What coaches wear on the court or on the field can create a new fashion trend or help establish their personality, such as New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick with his oversized hoodies. Or San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan wearing a suit once a year. Sometimes what a coach wears gives fans a new idea of how to show school spirit.
After men’s basketball coach Sidney Lowe wore his red blazer during his team’s win against North Carolina and a few other games last season, a number of students have begun to buy shirts to show their support for the basketball team and Lowe. On the back it says “Fear the Blazer,” and the front has an outline of a blazer, a white dress shirt and a red tie. Lowe said it wasn’t his idea.
“If it wasn’t my blazer, I would’ve thought it was a great concept, but you know what? It’s marketing,” Lowe said. “The fans like it. If they like it, it’s fine. I just hope when I wear that blazer we win, because it won’t be a fear of it anymore [if we don’t].”
Lowe said he won’t be getting one of the shirts, but that it’s good for college sports.
“That’s the great thing about college basketball, college sports,” Lowe said. “You do stuff like that, and the fans get excited about it. And hopefully there’s a game where there’s nothing but those T-shirts in there and everybody’s got on red and it’s a great atmosphere.”
As for other coaches, volleyball coach Charita Stubbs said she likes to wear certain clothes because of what it shows about her.
“I really like wearing suits,” Stubbs said. “I think it sends a professional message out. I think it states what you’re about.”
Stubbs said she doesn’t comment on what other coaches wear, but her players do talk about what she wears.
“They’ll comment on what you have on,” Stubbs said. “If they like it, they’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s a good color on you’ or ‘I really like that color’ or ‘I really like that.'”
One coach who has his games outside in the heat, men’s soccer coach George Tarantini said people understand he can’t dress up too much in such an environment.
“For example, when we play in Method Road Stadium and it’s so hot, there’s no place to get out of the sun,” Tarantini said. “You have to be outside. When you play in 100-degree whether like we played in this year, you wear light clothes.”
Tarantini said its important to look really good, especially during the postseason.
“In the ACC Tournament, you have to put on something really clean. It all depends on the weather,” Tarantini said. “You have to try to look the best you can.”
There is a difference in what is worn in the international game, according to Tarantini.
“In international games, they wear suits, with a tie and a jacket,” Tarantini said. “But all the games are in the nighttime. In the daytime, people use warm-up suits or maybe pants and a shirt. In the nighttime, they use suits because it’s cooler and it’s a tradition people use.”
As for wrestling, coach Carter Jordan said he would like to wear his favorite designers to matches.
“I just always wear a sports coat,” Jordan said. “Slacks and a sports coat: I try to keep up with the times. I would like to wear Canali every match or Zegna. But I’m a wrestling coach, so I can’t afford that kind of stuff.”
Jordan said the ACC does regulate what coaches are allowed to wear to matches.
“We have to wear dress clothes,” Jordan said. “We’re not allowed to wear warm-ups or anything like that, so I try to look as good as I possibly can.”
Jordan, like Lowe, also wore a red blazer last season.
“I think every coach here probably owns a red blazer,” Jordan said. “They’re either given one by the Wolfpack Club, or his wife purchased him one.”
Though wrestling season is during the late fall and winter, Jordan said the dress attire becomes uncomfortably warm.
“I have a beautiful cashmere sports coat,” Jordan said. “Unfortunately the thing is so hot; I can only wear it for about 10 minutes inside. I donned it last year twice, but both times I had to take it off as soon as we walked into the gym. I don’t think you’ll be seeing me wear that thing much more, maybe once a year.”
The men’s soccer team will play next season on its new field at Paul Derr Track, which has been under construction for more than a year, and will have an opportunity to play at night for the first time at home. Tarantini said it could be an opportunity to wear a suit to a game.
“I could wear it for the first time,” Tarantini said. “Play under the lights, maybe. Maybe a nice jacket, a suit and tie.”
Sports Editor Clark Leonard contributed to this story.
