“Coach K, Most All Time Wins…….Ever.”
With all the negative headlines in the NCAA, on talk radio, and TV there is one headline that should be recognized in great fashion. Coach Mike Krzyzewski, at 64 years of age, just got his 903rd win against Tom Izzo and the Michigan Spartans in the State Farm Classic. He has climbed above his mentor Bobby Knight as the coach with the most wins in NCAA history leading the Duke Blue Devils into possibly their 17th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, only second to Kansas, and even further a 12th Final Four appearance. And in what better place to do it other than Madison Square Garden? There are very few words to describe the magnitude of this accomplishment. Along with what he has already done, he’s won gold medals as a head coach of the US Olympic men’s basketball team and was named “America’s best coach” by Time magazine, there’s no question as to the respect Coach K has for the game of basketball or the amount of respect players have for him.
To really put in perspective how good Coach K is, Duke is an elite private school. Statistically speaking they are academically the 19th best in the world, which is impressive based on how many private schools there are.
So the question that arises is…
How does Duke remain a consistent basketball program over the years with such a high academic standard? Krzyzewski has set the bar high as a coach. Not many private schools can consistently recruit and be valid year in and year out as well as hold their students to such high academic standards. Without cutting the Kansas’s, Florida’s, and the Syracuse’s short , they are highly recognized schools with slightly lower academic standards than Duke and, thus have more options open for players to get in.
In the ACC, Duke University has the highest testing requirements to enter, with North Carolina and Virginia a close second and third. Yet, year to year their ranked as one of the top basketball teams on the East Coast. Duke also doesn’t have the “flash” and “shine” as its same state rival North Carolina, which has produced the likes of Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Vince Carter and the list goes on.
Comparatively speaking, North Carolina would be the rock star next door neighbor who parties and has the hot model girlfriend and still pulls off good grades. Then you have Duke, a strictly run, tight ship organization who wants to, and is focused on, being the best. This is not taking away from North Carolina which is a magnificent program. But in relative terms in regards to what Duke University and Coach K represent it provides more reason to be convinced as to how good Coach K has been.
Coach K has absolutely done a wonderful job recruiting, and knowing what type of players he wants and he doesn’t have to sacrifice the integrity of the program or take any high risks to do it. He has given Duke four national titles, and that very well could have been five if Kobe Bryant would have went to Duke instead of straight to the pros. He ended up coaching Kobe in the Olympics anyway. That’s another story for another day.
Coach K’s commitment is also remarkable as well. He has been given many chances to coach in the NBA and flatly refused. He was offered a job by the Boston Celtics in 1990; turned that down…another in 1994 by the Portland Trail Blazers and turned that down. The Lakers in 2004, a $40 million dollar contract, turned that down. In 2010, he was offered to coach the New Jersey Nets anywhere from $12-$15 million a season; he turned that down as well.
Who can question a man’s integrity after that in a world where money trumps loyalty?
Shane Battier former Duke graduate and now NBA pro was interviewed briefly during the game and when asked what he learned from Coach K during his time there, his response was “Loyalty” and “whenever he steps on the floor he is going to give you his best.” Apparently he loves the program.
Duke has in return shown him the favor back. Obviously you can’t say Duke University without mentioning Mike Krzyzewski, but now you can’t walk past it either without seeing his name on the newly built practice basketball facility the “Michael W. Krzyzewski center.”
Krzyzewski is no doubt on the Mt. Rushmore of collegiate sports coaching. He continues to win with his most inexperienced class of young basketball players yet, which include Seth Curry (brother to Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors), and Austin Rivers (son of the head coach for the Boston Celtics Doc Rivers).
Tonight’s game showed coach K’s strongest coaching point…patience, letting the game come to them. Seth Curry had a big game, although Austin Rivers was pretty pedestrian and couldn’t get anything going. They managed to hold Michigan State’s big man, Derrick Nix, to two points and one rebound and fouled him out. Andre Dawkins lights out shooting contributed greatly as well to the Blue Devils 19 point lead they had in the 4th quarter.
For all collegiate fans all over, whether you’re a Duke Basketball fan or not, Coach K has no doubt earned the respect given by coaches and fans everywhere and has certainly brought the university to a level of prestige that warrants respect in the classroom and on the basketball court.
