Karl compares notes with McDaniels at Broncos headquarters

When his high school football coach switched to a wishbone offense, he opted to preserve his personal safety. The job of making split-second option reads and getting flattened by defenders 40 to 50 times a game was better left to someone else.

“One of my best friends was better than me,” Karl said, “So I said, it’s yours, Skip.”

Four decades and 986 NBA coaching victories later, there’s no doubt that Karl was better off pursuing his true love of basketball, but the Denver Nuggets coach is still a football fan at heart.

At the invitation of Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, Karl and Nuggets advance scout Jesse Mermuys attended team meetings, traded professional advice and took in practice Wednesday as the Broncos prepared for Sunday’s home opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

“I’m a big fan of his and what he’s done in his career,” said the 34-year-old McDaniels, who is in his second year with the Broncos. “He’s had great success as a coach in the NBA and I’m a big NBA fan.

“It’s just a great privilege for our team to have him around us … just sharing his experiences. NBA I’m trying to pick his brain in terms of dealing with this level of coaching, whether it be the or the NFL. We’re real fortunate to have that acquaintance and looking forward to him being around whenever he wants to.”

As a Pennsylvania native, the 59-year-old Karl is an unabashed Pittsburgh Steelers fan, but he looked forward to developing a relationship with McDaniels, who rooted for the Cleveland Browns while growing up in Canton, Ohio.

McDaniels was 8 years old when Karl landed his first NBA head-coaching job with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both were 33 when they became head coaches and both share similar philosophies.

“The one thing that he did say in his talk to the team today that I really believe in is: It’s how you play, not necessarily how well you play or who you play,” Karl said. “I think teaching is (about) developing your players into how to play the game the right way. The more players you have that play the right way, the easier it is to coach.”

Karl and McDaniels certainly know the challenges of professional sports, including dealing with unhappy players. The Broncos traded quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall in the past 18 months; the Nuggets are trying to convince All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony that Denver is the best place for him to pursue an NBA title.

“My job is anytime I talk to Melo or his people is try to convince him that we won 53 games last year and we’re very capable of being a lot better than we were last year,” Karl said. “Some of the bombs that hit our team injury-wise and my situation (fighting cancer), I think we kind of need to stay together, in my opinion. Fortunately it’s not my job to call him and talk about that situation. My job is to talk basketball.”

Asked if any of his players could succeed on the football field, Karl singled out 6-foot-11 center Nene and 5-11 point guard Ty Lawson.

“I think if Nene knew basketball and you wanted to turn him into a tight end, he could probably play,” Karl said. “Quickness-wise, Ty Lawson is probably a guy I would think could be a defensive back.”

With training camp less than two weeks away, Karl is eager to get the 2010-11 season started. His strength and energy continue to improve and his off-the-court relationships continue to blossom.

“Hopefully Josh and I will spend some time together and develop a relationship,” he said. “If we can be friends with one another, hopefully they have a great year and then he can come see us play great basketball.”

Contact Aaron J. Lopez at alopez@pepsicenter.com

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