized, disciplined, energetic. However, if you are not a professional tennis player and need to develop as a player/athlete look elsewhere. No technical instruction. No willingness to technically develop better strokes. Hardly any coaching during practice."
"Incredibly passionate about the sport, which leads to very gratifying moments but also tough spots. Allows his athletes to commit to all facets of student athlete live and is flexible as long as you get your training in."
"Norm is a very understanding coach. He truly believes in his athletes and is willing to work with them to help them improve. At times he can be negative towards an individual, but his heart is in the right place. Definitely a passionate coach of the sport."
"Jamie is overall a good coach. He has his setbacks (not very emotional) but he is huge on giving equipment and material objects easily. He cares about the progress and well-being of his players. He pushes hard but understandably."
"Dan truly cares about his swimmers and wants the best for them. He puts you and your health first and swimming second. I've been honored to work with such an incredible coach."
"To be completely honest my experience with my coach has been nothing short of a nightmare. Time after time I have to gather an immense amount of emotional strength in order to just get up and go to practice. I at times lost my love for the game, and had to see professional help from sports psychologists on numerous occasions in an effort to find my drive for the beautiful game."
"Coach Cut is an incredibly honest man. He will tell you where you stand on the team as well as what you can do to help yourself improve. His commitment to instilling discipline and teaching us life lessons is unparalleled in college athletics."
"Norm Ogilvie is very committed to the Duke Cross Country and Track & Fields teams. He has coached at Duke for over 20 years and has created a very successful program. As a freshman it is tough to adjust to his style of coaching but that comes mostly from also adjusting to the academic rigor of Duke University."
"Jolene Nagel is a coach that I would not recommend to any young player I know. She plays strong favorites, discriminates against student athletes who are involved in anything other than volleyball (even discourages addt'l volunteering that is not through the team), dislikes anyone with strong opinions, does not like athletes who are looking to take challenging courses or majors, and is overall a terrible coach. She is also disrespectful to support staff. She should not be coaching at any level."
"Dan would be great assistant coach. However, as a head coach he tends to make decisions that help his personal interests versus standing by the team and making sacrifices so we can succeed. I am extremely disappointed with the way that Dan handles team problems and manages the various swimmers on the team with regards to their behavior. He lacks consistency, strength, leadership, and vision for our team and his lack of ability cripples the talent that we recruit."
"David Cutcliffe is an incredible coach who genuinely cares about developing each of his players as human beings and not just athletes. He sets high expectations for everyone in the program both on and off of the field that push all who are involved to grow as people. He is extremely knowledgable about the game of football and knows how to win. He has had a very positive impact on me."
"Coach Norm and his supporting coaches are very supportive, but try to allow the team itself to work out its issues. This is good and bad. At times, everything goes well but sometimes events can quagmire into larger problems. Our team culture is very healthy as a result of trying to confront our issues with one another head on, like our coaches."
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