Friday, December 28, 2001 - With many season-ticket holders watching the Denver Nuggets' practice Thursday afternoon, the team's new leader calmly strolled onto the Pepsi Center floor to a warm round of applause.

Just minutes later, Nuggets radio announcer Jerry Schemmel introduced "Coach Mike Evans."

Technically, Evans is the Nuggets' interim coach. But now that he is running the show, interim or not, the pressure to succeed is on.

"You definitely take it a lot more personally," said Evans, whose Nuggets lost his official coaching debut Tuesday against Minnesota. "It affects you differently. That's why head coaches lose their hair, and some of the marriages fail. I can see you can get consumed (with) trying to fix something you think is fixable."

Evans became the Nuggets' interim coach Tuesday after Dan Issel resigned. Evans led the Nuggets to a 2-3 record during Issel's recent suspension and absence, but those games count toward Issel's career mark.

During the past three seasons, Evans sat on the sideline giving Issel advice. Some of the advice was taken, some wasn't.

Evans always made a point to talk to the players "to keep everybody happy for the benefit of the head coach." Before games, he wrote key pregame information on a blackboard. Even when Issel was out recently, Evans found himself coaching in many of the same ways Issel would.

However, Evans now has the pleasure, the challenge and the pressure of making the calls.

"It was Dan's team before," said Evans, who at 46 has no previous NBA head coaching experience. "It was his choice what we did and didn't do. My job was to make suggestions as an assistant. It was his job to decide if he wanted to do any of it. Now I am wearing the hat that he was wearing.

"The (assistants) will make suggestions to me about they want to me do, and it's up to me to decide whether I want to do them or not. I understand what he was thinking. You're always considering the welfare of the players, No. 1. Dan and I agreed to disagree on certain things. And now I am going to see if I was wrong or right."

Evans is getting all the attention now. On the flip side, he also has to take the heat. His wife, Kim, and their three kids will get some perks, but they also will learn how fickle some people can be.

"They are growing, themselves, through this," Evans said. "They are learning the differences, also."

Because Evans is the coach, he believes his relationship with the players could change.

He said players might dislike his decisions on matters such as playing time, but he can deal with it as long as issues aren't "personal." He also wants to build strong communication and keep problems "in the family."

"It is not your job to worry about who likes you," Evans said. "And if your job is based on popularity with your players instead of developing them into ballplayers, then you shouldn't be in the league."

Several players said they hope their relationships with Evans don't change.

"Mike does a great job," said injured forward Antonio McDyess. "I am really happy for him to get the opportunity to be a coach. Mike just wants the most out of his players; even as an assistant he is that way. He just demands the best out of someone Mike and I always had a great relationship. He is taking things serious now as the head coach, but he also did that as an assistant. He still comes in and jokes around with me."

Center Raef LaFrentz said the respect between Evans and his players will be mutual.

"The relationship with the assistant coaches is different than the relationship with head coaches," he said. "The head coach has to be more of a disciplinarian because it's his show. He'll change, but I hope not too much, because I've had a good relationship with Mike."

Expect the former point guard to be defensive-minded, have his team push the ball more and try to determine a way to give the Nuggets a stronger presence inside. He knows the challenge of winning games, and the job is far from easy. But as long as he gives his all, he can accept the outcome.

"What I care about is that I do the best that I can do," Evans said. "If that leads to wins, fine. If it doesn't, fine. I just want to give the best effort I can. Giving it my best, that's all I am looking at."

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