Niagara HC Greg Paulus speaks on Coach K's influence on his coaching philosophy

From being a point guard under Coach K and assisting coaches for a decade to leading Niagara, Greg Paulus has worn many hats. However, the head coach of the Purple Eagles continues to instill his program with the lessons he learned from Mike Krzyzewski.

On "The Field Of 68: After Dark" on Tuesday, Paulus spoke about the influence the legendary coach had on him as a player and how it transcends to his coaching.

"His way of communicating, his way of simplifying whatever's going on, he can put you in there and he'll put it all at ease," he said (Timestamp: 7:00). "We're getting recruited, and here's a story. He's sitting in my high school, and he's saying, 'Hey, the way you play, the way we play – you're gonna lead the conference in assists as a freshman.'

"As a high school kid, you're like, 'Yeah, of course, I'm gonna do that.' ... You believe him, but whatever he's telling you in that meeting, it comes true."

Greg Paulus lifted the ACC championship trophy as a freshman, leading the conference with 5.2 apg.

Paulus also recounted an instance when Coach K helped him through a struggling stretch, pointing at his ability to inspire and develop confident players:

"And you could be struggling as a player, and he comes in and he showed me a picture, 'This is what I want you to be.' He coaches body language, he coaches attitude, he's coaching all that stuff.

Paulus said that he carries Coach K's leadership and emotional intelligence with him to this day, like tools to overcome challenges in his coaching career.

"So, the amount of meetings we had where he gave confidence, he told the truth and what he shared and how he said it, and the simplicity that he shared it. ... I do it even now," Paulus said. "When I became the head coach at Niagara, I called him up, 'Coach, this is happening. What advice you got? And it's – you're ready, be yourself, trust yourself."

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Greg Paulus' time under Coach K

Greg Paulus came to Duke as the New York state Mr. Basketball and top recruit in the nation. He joined Coach K's program, rejecting offers from Notre Dame, Syracuse, North Carolina and other top schools. He played for the Blue Devils from 2005 to 2009 and was known was his ability to orchestrate the offense.

While his first year saw him excel in playmaking and setting up plays, Paulus gradually became one of the best 3-point threats in college basketball. He led the Blue Devils to three ACC championships and ended his career as a program top 10 in assists (468), 3-pointers (210) and long-range efficiency (39.8%).