Mike Krzyzewski facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

"Krzyzewski" redirects here. For the Polish family name, see Krzyżewski.

"Coach K" redirects here. For the record producer, see Quality Control Music.

Quick facts for kids
Mike Krzyzewski

Krzyzewski in 2011

Biographical details

Born

February 13, 1947 (age 78)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Playing career

Basketball

Position(s)

Point guard, shooting guard

Coaching career (HC unless noted)

1974–1975

Indiana (assistant)

1975–1980

Army

1980–2022

Duke

Head coaching record

Overall

1,202–368

Tournaments

101–30 (NCAA Division I)
2–2 (NIT)
65–22 (ACC)

Accomplishments and honors

Championships

5 NCAA Tournament (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015)
13 NCAA Regional – Final Four (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015, 2022)
15 ACC tournament (1986, 1988, 1992, 1999–2003, 2005, 2006, 2009–2011, 2017, 2019)
13 ACC regular season (1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997–2001, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2022)

Awards

3× Naismith College Coach of the Year (1989, 1992, 1999)
2× NABC Coach of the Year (1991, 1999)
Clair Bee Coach of the Year (2004)
UPI Coach of the Year (1986)
5× ACC Coach of the Year (1984, 1986, 1997, 1999, 2000)

Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2001 (profile)

College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006

Medal record

Head coach for United States

men's national basketball team
Olympic Games
Gold	2008 Beijing	Team
Gold	2012 London	Team
Gold	2016 Rio de Janeiro	Team
FIBA World Championship
Gold	2010 Turkey	Team
Gold	2014 Spain	Team
Bronze	1990 Argentina
Bronze	2006 Japan
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold	2007 Las Vegas
Assistant Coach for United States
men's national basketball team
Olympic Games
Gold	1984 Los Angeles	Team
Gold	1992 Barcelona	Team
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold	1992 Portland

Michael William Krzyzewski (born February 13, 1947), known as "Coach K", is a famous American former college basketball coach. He was the head coach at Duke University from 1980 to 2022. During his time at Duke, he led the Blue Devils to five national championships.

He also led them to 13 Final Fours, which is the most for any men's basketball coach. His teams won 15 ACC tournament championships and 13 ACC regular season titles. Only UCLA's John Wooden has won more NCAA championships (10) in men's college basketball. Many people think Coach K is one of the greatest college basketball coaches ever.

Coach K also coached the U.S. national team. He led them to gold medals at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics. He was also an assistant coach for the famous "Dream Team" at the 1992 Olympics.

Krzyzewski played basketball as a point guard at Army from 1966 to 1969. His coach there was Bob Knight. From 1975 to 1980, Coach K was the head coach for Army. He is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice. Once for his own coaching career in 2001, and again in 2010 as part of the "Dream Team." He was also inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

On November 15, 2011, Coach K made history. He led Duke to a win over Michigan State. This victory made him the coach with the most wins in NCAA Division I men's basketball history. He broke the record held by his former coach, Bob Knight. On January 25, 2015, Duke beat St. John's. With this win, Krzyzewski became the first Division I men's coach to reach 1,000 wins.

Early Life and Education
Coaching Career Highlights
Life After Retirement
Awards and Special Recognitions
Family and Charitable Work
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Krzyzewski was born in Chicago on February 13, 1947. His parents, Emily and William, were Polish American. He was raised as a Catholic. He went to St. Helen Catholic School and then Archbishop Weber High School in Chicago.

Krzyzewski with coach Bob Knight

He was the captain of the Army basketball team in his final year, 1968–69. He led the team to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Army finished fourth in that tournament.

From 1969 to 1974, Krzyzewski was an officer in the U.S. Army. He directed service teams for three years. In 2005, he received West Point's Distinguished Graduate Award. This award honors successful graduates.

He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1969. He was the first in his family to go to college.

Coaching Career Highlights

Starting His Coaching Journey

After leaving the Army in 1974 as a captain, Coach K began his coaching career. He was an assistant coach for the Indiana Hoosiers. This was during their famous 1974–75 season. After one year, Krzyzewski returned to West Point. He became the head coach for the Army Cadets at age 28. In five seasons, he led Army to a 73–59 record. They also made it to the NIT in 1978.

Leading the Duke Blue Devils

Krzyzewski speaks to reporters after being named Duke's head coach on March 18, 1980.

On March 18, 1980, Krzyzewski became the head coach at Duke University. After a few years of rebuilding, Duke became a top team in college basketball. They made it to the NCAA Tournament 35 times in 36 years. They also had 24 straight appearances from 1996 to 2019.

Coach K has taken his Duke teams to postseason play in 36 of his 39 years. He is the winningest active coach in the men's NCAA Tournament. His record is 100–30, which is a great winning percentage. His Duke teams won 15 ACC Championships. They also reached 13 Final Fours and won five NCAA National Championships.

Krzyzewski cutting down the nets after winning the 1986 ACC tournament

In October 1994, Coach K had back surgery. He tried to coach the 1994–95 season using a special stool. But the pain was too much. He had to take a break from coaching. His assistant, Pete Gaudet, coached for the rest of the season. Years later, Coach K said this break helped him learn to manage his time better.

On February 13, 2010, his 63rd birthday, Krzyzewski coached his 1,000th game at Duke. On March 20, 2011, he won his 900th game. He became the second coach in Division I men's basketball to reach 900 wins. The others were Jim Boeheim and his former coach, Bob Knight. On November 15, 2011, Krzyzewski got his 903rd win. This broke Knight's record for most Division I wins.

Krzyzewski coaching during a 2013 game

On January 25, 2015, Krzyzewski won his 1,000th game. Duke defeated St. John's in Madison Square Garden. He was the first men's coach to win 1,000 NCAA Division I basketball games. On April 6, 2015, Coach K won his fifth NCAA championship. Duke beat Wisconsin in the final game.

On March 19, 2016, Duke won against Yale in the NCAA tournament. This win made Krzyzewski the all-time winningest coach in the NCAA Division I tournament. He had 90 total wins. On November 11, 2017, he won his 1,000th game with the Duke Blue Devils. This made him the first coach to win 1,000 games with one NCAA Division I men's basketball program.

On March 17, 2018, Krzyzewski won his 1,099th career game. He passed Pat Summitt for the most wins by any Division I coach, male or female. On February 16, 2019, he won his 1,123rd game. This made him the winningest coach in college basketball history at any level. He passed Harry Statham. However, on January 21, 2024, Tara VanDerveer passed Krzyzewski with her 1,203rd win.

On June 2, 2021, Krzyzewski announced he would retire after the 2021–22 season. His final home game was on March 5, 2022, against rival North Carolina. Duke lost that game 94–81. Krzyzewski reached his 13th Final Four, passing John Wooden. Duke lost to North Carolina in his final game on April 2, 2022. He finished his Duke career with 1,129 wins and 309 losses.

Coaching the National Team

Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Krzyzewski during a national team practice ahead of the 2012 Olympics

Coach K's teams won three gold medals in the Olympics. He was the head coach of the USA men's national team. He also won gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Championships. He was an assistant coach for the USA teams that won gold medals at the 1984 and 1992 Olympics.

In 2005, he became the head coach of the national team. At the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the USA won the bronze medal. On August 24, 2008, Krzyzewski's U.S. team won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This team was called "The Redeem Team." They had a perfect 8–0 record.

He led Team USA to another perfect 9–0 record at the 2010 FIBA World Championship. They beat Turkey for the gold medal. His team won a second Olympic gold in London in 2012. They defeated Spain 107–100. Coach K has an amazing record of 75 wins and only 1 loss as head coach of the USA National Team. In 2013, he stepped down but then returned to coach through 2016.

NBA Coaching Opportunities

President George W. Bush congratulating Mike Krzyzewski and the 2001 NCAA champions at the White House

During his long time at Duke, Coach K was offered coaching jobs in the NBA at least five times. The first offer came from the Boston Celtics in 1990. He turned them down. The next season, he led Duke to their first national championship.

In 1994, the Portland Trail Blazers wanted him. Again, he chose to stay at Duke. In 2004, the Los Angeles Lakers offered him a big contract. He turned them down to stay with Duke. In 2010, the New Jersey Nets also offered him a lot of money. Coach K again said no and stayed at Duke. In 2011, the Minnesota Timberwolves offered him a job, but he declined. He always chose to stay with the Duke Blue Devils.

Life After Retirement

Even though Coach K retired as Duke's basketball coach in 2022, he still works for Duke University. He continues to use his office there. In 2023, he said he talks to the new coach, Jon Scheyer, almost every day.

After retiring, Coach K focuses on charity work. He works with The V Foundation and the Emily Krzyzewski Center. He also gives speeches and spends time with his family. He made his first appearance at a Duke game after retiring on February 14, 2023.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Krzyzewski embraces Bob Knight after his 903rd win

Coach K has received many awards and honors throughout his career:

NCAA
- Five-time NCAA Champion – 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015
- Three-time Naismith College Coach of the Year – 1989, 1992, 1999
- 13-time ACC Regular Season Champion
- 15-time ACC Tournament Champion
- Five-time ACC Coach of the Year
- The basketball court at Cameron Indoor Stadium is named "Coach K Court" in his honor.

USA Basketball
- Five-time coach of Olympic Gold Medal winning teams – 1984, 1992 (assistant coach); 2008, 2012, 2016 (head coach)
- Two-time FIBA World Cup Gold Medal winner – 2010, 2014
- Two-time FIBA World Cup Bronze Medal winner – 1990, 2006

Halls of Fame
- Two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee – 2001 (individual career), 2010 (with the "Dream Team")
- College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2006)
- United States Olympic Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2009 – with the "Dream Team")
- FIBA Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2017 – with the "Dream Team")
- United States Military Academy Sports Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2009)
- National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame inductee (class of 1991)

Media and Other Honors
- 2001: Time/CNN America's Best Coach Award
- 2011: Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year"
- The United States Military Academy has an award named the "Coach Krzyzewski Teaching Character Through Sports Award."
- In 2014, he received the Order of Lincoln, Illinois' highest honor.
- In 2023, a part of North Carolina Highway 751 was named "Coach K Highway."

Family and Charitable Work

Mickie, Mike, Jamie, Lindy, and Debbie Krzyzewski, circa 1986

Krzyzewski married Carol "Mickie" Marsh in 1969. They have three daughters and ten grandchildren. Mickie was the only one who could convince him to take a break from coaching in 1994–95. She told him he needed to see a doctor because of his back pain. His grandson, Michael Savarino, played basketball at Duke as a walk-on.

Coach K and his family started the Emily Krzyzewski Center. This non-profit organization was named after his mother. It helps students from kindergarten to high school. The center's goal is to inspire students to dream big and become leaders. They help students succeed in school and get into college. This helps break the cycle of poverty in their families.

Krzyzewski and his wife, Mickie, have also raised money for many causes. They support the Duke Children's Hospital and Children's Miracle Network. They also help the V Foundation for Cancer Research. They have also given a lot of money to Duke University. This includes setting up scholarships for students. He also advises the Code of Support Foundation, which helps military families.

In 2012, Coach K received the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award. This award recognized his service and charity work. It honored his positive impact on society.

Images for kids

Krzyzewski with coach Bob Knight
Krzyzewski speaks to reporters after being named Duke's head coach on March 18, 1980.
Krzyzewski cutting down the nets after winning the 1986 ACC tournament
Krzyzewski coaching during a 2013 game
Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Krzyzewski during a national team practice ahead of the 2012 Olympics
President George W. Bush congratulating Mike Krzyzewski and the 2001 NCAA champions at the White House
Krzyzewski embraces Bob Knight after his 903rd win
Mickie, Mike, Jamie, Lindy, and Debbie Krzyzewski, circa 1986