I want to talk about the side of college basketball coaches that people don't see.

This Friday down at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Florida, we are having a gala fundraiser for the Jimmy V Foundation. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will be honored for his humanitarian efforts and the tremendous job he has done for the V Foundation over the years. The organization, found in honor of the late Jimmy Valvano, has already raised over $60 million, and Krzyzewski has been one of the key components of its success.

I know that Louisville coach Rick Pitino may get embarrassed by this, but it shows the type of person he is. Several years ago, Krzyzewski, John Saunders and I embarked on an unbelievable project. The goal was to raise $1 million by forming the President's Club by getting 20 members to donate a total of $50,000 a piece over a five-year span.

One of the first guys I called up was Pitino. I explained what we were doing, and he stopped me and said, "what do you need." When I said we needed $50,000, he said it was done, don't worry about it. That is the kind of guy he is, so generous and caring as a human being.

Recently I called him up and told him how thrilled I would be if he joined us for the event in Sarasota honoring Coach K. Pitino put it on his calendar and I am ecstatic that the Louisville coach will be one of the celebrities in attendance this week.

That was not enough for Mr. Pitino. What separates him with his generosity, the heart he possesses and his caring for people, an additional check for $10,000 to the V Foundation arrived in the mail. He said he wanted to add to the cause. We are trying to raise $1 million for a research grant to battle melanoma, a disease that has run rampant and must be controlled.

I just wanted to share that. Pitino has a heart of gold, doing the $10,000 donation simply on his own without anyone asking. There are so many in the coaching profession giving their time to attend the event on Friday. Guys like Michigan State's Tom Izzo, John Calipari of Memphis, both members of the President's Club, Marquette's Tom Crean, Indiana's Kelvin Sampson, and a host of others.

Let me tell you, these guys really care about people. That is why we are gathering as we all want to help someone in need. If you want to join us, there are still a few tickets available. You can call 1-800-4-JIMMY-V for details. If you can't attend but would like to make a donation for that research grant, trust me, it would go a long way to help save a life of someone you love.

Remember these coaches. They are about a lot more than just Xs and Os. For these men, there is more than winning basketball games. They are people, with the same everyday problems like you and me. They are good people with hearts of gold.

Mr. Pitino is a very special human being. He has made people at the V Foundation very, very happy. Thank you so much, my friend.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.