Coach K sounds off on current landscape of college athletics, calls for major changes
Mike Krzyzewski believes there needs to be wholesale changes to the landscape of college athletics.
In an appearance on College Hoops Today with Jon Rothstein, the freshly-retired Duke legend sounded off when asked about what the future holds, and why he believes the current structure of college athletics is unsustainable.
“I’ve tried in my time as a head coach, behind the scenes and also heading the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) and being active, really so many of the suggestions coaches have given over the last few decades have fallen on deaf ears. Coaches have never been in the room when decisions are made. It’s an archaic way of running a billion dollar industry,” began Krzyzewski. “We’ve suffered as a result of a poor structure, or lack of.
“Trying to place college basketball in the structure that the NCAA has had is ridiculous. I’m not standing as close now and watching it, because it’s too frustrating.”
Evidently, Coach K believes the house that is the NCAA has collapsed on itself. However, instead of attempting to build a new house, the current structure of college athletics is a series of bandaids and tape holding together broken pieces.
“I don’t understand when you have something this wrong, why you spend so much time discussing rules. The very first thing — our house has collapsed, we should build a new house. We should restructure,” added the legendary coach. “What does that mean? Does football go off on it’s own? Do men’s and women’s basketball form an entity? It can still be under the NCAA umbrella, in some way. For non-revenue and Olympic sports. But these two entities — college football and I think they’re going to make the first move, if there is a move — and men’s and women’s college basketball should combine forces and make rules for liked people. Liked sports. Liked circumstances.
“In other words, not that you like it, but you can’t put everybody under the same umbrella. It doesn’t happen for everybody the same way. Unless we restructure in that manner, I think you’re going to continue to have problems, and continue to put rule bandaids on all these things. So, I think it starts with restructuring.”
Mike Krzyzewski will enjoy retirement. However, five-time NCAA Tournament champion may enjoy it a little more as he watches the NCAA devolve into something he believes puts the future of college athletics as a whole at risk.
Coach K sees the writing on the wall — but it’s no longer his battle to fight.