Among other things, Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski is notorious for his ludicrously sanctimonious American Express commercial in which he declares himself a  “leader who happens to coach basketball.” Secondary concern or not, there’s no denying his ability to do the latter. But what about that leadership thing if, say, he wanted to do it for a living?

Answering a question no one asked (except SbB just now), a political polling firm has asked North Carolinians their general opinions of both Coach K and UNC coach Roy Williams. The question was similar to questions asked regarding opinions about potential political candidates. The results were a little surprising…in other words, how would you feel about Senators Williams and Krzyzewski?

Surprisingly, considering the acrimony between the Duke and UNC fanbases, both teams’ fans have a majority positive opinion of their rival team’s coaches. However, Roy Williams’ numbers were significantly higher than Krzyzewski’s. Perhaps he’s getting the famed NCAA Championship Bump? The CHARLOTTE NEWS & OBSERVER took a look at the poll numbers:

While 68% of Duke fans last month said they had a favorable opinion of Williams, only 53% of Carolina fans say they view Krzyzewski positively. Among State fans 60% had a favorable opinion of Williams, while 51% have one of Krzyzewski. And among supporters of the Demon Deacons 59% like Roy and 53% like Coach K.

Oh, right, NC State and Wake Forest have fans too. Good on them. Obviously these numbers are mostly meaningless, and it’s not like either coach is going to be running for as much as local dog catcher anytime soon. Still, it’s interesting to note that despite the vitriol on the internet and the hype from ESPN, the two fanbases perhaps aren’t as different as one might think.

Whatever your opinions on Krzyzewski’s or Williams’ demeanor (and as a Kansas alumnus I have strong ones), both are good men who do a good job of not just winning basketball games, but representing their universities.