Coach K has provided us fans and alumni much joy over last 40 years. His longevity and sustained excellence has no doubt cost the man time with his family, namely Mickie and the girls. First off, thanks to Coach for sacrificing so much of your time and energy for our program. While the earnings and awards must be sweet, we know your real motivation is positively affecting the lives of your players. Perhaps more importantly, thank you to his immediate family for supporting him and the Duke family for so long. I’m sure there were days when the K’s considered taking the foot off the pedal, but somehow some way the Krzyzewskis have climbed this mountain as a unit. We are forever grateful. So as we sit here enjoying the best U20 team of all time, let’s take a moment to recognize the women behind the man behind Duke Basketball.
Thank you Krzyzewski family
- Thread starter DukeDenver
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Also thank you to the Williamson family.
Great thread. I know how much we think of him and appreciate him but we take him for granted. Yes
I said it. We've become so accustomed to winning at a high rate that yes I'm gonna say it we've including my self are spoiled. I know you post Coach K fans get tired of old fart like me saying this but there was a time right after Coach Bubas left and Bill Foster who I might say was a very accomplished coach when being a Duke fan was sort of like a W.F. fan. It was a dark few years and not very many Duke fans at all except the old regime of Duke fans and the younger fans like myself who became fans during the Bubas, Heyman, Mullins, Marin and Verga era and many of us were Duke fans because our parents were. So I've grown to love Coach K very much because he brought our program to where it is second to none. He brought in a great fan base and although it is not enumorus as UK and unc cheater u fans bases it holds its own with a much more knowledgeable and loyal fan base. When Coach K is gone that's when this fan base is gonna realize just how great a coach and person he is. We have ourselves the greatest ever and no one will ever wear his shoes. OFC
I said it. We've become so accustomed to winning at a high rate that yes I'm gonna say it we've including my self are spoiled. I know you post Coach K fans get tired of old fart like me saying this but there was a time right after Coach Bubas left and Bill Foster who I might say was a very accomplished coach when being a Duke fan was sort of like a W.F. fan. It was a dark few years and not very many Duke fans at all except the old regime of Duke fans and the younger fans like myself who became fans during the Bubas, Heyman, Mullins, Marin and Verga era and many of us were Duke fans because our parents were. So I've grown to love Coach K very much because he brought our program to where it is second to none. He brought in a great fan base and although it is not enumorus as UK and unc cheater u fans bases it holds its own with a much more knowledgeable and loyal fan base. When Coach K is gone that's when this fan base is gonna realize just how great a coach and person he is. We have ourselves the greatest ever and no one will ever wear his shoes. OFC
Great post DD.
Those of us who have been fortunate enough to have good, strong, honest and supportive women in our lives, both moms and wives are blessed. I suspect like the rest of us coach’s family life is not always rainbows and butterflies, but without question I think as Duke fans we owe the K family a debt of gratitude for their level of commitment to the Duke program and their support of coach.
Those of us who have been fortunate enough to have good, strong, honest and supportive women in our lives, both moms and wives are blessed. I suspect like the rest of us coach’s family life is not always rainbows and butterflies, but without question I think as Duke fans we owe the K family a debt of gratitude for their level of commitment to the Duke program and their support of coach.
I love Coach K and his family and appreciate all they have done for Duke! It means so much to me and the rest of our awesome fan base!
With Mickit you just will not find a more supportive wife. I feel Coach K really keeps her involved and without a doubt supports him but there is a line that has been drawn mostly concerning his health and it was proved during the 1997 season when our coach had to make that decision of getting his health in order. Mickie's influence had a lot to do with Coach K getting healthy. The season became a wash and Coach K was accused of a lot of silly things but I feel looking back it was the best thing he could have done. Duke has become a better program and he has become a better coach. I don't know how many of you have been to Cameron before but Mickie is always there in her seat being a typical Duke fan. It is no time lower level seat. It is on the second level but lower down. I never would have noticed her unless my Iron Duke buddy had not pointed her out to me. I started watching her and what a fan. I guess she just doesn't want to be close to the bench so she chooses to sit among the fans. His daughters also are supportive. What a great family. Tons of love. OFC
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He's the best ever. Not even close. I hate to think of a day when he's no longer there.
I actually hate it for our younger fans who didn’t get to follow K “back in the day” , he’s done so many amazing things in his life. Some of those games back in the 80’s and 90’s could literally bring you to tears. Back then , the Duke/UNC rivalry was so much more.
When was it that K yelled at Dean Smith during a game and everyone was in an uproar because someone dared to raise their voice to Dean? It was in the 80s.
I remember that. To me it was Coach K telling dean that he was here and you are going to have to deal with it. I do believe that's when unc cheater u nation started to hating Coach K. They just couldn't believe that Coach K had the nerve to start beating the heels on even keel. As a whole they still hate Coach K and actually wish I'll fate to happen to him. OFC
Awesome thread, Denver! Thought it deserved a video. I found a DukeBluePlanet video on Youtube that was titled 'a journey to 1000 wins'. I cut a little footage off, added some callouts, and most importantly added a great song to it. So full disclosure (and credit) on who made the original video.
Coach K is Simply the Best, along with his family, players and the Duke program. Crank up the volume!!!
OFC
Coach K is Simply the Best, along with his family, players and the Duke program. Crank up the volume!!!
OFC
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This is a great thread and great comments from you all. We are so fortunate to have a coach and his family like K. I remember when he was hired, I was so disappointed because I was so sure that Duke was taking the cheap way out by not hiring a name coach like Tom Davis or Lute Olson. It was disappointing enough know that the only other serious candidates were Paul Webb, Bob Weltlich and Bob Wenzel. After having Vic Bubas and Bill Foster, it appeared that Duke was no longer an attractive job. Thank you Tom Butters!
Awesome OAD, great memories! I'm looking forward to this year's team making many more, especially when we curb stomp the Holes!!!
Man! That gave me chills!!! Some awesome memories in that video!!!
Great job OAD, you've done it again! Love your choice of song, and I will be watching that video for a long time. As an OF, you know how your allergies act up and your eyes get to watering?! That happened to me when I watched this video!
Go Duke!
OFC
Great video. Everything you put in is awesome. I've seen it once and so far is Kyle ,smiling and not backing down from the smack talk. I wonder what the dude thought when Kyle just smiled at him. dirt you are amazing and you are simply the best. OFC
Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed it. I must have listened to it 10 times. I love the song, and putting it together with Coach K (and the team) was just about a perfect fit imo. And the video that DukeBluePlanet made (and I used) was terrific, and some of that old footage was the best looking I've ever seen it. Kudos to them for a great job.
OFC
OFC
'89 ACC Tourney final in Atlanta! Scott Williams kept lying on the floor, feigning injuries and K finally got fed up! It was merely stalling tactic to ge some rest during championship game.
Good Lord you spoke the truth here. Its is still a great rivalry but nothing like it was back in the day. I still have games taped on VHS that I still watch from back in the K/Dean days
Mickie probably knows and understands basketball more than a lot of us. I'm sure that's the case with me. Now some of you guys don't be offended or get your boxers all wadded up.. I said a lot of us. I realize we have some brilliant basketball minds on this board.
OFCI know Coach K is working on title #6, but most of us would’ve had 7 or 8 by now if we were allowed to coach from our keyboards.Mickie probably knows and understands basketball more than a lot of us. I'm sure that's the case with me. Now some of you guys don't be offended or get your boxers all wadded up.. I said a lot of us. I realize we have some brilliant basketball minds on this board.
ronald curry did the same thing after he got fouled. Being a poor free throw shooter he moaned and groaned and slowly got off the court while dean had his pick to shoot curry'so free throws for him. It was pitiful. Just plain out pitiful. Can you imagine if in a crunch time game if Coach K told Zanos. " look you are the man but I got Alex sitting here on the bench that's a better free throw shooter than you are. If you get fouled during crunch time and they will do it I want you to grab your knee, ankle , shoulder or any part you chose and start yelling it's killing me, it's killing me at the top of your lungs. I'll go to the refs and say no way are you able to shoot your free throws. I'll get Vrank, Jav, Ques and Justin know the big guys carry you to the bench. Let the trainers look it over. I'll call a time out to make it look really good. We come out of the time out, Alex knocks downd the free throws. You go back in immediately due to our fine medical staff, make a couple of slam dunks and we win the game and hof coach roy williams is whining like a baby. I'll tell him I learned that one dean while smiling. " OFC
Just imagine if he had a twin sister a year behind him in school named Zionell who wanted to play for Duke.
Great job OAD, you've done it again! Love your choice of song, and I will be watching that video for a long time. As an OF, you know how your allergies act up and your eyes get to watering?! That happened to me when I watched this video!
Go Duke!
OFC
Hey OAD, hope you don't mind, but between DD's great post and your awesome Video, I wanted to give anyone that didn't get to see it another chance. Personally, may be my favorite (video & song) of all I have seen! Again, thanks, and for the Duke fans that didn't watch it, trust me, you will love it.
Go Duke!
OFC
Coach K has meant more to my life than anyone else I’ve never been blessed enough to meet. Shaking Mike Krzyzewski’s is number one on my bucket list!
I got to shake his hand at corrupt arena when Duke played the NCAA tourney here. And I said this in another thread already, but I got my hat autographed. I later gave it to a girl.....and I want it back now!! But I have no idea where to even look!!
I got to shake his hand after he destroyed me at racquetball. He is only 35 years older than me so not as embarrassing as losing to the OFC.
Wow!! You actually played racquetball with him?? How did that happen???
After my swimming class let out senior year, I was walking beside the squash courts in the West Campus gym and K asked me to play for 20 minutes to finish his workout. K (at the time was 56 or so) had been playing against a gentleman in his mid 60s, and the older guy had gotten a sore knee. Luckily I had played a decent amount of tennis and ping-pong the previous summer, so I figured those experiences might average out. I was tired from swimming class, but I was also 20 years old so I figured it would be competitive.
It was not competitive. K was clearly frustrated that I couldn't give him a decent game, but I at least made him run a few times. The best moment was afterwards, as a joke, he threw his sweaty towel at me and said something like "Here you go, kid" then immediately started laughing and thanked me for my time. He asked me about my major and where I was from. I sort of regret not getting an autograph (I don't think my cell phone had a camera at the time), but the moment was too good to mess it up by asking. As he was walking away he told me to stick to swimming. Oh and he dropped a few F bombs while we were playing and jokingly asked, "You aren't catholic are you?" I didn't appreciate how funny he was at the time, but looking back on it, the man is hilarious. That moment is one of the main reasons I don't mind still paying off my Duke loans.