Sorry, wrasslin’ fans, this column isn’t about Bret “The Hitman” Hart.
This column is dedicated to the career of the best to ever coach the game of basketball, and dare I say sports in general – Mike Krzyzewski, better known to many as Coach K.
Last Saturday, after 42 years of coaching home games at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team, Coach K coached his final home game.
At the end of this season, at the age of 75, Coach K has decided it is time to retire.
While the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season may be over, Coach K still has the ACC and Final Four tournaments left on the schedule before riding off into the sunset.
But those who follow college basketball know that Coach K won’t simply ride off into the sunset, especially not after his team’s performance against the North Carolina Tarheels last Saturday.
Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils gave up the lead in the second half to their long-time rivals, losing by 13 points in what was supposed to be the ultimate going away party for Coach K.
The scene was set for this to happen: Duke playing North Carolina in the final game of the regular season, an early lead in the game, and plenty of pomp and circumstance planned for after the final buzzer.
Instead, North Carolina played the spoiler.
After going to the locker room to talk to his team, Krzyzewski and his family returned to Coach K Court – the court was dedicated in November 2000 – and was seated in front of the capacity crowd of 9,314 waiting to send him off.
Instead, he stood up and walked up to the microphone.
“This isn’t part of the program tonight, but I just want to say that our play today was unacceptable, and I’m sorry.”
Then he walked back to his seat.
Was Krzyzewski upset he lost his last home game? Sure, but losing is not part of Coach K’s DNA.
In 47 seasons of NCAA basketball, 42 of which have been at Duke and five at West Point, Krzyzewski had lost 365 times before last Saturday.
Or about eight games per season.
You see, Krzyzewski is a winner. He’s the most successful coach in NCAA history with 1,196 wins and the only NCAA Division I coach to have won 1,000 games.
And he’s not just a regular season winner, either.
In addition to the 13 ACC regular season titles, Duke has won 15 ACC championships under Krzyzewski’s guidance, along with 12 Final Four appearances and five national titles.
Only one coach has won more national titles than Coach K – the legendary John Wooden of UCLA, who won 10.
Oh, and did I forget to mention the five Olympic gold medals (four as a head coach, one as an assistant) he has won? He’s a winner.
During the post-game ceremony at Cameron Indoor Stadium last Saturday, you could hear a pin drop as Coach K addressed the crowd on hand.
That’s the respect he commands not only from his players, but Duke alumni and students.
Krzyzewski thanked everyone at the university, the community of Durham, and his players over the years for making him a successful coach.
And he thanked his family.
“There were times they could have said I love basketball more than I love them – and they would have been right sometimes – but they didn’t… the only thing more important to me than this game and this school is my family.”
And before he left the court at Cameron for the final time, he mentioned the banners hanging in the rafters, how there will be at least one more as this team was the ACC regular season champions “and hopefully there will be a couple more before we’re done.”
And just like in the movies, the crowd began to chant.
“We want six! We want six!”
No, Coach K won’t be riding off into the sunset, he will be going out in a blaze of glory.
And that would be a fitting ending to the story of the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be to coach college basketball.
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Mike Wilson is the editor of Midwestern Newspapers. Comments and feedback can be sent to mwilson@midwesternnewspapers.com.
