March 29, 2004
Coach K
Winning seasons, superb graduation rates for his players and a basketball team that is as close as family are all attributes that reflect on the man who is now in his 24th year as the head coach of the Blue Devils, Mike Krzyzewski.
Although some still stumble with pronouncing and spelling his name, when people speak of the highest level of success in the college basketball world, the name Krzyzewski (Sha-shef-ski) immediately comes to mind.
In 23 years at Duke, Krzyzewski, a 12-time National Coach of the Year, has built a dynasty that few programs in the history of the game can match. The numbers under Coach K are staggering:
Three national championships (1991, 1992, 2001)
12 National Coach of the Year honors (eight seasons)
Six National Players of the Year (seven honors)
Five National Defensive Players of the Year (seven honors)
19 NCAA Tournament bids
16 All-America selections (26 honors)
Nine Final Four appearances (third all-time)
Eight ACC championships
Nine ACC regular season championships
590 total victories (215 ACC wins)
292 weeks ranked among the nation’s top 25 teams
183 weeks ranked among the nation’s top 10 teams
74 weeks ranked number one in the country
60 NCAA Tournament victories (second all-time)
33 NBA Draft selections, including 17 in the first round
11 NBA Lottery picks