Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, who, while leading Duke and Army, won more games than any other Division I coach and captured the national title five times, will retire after the upcoming season.
Krzyzewski, 74, released a statement referencing the end of his 41-year coaching career “My family and I view today as a celebration,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “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.”
Coach K has taken his teams to 35 NCAA Tournament appearances and 12 Final Four appearances, both tied for the most all time.
Duke associate head coach Jon Scheyer, who played for Krzyzewski from 2006-10, will take over next season.
“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,” Scheyer said in a statement on Wednesday. “This is absolutely humbling.”
Krzyzewski has no doubts about Scheyer.
“He’s one of the smartest coaches in the country,” Krzyzewski said during his news conference Thursday, adding, “You can look at the 2010 national championship, I believe he and Nolan (Smith) were running our team.”
Smith is also a Duke assistant.
“Any of the guys who work for me, they were my former captains,” Krzyzewski said. “I tell them when they come on, ‘I only want you here if you want to be head coach.’”
Coach K plans to remain a consistent presence heading into his final season.
“I’m not gonna change what I do this year. Neither are those guys, my staff,” he said Thursday. “We’re gonna go after it like we normally go after it.”
Add comment