Then in 1984 Krzyzewski added unflappable freshman point guard Tommy Amaker to a superlative sophomore class led by Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alarie, Jay Bilas and David Henderson. His combative reactions to criticism, his average of three technical fouls per season from 1981 through 1986, raised unpleasant comparisons with Bob Knight, his belligerent, controversial mentor at Army. Krzyzewski endured second-guessing by media and fans as the Devils labored to master his system of motion offense and physical man-to-man defense. (Krzyzewski characteristically got even with an improbable 16 straight wins over the Cavs in subsequent years). That score remains the largest margin of defeat in ACC Tournament history. The following two seasons the Devils floundered on the court and recruiting trail, posting consecutive 17-loss records even as Triangle neighbors North Carolina, then the ACC's dominant program under Dean Smith, and Jim Valvano, a charismatic young contemporary hired in 1980-81 at NC State, won NCAA championships.ĭuke was left far behind, its struggles encapsulated in a 109-66 loss in 1983 to a Virginia squad led by center Ralph Sampson, a three-time All-American. His and Duke's perseverance were later cited as exemplary of the value of patience in supporting coaches.Īge 33 when he arrived at Durham in 1980, he inherited a middling team from Bill Foster, won 17 games and advanced to the '81 NIT. Unflagging intensity, passion fused with anger, characterized Krzyzewski throughout his career, making his early travails at Duke an especial personal challenge. His teams have won better than three-quarters of the time (.765). Yet, given all that, what will likely be mentioned first, at least until someone inevitably comes along to supplant him, are Krzyzewski's unmatched NCAA-record 1,177 career victories in 46-plus years at Army and Duke. Olympic gold medals (three, a record) to an unequaled number of ACC Tournament titles (15, including seven of eight at the turn of this century and an unprecedented five in a row from 1999 through 2003). The measure of that mark could fill the rest of this column or morph into a numbingly long list of major achievements ranging from NCAA championships (five, second in history and the only ones achieved by Duke) to Final Four appearances (12, tied for first with UCLA's John Wooden) to U.S. For the last four decades, we've made a mark on college basketball…and I'd like to make another mark before I leave - in this decade." You'd better be in the moment that you're in. In order to have the continuity of success and excellence that we've had you can't savor much of anything. "Being in the moment is what I've tried to do my entire career. "Right now I want to live, not savor," the 74-year-old says of undertaking his final season as Duke's head coach. The influence of that place and time are encapsulated in Krzyzewski's perpetual insistence on going on to the next play, a determination to stay present and proactive, to sidestep anticipation or regret, to keep moving forward. The thoughtful process was guided in part by the discipline and strategic training he learned at the U.S. The plan has him ceding the reins to Jon Scheyer, his former player and current associate head coach. Krzyzewski, a Hall of Famer graced by the respect of Duke administrators, chose the 2021-22 season to make a deliberate exit, arranging to withdraw from command when the games conclude next spring. Determination and hard work, exceptional team-building and unflagging defensive focus lifted the program from mediocrity to enduring excellence, transforming a near-unknown coach with a consonant-laden last name even his father eventually changed to a name the public was forced to learn as he blossomed into one of the great winners in the sport's history. Some retirees talk of burnout or simply tire of romancing teenagers, chaff at memories of recent defeats, or blanch at the prospect of over-familiar routines.įor Mike Krzyzewski the end is as it was in the beginning, the application of a clear vision and a fierce will shaping the course of Duke men's basketball. Even Hall of Fame coaches walk away of their own volition, forgoing prodigious incomes and a chance to burnish their legacy and career victory total. Story Links By Barry Jacobs, GoDuke the MagazineĬareer endings in coaching come in all shapes and sizes, some abrupt and forced by official edict, others so gradual they barely register.
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