Coach Mike Krzyzewski made the stunning announcement Wednesday that this upcoming season would be his last as head coach of Duke’s Men’s Basketball program. For 42 years Coach K patrolled the sidelines at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. During that time, he became the winningest coach in NCAA Div 1 history, and helped deliver 5 national titles to the Cameron Crazies cementing his legacy as one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time.
In a prepared statement, Coach K told reporters “My family and I view today as a celebration…Our time at both West Point and Duke has been beyond amazing and we are thankful and honored to have led two college programs at world-class institutions for more than four decades. That, coupled with 11 unforgettable years as the United States National Team coach, has resulted in a remarkable journey. Certainly, I have been blessed to coach some of the finest young men and greatest players in basketball history as a direct result of these unique opportunities. For us, there is no greater joy than being part of our players’ respective endeavors through basketball, and more importantly, their lives off the court.”
Associate head coach Jon Scheyer who played for Coach K from 2006-2010, has been announced as Krzyzewski’s successor and will take over one of the most storied programs in college basketball for the start of the 2022-23 season. While the university interviewed several outside candidates for Krzyzewski’s position, they ultimately landed on Scheyer in large part due to his recruiting skills. Scheyer was instrumental in recruiting Celtics Star Jayson Tatum to Duke and has also landed several other promising young ball players such as the #3 prospect in the class of 2021 Paolo Banchero.
Scheyer knows he has big shoes to fill as he takes over for the basketball hall of fame coach but believes he is more than up to the task: “Duke University has been a central part of my life for more than a decade, and I could not ask for a better place to continue my career… Coach K has built the premier program in our sport thanks to his unwavering competitive edge, a tireless attention to detail, a family-first approach and a remarkable compassion and care of his players, coaches and staff. He has set a standard that every coach at every level should strive to achieve.”
With nearly 1100 Div 1 wins, 12 Final Four appearances, 28 NBA lottery picks, and 41 first round picks on his resume, Coach K has truly done it all at Duke University. Factoring in his career at Army, Krzyzewski boasts a ridiculous 0.764 win percentage as a head coach. In addition to his work at the collegiate level, Mike has captured 3 consecutive gold medals with the US national team, working with every major NBA star over the past decade.
In the pantheon of great college coaches, most will point towards the legendary UCLA Bruins coach John Wooden as the gold standard. Wooden would capture a record 10 national championships in the span of 12 years on the west coast. However what Coach K has been able to accomplish longevity wise cannot be matched by any other in the history of the game. Sustaining a program and ensuring that it is a perennial contender year in year out in one of the most competitive conferences in the country is nothing short of remarkable.
Yet for all he’s done on the court, his impact off the court, both in Durham and abroad is perhaps even more impressive. Aside from the laundry list of NBA superstars who still touch base with him regularly, Krzyzewski and his wife Carol are involved in countless charitable endeavours that focus on academics and health. The couple founded the Emily Krzyzewski Center (in honour of Mike’s mother) in 2006 to help students from kindergarten through high school with academic opportunities. They’ve also raised untold sums for charities such as the Duke Children’s Hospital, Children’s Miracle Network, and the V Foundation For Cancer Research as well. In 2012, Krzyzewski received the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Humanitarian Award honoring his charitable efforts in making a significant positive impact on society.
Coach K’s retirement comes on the heels of another North Carolina basketball coach calling it a career as well. Longtime UNC head coach Roy Williams recently announced his retirement from coaching, meaning that college hoops will look drastically different in the state of North Carolina in the near future.
Expect the 2021-22 season to be a “farewell tour” of sorts wherever the Duke Men’s basketball team goes. So much is Coach K respected amongst basketball circles that even the most ardent Duke critics will be giving Krzyzewski his flowers when his team rolls through town. Hard as it may be for some to wrap their heads around the thought of ever cheering for Duke basketball, it’s hard not to root for a storybook ending for one of the game’s greatest coaches this year.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner