5 Things You Might Not Know About Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski)

Coach Mike Krzyzewski, better known as Coach K, is retiring at the end of the 2021-2022 season after 42 seasons coaching the Duke University Men’s Basketball Team.

Here are five things you might not know about the legendary coach.

Only 2 Losing Seasons at Duke: Krzyzewski coached for 42 seasons at Duke and only had two losing seasons as the team’s head coach.

As of March 5, 2022, Coach K has an overall record of 1,196-365 as a head coach. Included in the coaching record is a 1,123-306 record at Duke.

While the coach of Duke, Coach K posted only two losing records, which happened in his second and third seasons leading the team.

Krzyzewski was hired at Duke after posting a 73-59 record as the head coach of Arm for five seasons.

Coach K also has 22 straight non-losing records in the ACC dating back to 1994-1995 when he went 0-1 in ACC play before stepping aside for foot surgery.

Gold Medals With Team USA: Coach K was the head coach of Team USA at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. The team won gold medals in each of the three Olympic Games.

Several of Coach K’s teams had perfect records at the Olympics and dominated the competition. As head coach of Team USA, Coach K held a 75-1 record before stepping down in 2013. Coach K returned to coach the team for three more years.

Coach K was also an assistant coach for Team USA for the 1984 and 1992 gold medal winning teams. As an assistant coach, Krzyzewski also helped lead the team to gold medals at the 1979 Pan American Games and 1992 Tournament of the Americas.

Outside of the Olympic Games, Coach K also helped Team USA win gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cup.

Wrote a Letter to Michael Jordan: Coach K’s first season at Duke University was the 1980-1981 season. One of the players Duke tried to recruit around the time of Coach K’s hiring was a kid named Michael Jordan.

Krzyzewski has been known to send letters to recruits wishing them well even if they don’t choose Duke, and a letter written to Jordan has gone viral over the years.

“I am so sorry to hear that you no longer have an interest in learning more about Duke University, however I do want you to know that my staff and I wish you the very best in your college career. You are a fine young man, and you should make an immediate impact on whatever you choose,” the letter reads.

Jordan chose to go to Duke rival, the University of North Carolina instead where he won a National Championship. Jordan had a 6-1 record against Duke in college. Krzyzewski would help coach Jordan on Team USA several times. 

Played and Coached Under Bob Knight: Prior to coaching, Krzyzewski played collegiate basketball for the United States Military Academy (Army), where Bob Knight was the head coach.

After several years of coaching for service teams and the United States Military Academy Prep School, Krzyzewski coached as an assistant at Indiana University for one year under Knight before being named the head coach of Army’s basketball team.

Coach K went on to break several of Knight's coaching records. 

NCAA Tournament Success: Coach K has won the NCAA Tournament five times at Duke (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015).

The team made 12 Final Fours, including a streak of five straight Final Fours from 1988 and 1992, which is the second-longest NCAA streak. Coach K’s 12 Final Fours and 5 NCAA Championships trail only UCLA coach John Wooden.

Duke has also appeared in 26 Sweet 16s and 16 Elite 8s. Krzyzewski holds the record with 35 NCAA Tournament appearances.

In 2005, Coach K won his 66th NCAA tournament game, which broke a record. Coach K holds the record for NCAA Tournament games coached (127) and wins (97) with more games to be played in 2022.

Photo: Courtesy of shadle on Flickr