For Mike Krzyzewski, his basketball career began at a school not known for basketball, but for developing leaders in the military, West Point. Way before he began his successful run at Duke, Krzyzewski developed his leadership talent as a cadet and learned basketball from Bob Knight, one of the best — and controversial — basketball coaches in the game. However, he credits his training and leadership at West Point to his success at Duke, making the Blue Devils one of the best teams in the NCAA and a school where many talented high school players would like to attend and learn under him.
"I don't look at myself as a basketball coach," Krzyzewski is noted as saying. "I look at myself as a leader who happens to be a basketball coach."
He happens to be one of the most effective leaders on the court and through his community leadership and philanthropist interests, is one of the most sought-after speakers to all type of groups. Success, though, didn't come easy, especially under Bob Knight. Krzyzewski, also referred to as "Coach K," learned the skills of the game under Knight at West Point from 1966 to 1969, where he was team captain in 1968-69 that went to the NIT tournament at Madison Square Garden.
Upon graduation, he served in the Army from 1969 until 1974, where he was director of the service basketball team and then coached for two years at the U.S. Military Academy Prep School located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. After obtaining the rank of Captain and serving his obligated military contract, Krzyzewski was called again by Knight to serve as his assistant at Indiana University for the 1974-75 season. Learning again from the all-time wins leader, he soon found himself back at West Point as head basketball coach and this time being an effective leader, guiding the team to a record of 73-59 in five years and one NIT appearance.
"Outside of my immediate family, no single person has had a greater impact on my life than Coach Knight," Krzyzewski said. "I have the ultimate respect for him as a coach and a mentor, but even more so as a dear friend. For more than 40 years, the life lessons I have learned from Coach Knight are immeasurable. Simply put, I love him."
In 1980, it was Duke that gave him a chance to lead a team that is one of the more high-profile Division I programs in the nation. And he answered the call. Over his 28-year career at Duke, he produced three NCAA tournament championships (1991, 1992, 2001), 10 ACC tournament championships, and recognition as leading one of the best basketball programs with 68 career wins in the NCAA tournament and over 800 career victories, well on his way to reaching Bob Knights' 900-plus wins. He also has coached nine 30-win seasons, an NCAA record, and averages 25 wins per season. His success at the college level also opened the door for NBA teams to call him and offer lucrative contract deals, but to Krzyzewski, it's not the money, but teaching students the game that made him stay at Duke.
"Your heart has to be in whatever you lead. It became apparent that this decision was somewhat easier to make because you have to follow your heart and lead with it and Duke has always taken up my whole heart. The allure of coaching in college has no price. It's one of those priceless things. I've never made a decision based on what will get me the most money. It was what was going to give me the most happiness and I've been really happy and fulfilled at Duke," he's quoted as saying about his tenure at Duke. "When my relationship with Duke was put up against my relationship with a storied franchise, I found myself even more committed to what Duke has."
For his dedication to Duke, Krzyzewski has seen the Cameron Indoor Stadium floor named "Coach K Court," the courtyard area outside Cameroon Indoor Stadium named Krzyzewskville, and a new basketball practice facility named Michael W. Krzyzewski Center. He also received the call to head the U.S. National Team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where his leadership will be shown while competing against top teams from around the globe. Even though he credits Bob Knight for showing him the game, he doesn't have the same fiery mold as Knight. He feels that effective communication and leadership is the key to success, also by showing and having the players understand the fundamentals of the game.
One downside to his persona that has been noted by many is that he doesn't like to talk with the media. He's been described as remote and inaccessible to the press and has said many times that he doesn't like the media coverage that Duke gets. Praised for his communication abilities, Krzyzewski has recognized that he will deal with media more openly and be more accessible.
"Communication does not always occur naturally, even among a tight-knit group of individuals," he's quoted as saying. "Communication must be taught and practiced in order to bring everyone together as one."
He's learned the finer points of the game from Knight, leadership from West Point, and success at Duke. Now, he looks to something that will be attainable in a few years — most wins.
"When you are passionate, you always have your destination in sight and you are not distracted by obstacles," he's quoted as saying about winning. "Because you love what you are pursuing, things like rejection and setbacks will not hinder you in your pursuit. You believe that nothing can stop you."
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