Krzyzewskiville will never be the same.
As first reported by Jeff Goodman of Stadium, Hall of Fame head coach of Duke basketball Mike Krzyzewski will retire after the 2021-2022 basketball season.
BREAKING: Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has decided to retire after this coming season, multiple sources told @stadium. Official announcement expected soon.
The leading candidate to replace K is assistant and former Duke player Jon Scheyer.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 2, 2021
Krzyzewski, who will turn 75 in February, won five national titles at Duke and led the U.S. men’s basketball team to three olympic gold medals. His 1,170 victories make him the winningest Division I coach in men’s college basketball history.
Coach K has spent 41 of his 46 years coaching at Duke, building the program into the blue-blood it is today. Along with being the all-time winningest men’s coach, he’s been to the NCAA tournament 35 times, won 12 ACC regular-season titles, 15 ACC tournament championships, and has 12 trips to the Final Four — tying him with UCLA legend John Wooden for the most ever.
Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will retire at the end of next season
Coach K's streak of 24 straight 20-win seasons was snapped last season. It was the 2nd-longest in D-I history
He has the most wins (1,170) & 2nd-most national titles (5) by a coach in men's D-I history pic.twitter.com/pgOVkjaaom
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 2, 2021
He’s coached over 100 players who have gone on to play in the NBA, including Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, and J.J. Redick.
The announcement sent shockwaves through the college basketball community, as Krzyzewski’s retirement comes not long after legendary North Carolina head coach Roy Williams also stepped away from the game.
“Mike’s been fantastic for the game of basketball, he’s been fantastic for college basketball, he’s been fantastic for the ACC and the greatest rivalry in sports, Duke and North Carolina basketball,” Williams said Wednesday. “He’s been a good friend. He’s been a guy I’ve respected a great deal. He made everybody bring their A-game for years and years and years.”
“In the old days it was a little easier. There weren’t as many teams, there weren’t as many teams in the Final Four,” Williams continued. “I can remember when the ACC was a seven-team league, now it’s 15. He’s just been phenomenal in everything he’s done. The only thing wrong with Mike Krzyzewski is he doesn’t play golf.”
Former players and media members also reacted to the news, honoring the Duke coach.
“All of us have looked at Coach K as the North Star at the Duke program. He has been the most meaningful relationship that all of us have had in basketball and with Duke,” ESPN’s Jay Bilas said on SportsCenter. “To all of us, he is Duke.”
“It is a profound moment for all of us,” Bilas continued. “I am not sure when I played for him if I contemplated how long he would remain there; he’s had opportunities to leave and go into the NBA. The Lakers at one point offered to make him the highest paid coach in sports history. He is inextricably linked with Duke and always will be. For me, I can’t imagine my life without him. I’ve been extraordinarily grateful to have had him in my life and been such a profound influence on me both in basketball and outside of it.”
Hall of Fame announcer Dick Vitale — who has been calling Duke games for decades — also weighed in.
“Just learned on vacation in Maui where we are 6 hrs earlier vs EST that Coach K is stepping down as Coach at @DukeMBB I am not shocked as we saw Roy Williams leave & now Coach K,” Vitale wrote on Twitter. “The instability & wackiness in college hoops doesn’t make for a fun time.”
Just learned on vacation in Maui where we are 6 hrs earlier vs EST that Coach K is stepping down as Coach at @DukeMBB I am not shocked as we saw Roy Williams leave & now Coach K . The instability & wackiness in college hoops doesn’t make for a fun time .
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) June 2, 2021
According to Goodman, Duke assistant Jon Scheyer will be the next head coach of the Duke Blue Devils.
Duke assistant Jon Scheyer has been approved as the next head coach of the Blue Devils, succeeding Mike Krzyzewski, source told @Stadium. There was a mid-afternoon meeting just to rubber-stamp Coach K’s selection.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 2, 2021