As Duke Returned To The Court Tuesday Against Georgia Tech After Their Covid 19 Pause Cameron Indoor Stadium Looked, Sounded Different On The Inside Because There Weren't As Many Fans, Spectators!
Duke University's Cameron Indoor Stadium, the crown jewel of college basketball's classic venues, has become one of the most formidable environments for visiting teams. The Blue Devils have called the iconic venue home for 80 years and have won nearly 85 percent of the games on its hallowed hardwood.
More than a few of those victories have been influenced by the electric atmosphere within its Gothic halls.
Legend has it that it all began with a book of matches, which for a town and a school founded on local tobacco fortunes, seems a promising way to start.
It was on the cover of a book of matches that Eddie Cameron and Wallace Wade first sketched out the plan for Duke's Indoor Stadium in 1935. The story may be a myth (the matchbook has never been found), but then the Indoor Stadium that emerged from those first scribblings lends itself to the propagation of myths.
For more than seven decades, spectators, players and coaches have understood the unique magic of the Indoor Stadium. The building was dedicated to longtime Duke Athletic Director and basketball coach Eddie Cameron, a legend in his own right, on January 22, 1972. An unranked Duke team upset then third-ranked North Carolina, 76-74, after Robby West drove the length of the court to hit a pull-up jumper to win the game.
It's the intimacy of the arena, the unique seating arrangement that puts the wildest fans right down on the floor with the players. It's the legends that were made there, the feeling of history being made with every game. And it's something more than either of these, something indescribable that comes from the building itself. No one who has experienced it will ever forget it.
The Building
Whether or not the matchbook story is true, it is a fact that the official architectural plans for the Stadium were drawn up by the Philadelphia firm of Horace Trumbauer, Architect. Trumbauer was a self-made man, a poor boy who left school at 16 to apprentice himself as a draftsman to a local architect. In 1890, at the age of 22, he opened his own office and quickly rose to prominence in the Northeast. His designs for the mansions and estates of wealthy northeastern magnates brought him to the attention of James Buchanan Duke, North Carolina tobacco baron. Duke commissioned the architect to design his New York town home during the early part of the century.
In 1924, when Duke created the $40 million Duke Endowment that turned Trinity College into Duke University, he called on Trumbauer to design the new University Campus.
In recent years it has come to light that the plans for the campus, as well as designs for later buildings including the stadium, were drawn up not by Trumbauer himself (although his name appeared on all the blueprints) but by his chief designer, Julian Abele, one of the nation's first black architects. Abele, a brilliant architecture student at the University of Pennsylvania, was brought to Trumbauer's attention shortly after his graduation in 1902. Trumbauer was so impressed with Abele's talents that he not only hired him but paid his way through the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Abele stands as the first African-American ever to graduate from the school.
The original design for the Indoor Stadium was significantly less grand than the one from which the building was actually constructed. That first plan called for 5,000 basketball "sittings," and even that number was considered extravagant, at least by Trumbauer, who originally had proposed 4,000 seats. In a letter to Dr. William P. Few, President of Duke, Trumbauer said: "For your information Yale has in its new gymnasium a basket ball (sic) court with settings for 1,600 ... I think the settings for 8,000 people is rather liberal ... the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania seats 9,000."
The original building was a domed structure with 16-feet steel ceiling spans and a 90-by 45-foot playing court. Obviously, Dr. Few must have insisted on something more spectacular.
As important as the size of the Stadium was its external appearance. It was vital that the building be aesthetically integrated with the original West Campus buildings. For this reason, building stone was taken from the Duke quarry in nearby Hillsborough, N.C., where all the stone for the original campus had been found.
Building on the Stadium proceeded quickly. The stone had to be laid in temperate weather, for in extremely cold temperatures, the mortar would freeze. The building was finished in nine months.
Thus the Stadium was ready to be opened by the first of the new year, 1940. The final cost: $400,000 (which Duke finished paying after the football team won the Sugar Bowl in 1945).
The Dedication
Duke's new Indoor Stadium was officially opened on January 6, 1940. Touring the building before the evening ceremony and subsequent game, local city officials were "speechless." Said Chamber of Commerce President Col. Marion B. Fowler, "It is so colossal and so wonderful ... This building will not only be an asset to the university but to the entire community as well." Chamber Secretary Frank Pierson concurred, "There are no superlatives for it."
But Duke's Indoor Stadium was a structure of superlatives. The arena measured 262-feet long by 175-feet wide and was the East Coast's largest indoor stadium south of the Palestra in Philadelphia. Nine fixed steel frames spanned the ceiling at 26-foot intervals, which "provided an exceptionally good sight line." Seating for 8,800 included 3,500 folding bleacher seats on the floor designated, then as today, for the exclusive use of undergraduates. Maximum capacity was 12,000. A total of 16 ramps in the upper level helped prevent bottlenecks. It was according to the program issued the opening night, "one of the most modern and complete physical education buildings in the country."
The building was dedicated before a crowd of 8,000, the largest ever in the history of southern basketball. President William P. Few and Dean William H. Wannamaker presented the Stadium to the University. Dean R.B. House of UNC-Chapel Hill, representing the Southern Conference, also spoke. Aware of the tensions his presence as a member of a rival institution might cause, House affirmed, "I am a Methodist. I aspire to religion, I endorse erudition, and I use ... tobacco ... Hence, I claim to have good personal grounds for being a friend and well-wisher of Duke University." House continued: "... here will be on parade not only Duke University, but also ... youth ... education ... (and) the values of a great and democratic people. Modern games preserve for us the athletic glory of Greece, the executive efficiency of Rome ...."
To the greater glory of Greece, Rome, and particularly Duke University, the Blue Devils beat the visiting Princeton Tigers that night, 36-27.
Renovations
It was in February, 1986, that NBC Sports commentator Dick Enberg told the world about the latest planned renovations for Cameron. "They're going to make a real sports antique out of it ... complete with brass railings and stained glass windows."
For Duke athletic officials watching the Sunday afternoon broadcast of the Duke-Georgia Tech game, this was certainly news. Planned renovations did not, as some rumors indicated, include stained glass windows, but there was a major facelift being planned which included new side walls, a new electronic scoreboard and even brass railings.
Renovations began in 1987. The lobbies and concourse were remodeled during the summer of 1987. Then, in 1988, work began on the interior of the arena. A new electronic scoreboard, new sound system and decorative wood paneling gave Cameron an updated look, while maintaining the original elegance. The addition of 750 new student seats, increasing Cameron's capacity to 9,314, gave the Cameron Crazies, the Duke students who have made a name for themselves as Duke's exceptional "sixth man," a little more room to practice the art of supporting their team creatively.
In the early 1990s, Mike Krzyzewski and Athletic Director Tom Butters decided the time was right to give Cameron an addition with new locker rooms, coaches offices, an academic center and a new Sports Hall of Fame. Several years later, ground was broken for the new Schwartz-Butters Athletic Center after the end of the 1997-98 season. That complex now houses the men's and women's basketball programs, as well as Duke's athletic academic center.
The first part of that expansion and improvement project was the installation of a new floor in Cameron Indoor Stadium after the 1996-97 season. The latest advancements in floor technology were utilized to give the Blue Devils one of the finest playing surfaces in the entire country. Prior to the 1999-2000 season, a new press row was added. Air conditioning was added in 2001-02 and for its 100th season in 2004-05, the concourse was enhanced to celebrate Duke's tradition in men's and women's basketball with the addition of poster displays and all the banners were replaced in the rafters.
Cameron underwent a series of improvements over the summer of 2009 to enhance the gameday experience, while also retaining the revered qualities of the facility as it approached its 70th year as the home of the Blue Devils.
New press row tables were added to include LED technology, while the upper bowl of Cameron saw all 5,649 seats painted Duke blue. Each of the distinctive brass railings that surround the arena were refurbished prior to the beginning of the 2009-10 basketball season.
In 2016, a two-story addition measuring 14,200 square feet came online on Cameron's south side. The first floor features a new lobby and exhibit space, as well as two new areas for ticket operations. The second floor of the new addition houses the Champions Club, a hospitality space with a capacity of roughly 250.
Today
Originally the largest indoor arena in the South, Cameron is today one of the smallest in the nation. Nevertheless, its stature grows from year-to-year. Sellout crowds, top 25 rankings and championships of every variety have become the norm. The "creative harassment" of student spectators has given Duke the honor of being known as "one of the toughest road games in the USA," according to USA Today and any visiting team that has ever played in Cameron. In its June 7, 1999, issue, Sports Illustrated rated Cameron Indoor Stadium fourth on a list of the top 20 sporting venues in the world in the 20th Century, ranking ahead of such notables as Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and Pebble Beach Golf Club.
The Blue Devils have had an amazing amount of success in Cameron. In 1999-2000, Duke established both the Atlantic Coast Conference and school record by extending its home winning streak to 46 games.
Despite the changes that have taken place, Cameron Indoor Stadium has remained very much the same over the last 70+ years. New seating, high tech electronics and a fresh coat of paint have not altered, but rather enhanced, Cameron's most enduring characteristic ... its spirit. It is still a building of superlatives.
Excerpted from "Home Court - Fifty Years of Cameron Indoor Stadium" by Hazel Landwehr.
“according to an article on goduke.com
When I think about Cameron Indoor Stadium I think of 9, 314 fans, spectators cheering on the Duke Men’s Basketball through victory defeat no matter if they’re way ahead of their opponent .
As the Duke Men’s Basketball team returned to the hardwood on Tuesday night against Georgia Tech after their Covid -19 pause looked different, sounded different on the inside.
Why?
Because their weren’t 9,314 fans, spectators cheering on the Duke Men’s Basketball team verses Georgia Tech, there were empty seats and a couple of players from time had to get the crowd into it.
An example?
Theo John who is a Graduate Transfer from Marquette. He only played 4 minutes, he was 0-2 contributed 1 rebound 0 points.
“according to espn.com
Though he didn’t get much playing time verses Georgia Tech he tried to get the fans, spectators who were there involved the game every play by showing his passion for the game, his support for his team, his teammates and we as fans, spectators should do the same.
Why?
Because it’s Mike Krzyzewski’s last season as Head Coach of the Duke Men’s Basketball Program before Jon Scheyer who currently is the Associate Head Coach becomes the Head Coach. Though the coronavirus pandemic is still affecting us in the United States, around the world Mike Krzyzewski deserves to see the stands packed with supports!
As fans, spectators, supporters of Duke we need to be better going forward about showing up on game days this season in Mike Krzyzewski’s final season as Head Coach.Starting with the Miami game on Saturday and the remainder of the season upload your covid vaccination card to www.dukecheckin.com on game day for entry as well as your tickets, bring your mask and cheer on the Duke Men’s Basketball led by Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski in his final season because Mike Krzyzewski deserves the support in his final season as the Duke Head Coach!
Why?
In 41 seasons at Duke, Mike Krzyzewski – a Naismith Hall of Fame coach, five-time national champion and 12-time Final Four participant – has built a dynasty that few programs in the history of the game can match.
No coach in Division I men’s basketball history has won more games than Coach K’s 1,170.
Krzyzewski owns an 1,170-361 record in 46 years as a head coach, including a 1,097-302 mark in 41 seasons at Duke. The numbers that illustrate Coach K’s career are simply staggering:
Five national championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015)
Six gold medals as head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team
Nine National Players of the Year (11 honors)
Six National Defensive Players of the Year (nine honors)
10 consecutive top-10 AP poll finishes (1997-06)
12 National Coach of the Year honors (eight seasons)
12 Final Four appearances (tied for most in NCAA history)
12 ACC regular season championships
15 ACC Tournament championships (most in league history)
28 NBA Lottery picks (most in Draft history)
35 NCAA Tournament bids (most by one coach)
37 All-America selections (51 honors)
67 ACC Tournament wins (most in league history)
68 NBA Draft selections, including 42 first-round picks
97 NCAA Tournament wins (most in NCAA history)
126 weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP poll (most by a coach in poll history)
517 ACC wins (most in league history)
556 weeks ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll (most by a coach in poll history)
649 weeks ranked in the AP poll (most by a coach in poll history)
1,097 victories at Duke (most in NCAA history at one school)
1,170 career wins (most in NCAA history)
Uncommon Winning
From his first career win as head coach at Army on Nov. 28, 1975, to his 1,170th over Louisville in the 2021 ACC Tournament, Krzyzewski has set the standard for winning in Division I men’s basketball.
Coach K became the Division I men’s career wins leader on Nov. 15, 2011, at Madison Square Garden, moving past his former coach Bob Knight with his 903rd victory. His historic 1,000th career victory came against St. John’s at The World’s Most Famous Arena on Jan. 25, 2015, as he became the first Division I men’s basketball coach to achieve a four-figure win total.
Krzyzewski’s 1,097 victories at Duke are an NCAA record by a coach at one school. With 1,097 of the Blue Devils’ 2,214 all-time victories, Coach K has presided over nearly half (49 percent) of the men’s basketball wins in Duke history.
Duke made history under Krzyzewski’s watch by winning an NCAA four-year-record 133 games from 1998-01; the Blue Devils’ total, which came against just 15 losses in the timeframe, surpassed the previous record of 132 held by Kentucky.
Krzyzewski has averaged 27 wins per season during his tenure in Durham and established NCAA career records with 36 20-win seasons and 15 30-win campaigns.
Krzyzewski has won a league-record 517 ACC games (regular season and tournament), passing former North Carolina head coach Dean Smith (422) on Feb. 4, 2015. He has also won an ACC-record 192 conference road games.
Hanging Banners
The crown jewels of Krzyzewski’s tenure at Duke are the five NCAA championship banners that hang in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Coach K’s five national championships are the second most in NCAA history, trailing only the 10 won by former UCLA coach John Wooden. He is one of just two coaches since 1975 to lead a team to back-to-back national titles (1991 and 1992).
Krzyzewski and former Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun are the only coaches in NCAA history to win national championships in three different decades.
Each of Krzyzewski’s five national title teams at Duke has blazed its own trail to the top of the ladder:
The 1991 team knocked off top-ranked and undefeated UNLV, which was riding a 45-game win streak, in the national semifinals before outlasting Kansas to capture the crown
The 1992 team held the No. 1 ranking for each of that season’s 18 AP polls and capped off a 34-2 season with a 20-point win over Michigan in the national championship game
After a home-finale loss to Maryland for one of the best senior classes in Duke history in 2001, the Blue Devils roared to 10 consecutive victories to end the season; Duke got revenge on Maryland – erasing a 22-point deficit -- in the national semis before a memorable win over Arizona to claim the crown
The 2010 team was largely ignored as a title contender prior to the season but rode the second-best scoring defense in program history – 61.0 points per game – and the nation’s highest-scoring trio in Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith to the program’s fourth championship
The 2015 team started three freshmen and leaned on the senior leadership of Quinn Cook, winning 18 of its last 19 games with just eight recruited scholarship players to put a fifth banner in the Cameron rafters
Coach K’s banner-hunting mentality has also translated to unprecedented success on the ACC level.
Duke’s historic four-games-in-four-days run to the 2017 ACC Tournament championship was its record 14th under Krzyzewski’s guidance. He also finished that title run in Brooklyn with a league-record 61 ACC Tournament victories. He has since extended those records with his 15th ACC Tournament championship in 2019 and 67 career ACC Tournament wins through 2021.
From 1999-03, Duke won a league-record five consecutive ACC Tournament championships. The Blue Devils captured 10 ACC Tournament crowns in a 13-year period from 1999-11.
Coach K first led Duke to the ACC regular season title in 1986 and has since increased that total to 12 league titles. From 1997-01, the Blue Devils either won the league outright or shared the crown in five consecutive seasons. In the decade-long stretch from 1997-06, Duke captured seven regular-season conference championships.
Knocking on the Door
Championships are won in March and, as Coach K constantly reminds his players, there are no free passes into the NCAA Tournament. Berths are earned on merit and Coach K has led the Blue Devils into the NCAA Tournament 35 times – more than any other coach in NCAA history.
Coach K took Duke to the NCAA Tournament in 24 consecutive years from 1996 to 2019 -- the longest streak in NCAA history, surpassing Dean Smith’s 23 consecutive appearances from 1975 to 1997.
Krzyzewski has done much more than just get his teams into the NCAA Tournament. He and his Duke teams have thrived on the biggest stage in college basketball.
Krzyzewski holds NCAA Tournament records for games coached (127) and wins (97) while ranking second all-time and leading active coaches with a .764 NCAA Tournament winning percentage (min. 20 games). He has reached the Sweet 16 on 25 occasions, six more than any other coach in NCAA history, and has advanced to the Elite Eight 16 times.
Coach K has been a fixture at the Final Four during his Duke tenure, reaching the final weekend 12 times to tie Wooden for the most in NCAA history. His nine national championship game appearances, 21 Final Four games and 14 Final Four wins are all the second-most in the history of the tournament.
Krzyzewski piloted the Blue Devils to five consecutive Final Fours from 1988-92, capturing Duke’s first two national championships during that stretch. From 1998-02, Duke earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament an unprecedented five years in a row. Duke's eight No. 1 seeds under Coach K are the most by a coach in NCAA Tournament history.
Inspiring Greatness
Coach K’s leadership and accomplishments have inspired generations of Duke players to strive for heights rarely seen in college basketball.
Nine Duke players have combined to earn 11 National Player of the Year honors during Krzyzewski’s tenure, an NCAA record for total NPOY honors by one coach.
From the time Johnny Dawkins claimed the Naismith Trophy in 1986, the list of Duke’s National Players of the Year has grown to include Danny Ferry (1989), Christian Laettner (1992), Elton Brand (1999), Shane Battier (2001), Jason Williams (2001, 2002), J.J. Redick (2005, 2006), Marvin Bagley III (2018) and Zion Williamson (2019).
Battier and Williams shared the major awards in 2001 to become the first duo from the same team to both lay claim to National Player of the Year recognition. Williams became the seventh player in NCAA history to repeat National Player of the Year in 2002 and Redick became the eighth to do so when he garnered the honors in 2005 and 2006.
Coach K has also mentored a group of six players to an NCAA-record nine National Defensive Player of the Year awards during his tenure in Durham. The Blue Devils’ nine honors are more than double the next-closest team in college basketball.
Krzyzewski protégés won the first two National Defensive Player of the Year awards, as Tommy Amaker earned the inaugural honor in 1987 and Billy King followed up in 1988. Grant Hill (1993) and Steve Wojciechowski (1998) added to the list before Battier joined Tim Duncan as the only players to win three consecutive National Defensive Player of the Year awards, garnering the trophy in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
Shelden Williams parlayed his dominant rebounding and shot-blocking prowess into NDPOY accolades in both 2005 and 2006, becoming one of just six players in the history of the award to win it multiple times.
Coach K also has a history-making track record with the youngest members of his program, tutoring a total of six players to National Freshman of the Year honors, including one in five of the last eight seasons.
Luol Deng was Duke’s first National Freshman of the Year in 2004, followed by Jabari Parker and Jahlil Okafor in 2014 and 2015, respectively. With recent winners including Bagley (2018), Williamson (2019) and Vernon Carey Jr. (2020).
Five have earned the Wayman Tisdale Award presented by the USBWA, and three have garnered the NABC National Freshman of the Year honor. Duke’s five honors are the most in the history of the Tisdale Award, which originated in 1989, while the Blue Devils own of three of the four NABC honors since the award’s inception in 2017.
Producing All-Americans has become the norm at Duke under Coach K, who has mentored a group of 37 players who have combined to earn 51 All-America honors. He has coached an All-American in 32 of his 41 seasons at Duke, including in 13 of the last 14 seasons.
In his time in Durham, Krzyzewski has coached 23 players who have been named consensus All-Americans a combined 30 times. A storied list of players who have earned consensus first-team All-America honors under Coach K includes Dawkins, Ferry, Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Hill, Chris Carrawell, Battier, Jason Williams, Redick, Nolan Smith and most recently Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. Williamson and Barrett became the first freshman teammates in NCAA history to earn consensus first-team All-America honors.
Duke has accounted for the last three occurrences nationally of teammates earning consensus first-team All-America honors in the same season -- 2001 (Battier and Jason Williams), 2006 (Redick and Shelden Williams), 2019 (Barrett and Williamson).
Krzyzewski has coached 12 Duke players to a total of 14 ACC Player of the Year awards, led by two-time winners Ferry and Redick. Okafor made history in 2015 when he became the first freshman to collect ACC Player of the Year honors. Bagley became the second in 2018, followed by Williamson in 2019. Williamson also became the ACC's first freshman to be named the ACC Player of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP in the same season.
In 2020, Duke became the ACC’s first program to seize the league’s three top awards with Tre Jones as both the ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and Carey as the Freshman of the Year.
Coach K has led nine Duke players to ACC Freshman of the Year honors – including six of the last eight in Parker (2014), Okafor (2015), Brandon Ingram (2016), Bagley (2018), Williamson (2019) and Carey (2020). A total of four ACC Defensive Players of the Year have come under Coach K’s watch with Shelden Williams winning in 2005 and 2006, DeMarcus Nelson in 2008 and Tre Jones in 2020.
Krzyzewski has proven to be the standard bearer in the coaching profession for attracting the most top-end talent, as he has enticed 84 McDonald’s All-Americans to play for him at Duke – the most all-time by a coach. Duke has signed at least one McDonald’s All-American in each of the last 38 years, the longest streak in the nation by 26 years.
Five Duke signees have claimed at least a share of MVP honors at the McDonald’s All-American Game: Bobby Hurley (1989), Redick (2002), Josh McRoberts (2005), Okafor (2014) and Frank Jackson (2016).
Ricky Price (1994), Gerald Henderson (2006), Grayson Allen (2014), Jackson (2016) and Zion Williamson (2018) have each won the McDAAG dunk contest; Chris Collins (1992), Trajan Langdon (1994), Nate James (1996), Battier (1997), Chris Duhon (2000), Redick (2002), Ryan Kelly (2009), Rasheed Sulaimon (2012), Luke Kennard (2015) and Cam Reddish (2018) have won the three-point contest; Nolan Smith (2007), Tyus Jones (2014) and Jayson Tatum (2016) have each won the skills contest.
The Morgan Wootten Award is presented to the nation’s top high school senior, and the Blue Devils’ nine – all coming under Coach K – lead the nation.
Ranking Among the Best
Duke has been a fixture in the Associated Press poll during Coach K’s career. Of the 1,399 games Krzyzewski has coached at Duke, 1,238 – 88.5 percent – have been as a ranked team. The Blue Devils are 1,007-231 (.813) as a ranked team under Coach K.
Duke has spent 126 weeks at No. 1 in the AP poll, 556 weeks in the top 10 and 649 weeks in the top 25 under Coach K, all of which lead active coaches. Three of the 10-longest rankings streaks in AP poll history have come at Duke under Krzyzewski’s direction, including a 200-week streak from 1996-07 that stands as the third-longest in history.
Coach K has taken top-ranked Duke teams into games on 254 occasions and compiled a 219-35 (.862) record as the AP’s No. 1 team, ranking first in poll history in both number of games and number of wins as coach of a top-ranked squad.
He has guided Duke to the top of the poll at least one time in a poll-record 20 different seasons. From 1999-02, Coach K’s Duke teams finished No. 1 in the season’s final AP poll an unprecedented four consecutive times. Since he first led the Blue Devils to the top of the poll in 1986, Coach K’s Duke teams have finished the season ranked No. 1 eight times – more than double the next-best team in that timeframe.
Duke also achieved at least one No. 1 ranking in seven straight seasons from 1998-04, the second-longest streak in poll history.
Strength at Home
Cameron Indoor Stadium has always been a formidable mountain for visiting teams to climb, but that has taken on new meaning during Krzyzewski’s time in Durham. The Blue Devils have an active streak of 472 consecutive sellouts at Cameron that dates back to Nov. 26, 1990, and stands as the longest in either college basketball or the NBA.
Coach K has accrued a 557-73 (.884) record and orchestrated 11 undefeated seasons at Cameron. His 500th victory at Duke’s fabled home arena came in a victory over Pittsburgh on Feb. 4, 2017.
Krzyzewski’s Duke teams have been particularly inhospitable to visiting non-conference teams since he arrived on campus. The Blue Devils have won 282 of their last 288 non-conference home games and are 297-11 (.964) versus non-conference teams at Cameron under Coach K, including a streak of 150 consecutive non-conference home wins that ended in 2019-20.
Each of the five-longest home winning streaks in Duke history have come during the Krzyzewski Era, including an ACC-record 46-game run from Jan. 13, 1997, to Feb. 9, 2000.
Given his accomplishments in Duke’s home venue, it was only fitting that the university officially named Cameron Indoor Stadium’s playing surface Coach K Court on Nov. 17, 2000.
Next-Level Preparation
Under Coach K, the NBA Draft has become an annual rite of passage for Duke players into the highest level of professional basketball.
Krzyzewski has tutored 68 NBA Draft picks during his time at Duke, including a total of 42 first-round selections that leads all active coaches. Duke has had at least one player taken in 34 of the 41 NBA Drafts during the Krzyzewski Era.
Since the inception of the NBA Draft Lottery in 1985, Coach K and Duke have produced 28 lottery picks – a draft-record total for both a school and a coach. The feat is even more impressive when considering that the rest of the field had a four-year head start on Duke before Danny Ferry became the school’s first lottery pick in 1989.
Coach K has placed 14 freshmen in the NBA Lottery, including at least one in six of the last eight drafts: Corey Maggette (1999), Deng (2004), Kyrie Irving (2011), Austin Rivers (2012), Parker (2014), Okafor (2015), Justise Winslow (2015), Brandon Ingram (2016), Jayson Tatum (2017), Bagley III (2018) and Wendell Carter, Jr. (2018), Williamson, Barrett and Cam Reddish (2019).
The NBA Draft experienced a first in 1999 courtesy of Coach K’s Blue Devils as Brand (1st), Langdon (11th), Maggette (13th) and William Avery (14th) made Duke the first program to have four players selected in the first round of a single draft. Twice have two Coach K protégés joined rare company as Jason Williams (2nd) and Mike Dunleavy (3rd) in 2002 and Williamson (1st) and Barrett (3rd) in 2019 became just the second and third set of teammates all-time to be taken among the top three picks of an NBA Draft. With three of the top 10 picks in 2019, Duke became just the second college in Draft history to accomplish the feat.
Through the 2020-21 season, Coach K’s former Duke players have accumulated more than $2.5 billion in NBA contracts. Lottery selections who played for Krzyzewski at Duke have combined to earn nearly $2 billion in contracts, an average of nearly $70 million per individual.
Focus on the Classroom
The term “student-athlete” is not one that is taken for granted in Coach K’s Duke program. Krzyzewski’s charges have combined to earn All-ACC Academic Team honors 81 times during his tenure, including at least one in each of the last 27 seasons.
The 2015 NCAA Championship featured a program-high five All-ACC Academic honorees. Quin Snyder, Amile Jefferson and Grayson Allen are the only players in Duke history to earn All-ACC Academic honors four times. Jefferson, a three-time captain, departed the university in 2017 with both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Krzyzewski has had six players collect a total of nine CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, headlined by two-time first-team honorees Battier (2000, 2001) and Mason Plumlee (2012, 2013). Allen became the sixth in 2016 when he garnered second-team accolades, joining Greg Paulus, Mike Dunleavy and Quin Snyder.
In 2015, Battier became the first of Coach K’s players to be inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
Krzyzewski has been an executive-in-residence at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business since 2001 and helped found the Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics (COLE).
Recognition
Fittingly, Coach K has earned nearly every award imaginable. The crown jewel of that haul, however, came in 2001 when he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Since his enshrinement in Springfield, Mass., Krzyzewski has also been inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame (2009), the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame (2010) and the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame (2011).
Coach K has been named National Coach of the Year by major organizations a dozen times in eight different seasons, most recently in 2001. In 2004, he was named the Claire Bee Coach of the Year, an award that honors the active Division I men’s basketball coach who has made the most significant positive contribution to the sport during the preceding year.
He has been voted ACC Coach of the Year five times, most recently in 2000. His five ACC COY awards are the second-most in league history.
Coach K has also been the recipient of the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award (2012) and the Lapchick Character Award (2015).
Numerous publications have singled out Coach K for his extraordinary leadership and accomplishments, beginning in 1992 when The Sporting News made him the first college coach to earn its Sportsman of the Year honor. In a 2001 joint venture, TIME and CNN dubbed Krzyzewski “America’s Best Coach;” the outlets’ criteria for the honor did not limit candidates to any sport or level of competition.
Coach K was named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 2011. He shared the cover with Pat Summitt, the late, legendary Tennessee women’s basketball coach. In 2008, Nike honored Duke’s longtime coach with the Michael Krzyzewski Fitness Center – a state-of-the-art, 47,000-square foot facility on Nike’s campus in Portland.
In 2020, Make-A-Wish America presented the Chris Greicius Award to Coach K and Duke, recognizing the exceptional wish-granting support exemplified by his program in helping create life-changing wish experiences for children fighting critical illness. The Blue Devils, who have been grating Make-A-Wish wishes for over a decade, became the first collegiate program nationally the earn the honor.
Long known for his patriotism, Krzyzewski has received several awards in recognition of his service to the United States.
In 2005, he became the youngest recipient of the Distinguished Graduate Award at the United States Military Academy. He was also the recipient of the Marshall Medal in 2014, the highest award presented by the Association of the United States Army. The Marshall Medal is awarded annually to an individual who has exhibited selfless service to the United States of America.
Coach K has been named USA Basketball Coach of the Year seven times (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016). He also received the United States Sports Academy’s Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award in 1992, 2009 and 2012.
Representing the USA
While establishing Duke as one of college basketball’s dynastic programs, Krzyzewski simultaneously spent more than decade as one of the architects of the revitalization of USA Basketball. Following his appointment as head coach of the United States National Team on Oct. 26, 2005, Coach K presided over one of the golden eras of USA Basketball.
During his tenure at the helm of the program, the U.S. National Team amassed an extraordinary 88-1 record and claimed gold medals at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2010 FIBA World Championship, 2012 London Olympics, 2014 FIBA World Cup and 2016 Rio Olympics, as well as a bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Coach K was 24-0 in the Olympics as head coach of the USMNT and his time at the helm ended with the team in the midst of a National Team-record 76-game winning streak that began in 2006.
When combined with his five NCAA championships, Krzyzewski’s three Olympic gold medals and two World Cup golds give him a total of 10 major championships during his head coaching career. That total is tied for second-most all-time, just one behind the 11 (all NBA) championships won by Phil Jackson.
Coach K finished his tenure as U.S. National Team head coach with a flourish in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, defeating Serbia for the Olympic gold medal. With the win, he became the first coach – man or woman – to lead a country to three Olympic basketball gold medals – and did so consecutively.
The history made in Rio almost never was, as Coach K announced that he would not return as USMNT coach following the USA’s record-setting performance to win the gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012. Jerry Colangelo’s persistence paid off in May 2013 when Coach K announced that he would return for a third term.
Krzyzewski’s first Olympics as head coach – the 2008 Beijing Games – was nearly as important for its perception-altering effect on the U.S. National Team as it was for the gold medal the squad brought home. The squad won over fans with its unselfishness on the court, patriotic support of Team USA as a whole and first-class demeanor throughout the tournament – all signature Coach K values.
The historic accomplishments of the Krzyzewski Era of USA Basketball also applied to the FIBA World Championship (later renamed the FIBA World Cup).
Coach K led the U.S. to the top of the podium at the 2010 World Championship to claim the Americans’ first gold at the event since 1994. There was no drop-off when the 2014 event rolled around as Krzyzewski presided over a second consecutive world title for the U.S. With the repeat victory, the U.S. became only the third country to win back-to-back FIBA world titles since the event was initiated in 1950.
While Coach K’s tenure at the helm of the U.S. National Team is one of the bright spots in USA Basketball history, his affiliation with the sport’s governing body in the U.S. stretches back nearly four decades.
After getting his start in 1983 at the National Sports Festival – winning a gold medal – and the Pan Am Games, Krzyzewski was a special assistant to mentor Bob Knight on the 1984 Olympic Team that captured gold in Los Angeles.
Coach K was also an assistant on the “Dream Team,” potentially the greatest team ever assembled and the gold medal-winning squad at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. In all, Krzyzewski was a member of five gold medal-winning Olympic coaching staffs during his international career and helped the United States to a 40-0 record in those tournaments.
Duke players have also had a prominent impact in the Olympics as 11 of Krzyzewski’s former players have competed in the Games for six different countries, including the most recent 2020 Olympics in Tokyo where Jayson Tatum won gold with Team USA.
Six of Coach K’s former players – Brand, Duhon, Irving, Laettner, Parker and Shelden Williams – have been named USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year.
The Coaching Tree
Sustained success under Coach K has resulted in coaching opportunities for several of his former players, as well as his former assistant coaches from both Duke and Army. More than 20 of Coach K’s former players or assistants are currently either coaching or working in front office roles across professional and college basketball.
Ten of Coach K’s former players or staff are currently Division I head coaches: Tommy Amaker (Harvard), Kenny Blakeney (Howard), Mike Brey (Notre Dame), Jeff Capel (Pittsburgh), Chris Collins (Northwestern), Johnny Dawkins (Central Florida), Bobby Hurley (Arizona State), Nate James (Austin Peay), Greg Paulus (Niagara) and Mike Schrage (Elon).
Quin Snyder is currently the head coach of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, headlining a long list of former players, staff and managers that are connected to the NBA. That list also includes Grant Hill as part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks, Elton Brand as general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers and Trajan Langdon as general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Krzyzewski has shown a firm commitment to taking care of his own, having at least three former Duke captains on his staff every season since 1996-97. The Blue Devils have won three NCAA titles, 12 ACC Tournament championships and eight ACC regular season crowns during that time.
The current staff of Scheyer (associate head coach), Chris Carrawell (assistant coach) and Nolan Smith (assistant coach) all held the captain role during their playing careers at Duke.
Giving Back
Krzyzewski has been diligently committed to public service, both locally and nationally, throughout his coaching career. He is currently serving on boards for, while also assuming vital roles with, the Duke Children’s Hospital, the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research, the NABC Foundation, the CEO Roundtable on Cancer and the Emily Krzyzewski Center.
On Jan. 18, 2014, former President and co-founder of C-Change George H.W. Bush traveled to Durham to recognize Krzyzewski for his personal commitment and leadership in working to eliminate cancer as a public health threat. Coach K followed President Bush as honorary co-chair of C-Change from 2006-15, when the organization reconstituted.
Coach K is on the board of the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research and has been active in the foundation since its inception in 1993. He and his wife, Mickie, have hosted the V Foundation Napa Valley Wine Celebration a record 14 times, an event that has raised tens of millions of dollars for cancer research.
An honorary chairman of the Duke Children’s Hospital, Coach K participates in the Children’s Hospital Radiothon and has been active in past events such as the Duke Children’s Miracle Network Telethon and the Duke Children’s Classic.
Coach K’s philanthropic activities also include the establishment and funding of the Emily Krzyzewski Center, a community center in Durham named in honor of his late mother. The Center’s mission is to inspire economically disadvantaged students to dream big, act with character and purpose, strive for academic excellence and reach their highest potential as future citizen leaders.
In May 2018, Coach K and his wife Mickie announced their single-largest philanthropic gift, a $3 million donation to the Emily K Center to kick start a $15 million fundraising campaign for the Durham-based Center. The three-year campaign concluded on December 31, 2020, exceeding its goal by $3.85 million.
In 2002, several former Duke stars, including Grant Hill, Laettner, Battier, Dunleavy and Ferry, returned to campus for the Duke All-Star Charity Hoopla, which helped raise significant funds for the Duke/Durham Neighborhood Partnership and the Emily K Center. Today, the K Academy – Duke’s fantasy basketball camp – annually raises more than $250,000 in support of the Center.
Coach K was recognized as the first winner of the NABC Literacy Champion Award in 2000, earning a $10,000 donation from GTE (now Verizon) to support Duke Athletics’ literacy program, Read with the Blue Devils.
The Duke University culture, its students and its staff are also an important part of Krzyzewski’s life. The university recognized his vital role on campus in 1997 when it awarded him the Medal of Honor – Duke’s highest honor – at the University Founders’ Day Convocation.
In September 2001, he and Mickie created the Krzyzewski Family Scholarship Endowment for Duke students from the Carolinas. The $100,000 scholarship, the result of the Krzyzewskis’ gift and additional funds from the Duke Endowment of Charlotte, provides assistance to undergraduates from North and South Carolina.
During the fall of 2002, Coach K received an Honorary Alumnus Award from the Duke Medical Center for his contributions to the Duke Children’s Health Center.
Coach K added another thread to his Duke legacy in 2016 when he was selected to give the commencement address to the university’s graduating class.
Krzyzewski has co-authored a total of five books and has added the title of “best-selling author” to his already lengthy list of accomplishments.
His first venture as an author came with Duke Sports Hall of Famer Bill Brill and was entitled, “A Season is a Lifetime.” The book chronicled the Blue Devils’ 1992 national championship season.
Coach K has authored two books with Texas writer Don Phillips. The first, “Leading with the Heart,” emphasized Krzyzewski’s successful strategies for basketball, business and life. It was released in 2000 and reached the New York Times best-seller list.
He and Phillips teamed up again for “Five-Point Play,” released in the fall of 2001. The book relived Duke’s journey to the 2001 national title.
Coach K and his daughter, Jamie K. Spatola, have also authored two books together. The first, “Beyond Basketball: Coach K’s Keywords for Success,” was released in October 2006. Following the 2008 Olympics, the father and daughter collaborated on “The Gold Standard: Building a World-Class Team,” which featured Coach K’s guide to team building, illustrated with experiences from his three years coaching the team that would ultimately win Olympic gold.
Since 2005, Krzyzewski has hosted an hour-long radio show, “Basketball and Beyond with Coach K,” on SiriusXM. The show, which runs weekly throughout the college basketball season, features Coach K interviewing successful people from various walks of life, including sports, pop culture, politics and more.
Prior to Duke
Coach K’s disciplined, mentally tough teams can be seen as an extension of his own upbringing. Krzyzewski went to West Point and enrolled in the U.S. Military Academy to receive a quality education, play basketball and become an officer in the Army.
From 1969-74, Krzyzewski served his country, directing service teams for three years and serving a two-year stint as head coach at the U.S. Military Academy Prep School in Belvoir, Va. In 1974, he resigned from the Army having attained the rank of Captain.
When Coach K was just 26, Knight, his former coach at Army, offered him a graduate assistantship at Indiana University. That 1975 squad posted an 18-0 mark in the Big Ten and a 31-1 overall record.
Prior to his arrival at Duke in 1980, Krzyzewski spent five years building the program at his alma mater in West Point. He led the Cadets to one NIT berth, one ECAC playoff appearance and an overall record of 73-59.
Coach K Chronology
March 18, 1980 — Mike Krzyzewski is introduced as Duke’s head basketball coach.
Nov. 29, 1980 — Krzyzewski wins his first game as Duke’s coach, 67-49 over Stetson.
Jan. 21, 1981 — A 56-47 win at N.C. State gives Krzyzewski his first victory against ACC competition. Gene Banks plays 40 minutes for Duke, scoring a game-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting.
Feb. 15, 1984 — Duke wins its first game as a ranked team under Coach K, 80-69 over Stetson, and gets its first 20-win season since 1980. David Henderson scores 18 points, making all six field-goal attempts and all six foul shots.
March 10, 1984 — A 77-75 victory over North Carolina, aided by four David Henderson free throws, gives Krzyzewski his first win over a top-ranked team and his first trip to the ACC Tournament title game.
Feb. 27, 1985 — Duke beats Clemson, 90-73, in Durham, to give Krzyzewski his first winning season in the ACC (8-6). Johnny Dawkins scores 19 points, making 8-of-10 field goal attempts and all three of his foul shots.
March 15, 1985 — A 75-62 victory over Pepperdine gives Krzyzewski his first victory in the NCAA Tournament. David Henderson scores 22 points and Johnny Dawkins nets 21.
Feb. 26, 1986 — Playing as the No. 1 team for the first time under Krzyzewski, Duke beats Clemson, 77-69, to set a school record for most victories in a season (28). Johnny Dawkins scores 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting.
March 2, 1986 — An 82-74 victory over North Carolina gives Duke its first ACC regular season title since 1966 and its first perfect home record (15-0) since 1978.
March 7, 1986 — Duke beats Wake Forest, 68-60, in the first round of the ACC Tournament to give Krzyzewski his first 30-win season.
March 9, 1986 — A 68-67 win over Georgia Tech gives Krzyzewski his first ACC Tournament championship.
March 23, 1986 — Duke beats Navy, 71-50, to send Krzyzewski to his first Final Four. Johnny Dawkins scores 28 points, and Duke overcomes a 23-point, 10-rebound effort by David Robinson.
March 29, 1986 — A 71-67 win over Kansas puts Krzyzewski in his first national championship game and makes Duke the first team in NCAA history to win 37 games in a season. The Blue Devils limit Kansas’ All-America Danny Manning to four points on 2-of-9 shooting.
March 31, 1986 — Louisville beats Duke, 72-69, to deny the Blue Devils the national championship. Duke finishes 37-3, setting school records for wins and winning percentage (.925).
March 13, 1988 — A 65-61 win over North Carolina gives Krzyzewski his second ACC Tournament title.
March 26, 1988 — Duke upsets No. 1 Temple, 63-53, to send Krzyzewski to his second Final Four. Kevin Strickland and Danny Ferry combine for 41 points. The Blue Devils limit the Owls to 28.6 percent shooting.
April 2, 1988 — Kansas hands Duke a 66-59 defeat in the national semifinals before a partisan Jayhawk crowd in Kansas City. The Blue Devils finish the year with a 28-7 record.
Nov. 19, 1988 — Duke opens a season as the nation’s top-ranked team for the first time under Krzyzewski, beating Kentucky, 80-55.
March 26, 1989 — An 85-77 victory over Georgetown sends Duke to the Final Four for the second straight season.
April 1, 1989 — Seton Hall beats Duke in the national semifinals in Seattle, 95-78, overcoming an 18-point first half deficit and 34 points by National Player of the Year Danny Ferry. The Blue Devils, who finish 28-8, set a school record for highest field-goal percentage for a season (.537).
Feb. 12, 1990 — A 102-67 rout of Stetson makes Krzyzewski the first Duke coach with seven 20-win seasons in a row.
March 16, 1990 — Duke beats Richmond in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 81-46, making Krzyzewski the Blue Devils’ winningest coach with 227 victories. Coach K also gets his 300th career victory.
March 24, 1990 — Duke becomes the seventh school to earn three straight Final Four trips, beating Connecticut, 79-78, on a 15-foot shot at the buzzer by Christian Laettner.
March 31, 1990 — A 97-83 victory over Arkansas sends Krzyzewski into his second NCAA title game.
April 2, 1990 — UNLV defeats Duke, 103-73, to win the NCAA championship. The Blue Devils finish the season with a 29-9 mark.
Feb. 27, 1991 — Duke beats Clemson, 79-62, to finish 16-0 at home and set a record for most home victories in a season.
March 3, 1991 — An 83-77 upset of North Carolina in Chapel Hill gives Krzyzewski his second regular season ACC championship. Bobby Hurley makes 4-of-6 three-point shots to finish with 18 points and tie Christian Laettner for high scoring honors.
March 24, 1991 — Duke’s 78-61 victory over St. John’s enables Coach K to join John Wooden as the only men to coach in four consecutive Final Fours.
March 30, 1991 — Duke upsets unbeaten UNLV, considered at the time the greatest team in college basketball history, 79-77, to advance to the NCAA championship for the fifth time and avenge its 1990 loss to the Rebels.
April 1, 1991 — Krzyzewski’s 336th career victory gives him his first national title. Duke beats Kansas, 72-65. Christian Laettner is named the most outstanding player, scoring a game-high 18 points and going 12-for-12 from the foul line.
Feb. 1, 1992 — Duke sets a school record for most consecutive wins to open a season (17), beating Notre Dame, 100-71.
March 15, 1992 — A 94-74 victory over North Carolina gives Duke its third ACC Tournament title under Krzyzewski and avenges a 22-point loss to the Tar Heels in the 1991 title game.
March 28, 1992 — In perhaps the best college basketball game in history, Christian Laettner hits a buzzer-beating jumper on a long inbounds pass from Grant Hill, and Duke gets a 104-103 overtime win over Kentucky to earn its fifth straight Final Four appearance.
April 6, 1992 — Duke beats Michigan, 71-51, in front of a record crowd of 50,379 to join UCLA as the only teams to repeat as national champions. The Blue Devils (34-2) become the first team since Indiana in 1976 to stay No. 1 from the preseason ranking through the postseason tournament.
Summer, 1992 — Krzyzewski is an assistant coach to Chuck Daly on the U.S. Olympic team featuring Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Christian Laettner is the lone collegiate player on the “Dream Team,” which wins the gold medal in Barcelona, Spain.
Dec. 7, 1992 — Duke’s 103-72 home victory over Northeastern gives Krzyzewski his 300th win as Duke’s coach, three games into his 13th season.
March 18, 1993 — Duke’s 105-70 first round victory over Southern Illinois is the Blue Devils’ 13th straight win in the NCAA Tournament — the second-longest streak in history.
March 20, 1993 — California ends Duke’s run of five straight trips to the Final Four with an 82-77 win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Dec. 22, 1993 — Krzyzewski gets his 400th career coaching victory, 79-76 over Iowa.
Jan. 10, 1994 — Duke beats Brown, 89-71, in Durham, to earn its 100th victory over a four-year span, then a school record.
March 2, 1994 — Duke beats Maryland in College Park, 73-69, to give Krzyzewski his fourth regular season ACC championship.
March 26, 1994 — Duke upsets Purdue, 69-60, to advance to the Final Four for the sixth time in seven years. Coach K moves into third place on the list of most Final Four appearances, trailing John Wooden (12) and Dean Smith (11).
April 2, 1994 — Playing where it had lost in the second round of the ACC Tournament five games earlier, Duke overcomes a 13-point deficit against Florida to advance to the NCAA title game with a 70-65 victory in Charlotte. Cherokee Parks’ 11 points and 11 rebounds lead Duke to its fifth championship game under Coach K (fourth in five years).
April 4, 1994 — With President Clinton in attendance, Arkansas denies Duke its third championship in four years with a 76-72 victory. Grant Hill has 12 points and 14 rebounds in his last game for the Blue Devils, who go 28-6 for the season.
Nov. 29, 1995 — Duke beats UNC Greensboro, 71-57, to extend its school record for consecutive non-conference home wins to 95 games.
Feb. 27, 1997 — Duke beats Maryland, 81-69, in Durham, to give Krzyzewski his fifth regular season conference championship.
March 14, 1997 — Krzyzewski gets his 400th win at Duke, improving his record to 400-148 with a 71-68 triumph over Murray State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Sept. 1997 — Duke recognizes Krzyzewski’s leadership by awarding him its highest honor — the University Medal of Honor — for his many contributions to the school.
Nov. 26, 1997 — Duke upsets Arizona in the Maui Invitational, 95-87, to give Krzyzewski his fifth victory against top-ranked teams — the most by any active coach.
Feb. 28, 1998 — After watching his Blue Devils rally from a 17-point second half deficit, Krzyzewski gets his 500th coaching victory and his second straight ACC regular season championship with a 77-75 home win over North Carolina. Coach K becomes the 76th coach to win 500 games as the Devils finish unbeaten at home and become the first team to win 15 conference games in a season.
June 26, 1998 — Duke christens the Michael W. Krzyzewski Human Performance Lab. Working with the latest in high-tech instrumentation, a multidisciplinary team of orthopedic surgeons and biomechanical engineers strive to better understand how muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments respond to the pressures of competition.
Feb. 20, 1999 — Duke ties a school record with its 36th straight home victory, a 92-65 rout of Clemson. The Blue Devils go unbeaten at home for the second straight year and fifth time under Krzyzewski.
Feb. 27, 1999 — Duke beats North Carolina by 20 points in Chapel Hill, 81-61, to become the first team to finish 16-0 in the ACC. The Blue Devils set a school record with their 24th straight victory and go unbeaten in the ACC for the first time since 1963.
March 7, 1999 — A 96-73 victory over North Carolina gives Krzyzewski his fourth ACC Tournament title. Duke wins its tournament games by an average margin of 25 points. The win caps a 19-0 ACC campaign for Duke.
March 19, 1999 — Duke beats Southwest Missouri State in the NCAA Tournament, 78-61, to post its 30th straight victory and school-record 67th win over two years. The Blue Devils win 35 games in a season for the second time under Krzyzewski.
March 21, 1999 — An 85-64 victory over Temple earns Duke its eighth Final Four trip under Krzyzewski.
March 27, 1999 — Duke beats Michigan State, 68-62, to advance to the national championship game for the sixth time under Krzyzewski, who improves his record in the NCAA Tournament to 48-13 to pass John Wooden for second place on the all-time list. The Devils improve to 37-1, tying their own NCAA record for most victories in a season.
March 29, 1999 — Connecticut stuns Duke, 77-74, in the national championship game. Though the Blue Devils fall two baskets shy of the title, they achieve school records for highest winning percentage over a two-year period (.920) and for a single season (.949).
June 30, 1999 — Duke becomes the first school in the history of the NBA Draft to have four players from the same team — Elton Brand, Trajan Langdon, Corey Maggette and William Avery — selected in the first round. Brand, who became the first player to be taken number one under Coach K, Langdon and Maggette were lottery picks.
Nov. 1999 — The Duke Basketball Legacy Fund is founded. The Legacy Fund currently has 62 partners making gifts of $1 million or more to the program. The endowed fund will provide full support for one Duke player each year.
Jan. 22, 2000 — Duke gets a 75-61 win at Wake Forest, setting records with its 28th straight ACC regular season victory and 49th ACC regular season victory in a span of four years. The Blue Devils set a school record with their 15th straight ACC road win.
Feb. 9, 2000 — Maryland upsets Duke in Durham, 98-87, to end the Blue Devils’ 31-game ACC regular-season winning streak, their 46-game home winning streak and their 26-game home winning streak against ACC teams.
March 4, 2000 — Duke beats North Carolina in Durham, 90-76, to give Krzyzewski his eighth ACC regular season title — marking only the second time the Blue Devils have won four straight regular season conference championships.
March 11, 2000 — Duke beats Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament semifinals, 82-73, to set a school record with its 119th victory over a four-year span. The Devils advance to the league championship game for the third year in a row and ninth time under Krzyzewski.
March 12, 2000 — Duke wins its second straight ACC championship and fifth under Krzyzewski, beating Maryland, 81-68.
March 24, 2000 — Florida upsets Duke in the NCAA Tournament, 87-78. Though the Devils finish one victory shy of a 30-win season, they post the highest winning percentage over a four-year period in school history (.859; 122-20).
Nov. 17, 2000 — A 98-85 victory over Villanova in Durham gives Krzyzewski his 500th win as Duke’s coach. He becomes just the third coach to win 500 games at one school in 21 seasons or fewer. Following the win, Duke unveils Coach K Court. The words Coach K Court appear in two squares at both ends of the fabled Cameron court.
March 4, 2001 — Duke beats North Carolina in Chapel Hill, 95-81, to become the first team to win at least a share of the ACC regular season title five years in a row.
March 11, 2001 — A 79-53 victory over North Carolina gives Krzyzewski coaching victory No. 600 and his sixth ACC championship.
March 24, 2001 — With a 79-69 victory over Southern Cal, Duke gives Krzyzewski his ninth trip to the Final Four and sets a school record for wins over a three-year period (99).
March 31, 2001 — Duke overcomes a record-setting 22-point first half deficit in a 95-84 victory over Maryland that sends Krzyzewski into his seventh national championship game. He becomes the first Duke coach to amass 100 wins in a span of just three seasons.
April 2, 2001 — Duke beats Arizona, 82-72, to make Krzyzewski the fourth coach to win three NCAA crowns. The Blue Devils become the second team since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams to win every tournament game by at least 10 points. Duke sets NCAA records for wins in a four-year period (133) and all-time NCAA Tournament winning percentage (76.8).
May 30, 2001 — In his first year of eligibility, Krzyzewski is voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He joins Temple’s John Chaney and Texas Tech’s Bob Knight as the only active college coaches to be enshrined.
Sept. 5, 2001 — Krzyzewski and his wife, Mickie, create the Krzyzewski Family Scholarship Endowment for Duke students from the Carolinas. The $100,000 scholarship provides assistance to undergraduates from North and South Carolina.
Sept. 9, 2001 — Krzyzewski is named “America’s Best Coach” — in any sport at any level — by CNN and Time magazine.
Oct. 5, 2001 — Krzyzewski is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. His college coach, Bob Knight, is his presenter, and the pair share a tear-filled reunion in the Springfield Civic Center.
Nov. 14, 2001 — The 54-year-old Krzyzewski signs a lifetime contract with Duke.
Nov. 19, 2001 — Duke opens the 2001-02 season ranked No. 1 in the country, the fourth time under Krzyzewski that it has started a season as No. 1.
Jan. 31, 2002 — Duke beats North Carolina by 29 points, 87-58, UNC’s worst loss in the Dean Smith Center. The Blue Devils become the first team to win four straight games in Chapel Hill, getting their highest margin of victory over the Tar Heels under Krzyzewski.
Feb. 24, 2002 — Duke rolls over St. John’s on Coach K Court, 97-55, to give Krzyzewski his fifth straight 25-win season and 12th overall.
March 4, 2002 — Duke routs North Carolina on Coach K Court, 93-68, to finish unbeaten at home (13-0) for the sixth time under Krzyzewski.
March 10, 2002 — Duke becomes the first school to win the ACC Tournament four years in a row, beating N.C. State 91-61 for its seventh ACC championship under Krzyzewski.
March 14, 2002 — A No. 1 seed for an NCAA-record fifth straight year, Duke gets its seventh straight double-digit win in the NCAA Tournament, 84-37 over Winthrop. The Blue Devils give Krzyzewski his seventh 30-win season, second straight and fourth in five years.
June 26, 2002 — Duke’s Jason Williams (second) and Mike Dunleavy (third) become the second pair of teammates to be taken among the top three picks in an NBA Draft. The Blue Devil duo joined UCLA’s Lew Alcindor and Lucious Allen, who went number one and three, in 1969. In addition, Carlos Boozer is chosen in the second round of the draft.
Jan. 8, 2003 — Duke ascends to the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll for the sixth consecutive season. That night, Duke topples Georgetown, 93-86, at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
March 16, 2003 — Duke earns its league-record fifth consecutive ACC Tournament championship with an 84-77 victory over N.C. State in Greensboro, N.C. Duke’s Daniel Ewing was named MVP of the tournament.
Jan. 3, 2003 — The Blue Devils defeat Clemson, 73-54, on the road as Coach K earns his 600th victory at Duke. He reaches this milestone in 776 games, making him the fourth-fastest coach to reach 600 victories at one school. Only Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp (704), UCLA’s John Wooden (744), North Carolina’s Dean Smith (773), Krzyzewski and Western Kentucky’s Ed Diddle (790) reached 600 victories at one school in less than 800 games.
Jan. 21, 2004 — Following its win over No. 4 Wake Forest on Jan. 17, Duke travels to Maryland as the nation’s No. 1 team for the seventh consecutive season, the second-longest such streak in NCAA history. After its 68-60 win, the Blue Devils hang on to the No. 1 ranking for four weeks during the 2003-04 season.
Feb. 26, 2004 — Duke extends its winning streak in Cameron Indoor Stadium to 41 games with a 97-63 victory over Valparaiso. The Blue Devils’ 41-game home winning streak is the second-longest in ACC and school history behind Duke’s 46-game streak from 1997-2000. It would be ended in its next contest vs. No. 19 Georgia Tech a week later.
March 28, 2004 — Duke outlasts Xavier, 66-63, to win the NCAA Atlanta Regional and advance to its 14th Final Four overall and 10th in the previous 19 seasons under Coach K.
July 1, 2004 — Director of Athletics Joe Alleva holds a press conference to announce that the Los Angeles Lakers have approached Krzyzewski about their vacant head coaching position.
July 5, 2004 — Krzyzewski announces that he has turned down the Los Angeles Lakers’ offer to become head coach. “Duke has always taken up my whole heart,” Coach K stated in a packed press conference that was aired live nationally.
Dec. 12, 2004 — With an 82-54 victory over Toledo in Cameron Indoor Stadium, Krzyzewski picks up his 700th career win. He becomes the second fastest coach to reach the milestone behind Bob Knight.
Jan. 5, 2005 — Duke defeats Princeton, 59-46, behind 21 points from J.J. Redick as the Blue Devils celebrate the 65th anniversary of Cameron Indoor Stadium. The game was played almost exactly 65 years to the day of the first game at Cameron, when Duke beat Princeton by a 36-27 count on January 6, 1940.
March 13, 2005 — Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils celebrate the 2005 ACC Tournament championship with a 69-64 win over Georgia Tech.
March 20, 2005 — Thanks to a 63-55 second round triumph over Mississippi State in Charlotte, Krzyzewski surpasses Dean Smith on the all-time NCAA Tournament victory chart with his 66th win.
Oct. 26, 2005 — Krzyzewski is named the head coach of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program for 2006-08.
March 11, 2006 — With a 78-66 win over Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament semifinals at the Greensboro Coliseum, Krzyzewski posts his 750th career win.
March 12, 2006 — In his 1,000th game as a head coach, Krzyzewski guides Duke to a 78-76 win over Boston College in the ACC Championship game, claiming his 10th conference tournament title.
Feb. 18, 2007 — Krzyzewski records his 700th victory as the Duke head coach with a 71-62 win over Georgia Tech in Cameron Indoor Stadium. He became just the eighth coach to post 700 victories at one school and was the second fastest to do so behind Adolph Rupp of Kentucky.
Sept. 2, 2007 — Coached by Krzyzewski, Team USA won the FIBA Americas Championship gold medal with a 118-81 victory over Argentina. The USA went 10-0 and won by an average of 39.5 points per game. The gold medal win automatically qualified the USA for a trip to the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, China.
March 1, 2008 — Krzyzewski becomes the sixth Division I head coach to reach 800 career wins with an 87-86 win at N.C. State. He was the third fastest coach to reach 800 career victories.
Aug. 24, 2008 — With Krzyzewski at the helm, Team USA reclaimed the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics with a 118-107 victory over Spain. Krzyzewski guided the U.S. squad to a perfect 8-0 record in the Olympics as the team averaged 106 points per game while winning by an average margin on 27.9 points per contest.
March 15, 2009 — Duke captures its 11th ACC Championship under Krzyzewski and 17th overall with a 79-69 victory over Florida State in the ACC Tournament finals at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga. The 17 titles ties Duke for the most in ACC history with North Carolina and is the eighth in 11 seasons for the Blue Devils.
July 21, 2009 — Krzyzewski is named the head coach of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program for 2009-2012. He will become the first U.S. coach of multiple Olympic teams since Henry Iba, who won gold in 1964 and ‘68 and coached the team that lost the controversial 1972 gold-medal game to the Soviet Union.
Sept. 11, 2009 — Krzyzewski is inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame at a plaque unveiling ceremony held in the Kenna Hall of Army Sports inside the Kimsey Center.
Feb. 13, 2010 — Duke earns a 77-56 victory over Maryland in Krzyzewski’s 1,000th game at Duke, which came in the 71st year of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
March 6, 2010 — With an 82-50 victory over North Carolina, the second largest win for Duke in the nation’s biggest rivalry, the Blue Devils claim the 19th ACC regular season championship in school history and set a school record for home victories by finishing the season 17-0 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
March 14, 2010 — The Blue Devils repeat as ACC Tournament Champions by defeating Georgia Tech, 65-61, at the Greensboro Coliseum. With the title Duke passes North Carolina for most ACC Championships with 18, including nine in the last 12 seasons.
March 28, 2010 — Duke defeats Baylor 78-71 in Houston, Texas to advance to the 11th NCAA Final Four under Krzyzewski. Nolan Smith pours in a career-high 29 points in front of 47,000 fans at Reliant Stadium.
April 5, 2010 — Krzyzewski wins his fourth NCAA National Championship at Duke with a 61-59 win over Butler at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Kyle Singler is named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player after recording 19 points and nine rebounds in the championship game. The four championships tie Krzyzewski with Adolph Rupp for second most all-time.
September 12, 2010 — Team USA defeats host Turkey, 81-64, to win the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship. The U.S. team finishes the tournament 9-0 with a +24.9 margin of victory. Kevin Durant, one of six players under the age of 22 on the team, is named tournament MVP after averaging 22.8 points per game for the event.
September 15, 2010 — Krzyzewski is inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. Chicago City Council and Mayor Richard M. Daley also make Sept. 15 “Mike Krzyzewski Day” in Chicago.
November 24, 2010 — Duke defeated No. 4 Kansas State, 82-68, for the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic championship and Krzyzewski’s 800th win at Duke. He became the fifth coach to win at least 800 games at one school.
December 29, 2010 — Krzyzewski passes longtime rival Dean Smith of North Carolina into second on the NCAA all-time victories list, recording his 880th career win in a 108-62 contest at UNC Greensboro.
March 20, 2011 — The Blue Devils held on for a 73-71 victory over Michigan in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to hand Krzyzewski his 900th career win. He joined Bob Knight as the only two coaches with 900 or more career wins.
September 9, 2011 — Krzyzewski is inducted into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame. Coach K is joined in the Hall of Fame class by Ben Bennett (football), Jenny Chuasiriporn (golf), Bobby Hurley (basketball) and Vanessa Webb (tennis).
November 15, 2011 — Duke defeats Michigan State, 74-69, at Madison Square Garden to give Krzyzewski an NCAA-record 903rd career coaching victory. Longtime mentor and previous record-holder Bob Knight calls the game for ESPN. Andre Dawkins makes six three-point field goals in a 26-point effort, while Seth Curry adds 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals in the win.
December 2012 — Krzyzewski is named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. He shares the Dec. 12, 2011 SI cover with women’s basketball coaching icon Pat Summitt.
February 16, 2012 — Duke overcomes a 61-41 deficit with 11:33 to play in a 78-73 win over N.C. State. It is the largest second-half margin Duke has overcame in a victory under Coach K.
April 16, 2012 — Krzyzewski is honored with the USBWA Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award. The Humanitarian Award honors an individual involved in college basketball who has made a significantly positive impact on society.
August 2, 2012 — Team USA sets an Olympic scoring record in a 156-73 win over Nigeria in pool play. Krzyzewski’s group also sets Olympic records for three-pointers (29, including 10 from Carmelo Anthony) and three-point percentage (.630) in the win.
August 13, 2012 — Krzyzewski directs Team USA to a 107-100 win over Spain to claim the London Olympics gold medal. He closes out his tenure in charge of the USA Men’s Senior National Team with a 50-game win streak, while becoming the first U.S. coach of multiple Olympic teams since the legendary Henry Iba, who won gold in 1964 and 1968 and coached the team that lost the controversial 1972 gold-medal game to the Soviet Union.
Dec. 19, 2012 — Krzyzewski is named co-recipient of the 2012 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year Award after leading the USA Men’s National Team to the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. The award is the fifth for Krzyzewski, who also received the honor in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010.
March 5, 2013 — Duke tops Virginia Tech, 85-57, at Cameron Indoor Stadium to give Coach K his 880th career victory at Duke. Krzyzewski moves past former North Carolina head coach Dean Smith into second place all-time in wins at one school.
March 29, 2013 — The Blue Devils defeat Michigan State, 71-61, for their 30th win of the season. Coach K guides Duke to 30 or more wins in a season for an NCAA-record 13th time in his career.
May 23, 2013 — USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo announces that Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will return as head coach of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team for the 2013-16 quadrennium.
June 12, 2013 — Krzyzewski receives the 2013 Dick Enberg Award, presented by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) at the fourth annual Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame Gala in Orlando, Fla.
Jan. 18, 2014 — The 41st President of the United States and co-founder/chairman of CEO Roundtable on Cancer, George H.W. Bush, traveled to Durham, N.C., to recognize Krzyzewski for his personal commitment and leadership in working toward eliminating cancer as a public health threat. Former president Bush witnessed Duke’s 95-60 rout of NC State before recognizing Coach K for his efforts and greeting the Duke team in the locker room following the victory.
Jan. 25, 2014 — Duke tops Florida State, 78-56, at Cameron Indoor Stadium to give Krzyzewski his 900th career victory at Duke, joining Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim as the only other Division I head coach to collect 900 victories at one school.
Sept. 14, 2014 — Krzyzewski leads the U.S. Men’s Senior National Team to a 129-92 win over Serbia in the gold medal game of the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain. Former Duke standout Kyrie Irving is named tournament MVP, while Team USA extends its win streak to 63 consecutive games under Coach K.
Dec. 18, 2014 — Krzyzewski is named USA Basketball Co-Coach of the Year. It was an unprecedented sixth such honor for Coach K (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014).
Jan. 25, 2015 — Krzyzewski becomes the first Division I men’s basketball coach to win 1,000 games as Duke defeats St. John’s, 77-68, at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils went on an 18-2 run down the stretch to put Coach K in four figures on his first try.
Feb. 4, 2015 — Duke outlasts Georgia Tech, 72-66, at Cameron Indoor Stadium to give Krzyzewski his ACC-record 423rd league victory. With the win, Krzyzewski surpassed former North Carolina coach Dean Smith as the winningest in ACC play.
April 6, 2015 — Krzyzewski captures his fifth NCAA Championship at Duke with a 68-63 win over Wisconsin in Indianapolis - also the site of the Blue Devils’ 1991 and 2010 national crowns. Tyus Jones was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player after scoring a game-high 23 points in the championship game, shooting 7-of-13 from the floor and converting all seven of his free throw attempts. Krzyzewski’s fifth national title moved him past Adolph Rupp for second-most all-time.
Feb. 20, 2016 — Krzyzewski coaches his 1,355th career game to became the NCAA’s all-time leader in games coached. He surpasses the record of 1,354 held by Jim Phelan, who coached for 49 years at Mt. St. Mary’s.
Aug. 21, 2016 — Krzyzewski closes his tenure as U.S. National Team head coach in style, as the U.S. defeats Serbia, 96-66, to claim the gold medal at the Rio Olympics. Krzyzewski finishes his tenure with an 88-1 record, winning a U.S.-record 76 straight games to finish his National Team career. He becomes the first coach in either men’s or women’s basketball to lead a country to three consecutive Olympic gold medals.
March 11, 2017 — Duke defeats Notre Dame, 75-69, to become the first team to win four games in four days to claim the ACC Tournament title. It was Duke’s record 20th ACC championship, and its record 14th under Krzyzewski. He finished the tournament with a record 61 ACC Tournament victories.
November 11, 2017 -- Duke defeats Utah Valley, 99-69, as Coach K becomes the first Division-I men's coach to win 1,000 games at one school.
December 6, 2017 -- Nike names a new building on its campus in Portland after Coach K -- the 47,000-square foot Michael Krzyzewski Fitness Center.
May 30, 2018 -- Coach K and wife, Mickie, announce their personal commitment of $3 million toward a $15 million fundraising campaign for the Emily K Center -- Coach K's largest, single philanthropic contribution ever.
March 16, 2019 -- Duke beats Florida State, 73-63, in the ACC Championship game to give Krzyzewski his 15th conference tournament title and the program's 21, extending ACC records for both. Zion Williamson was named the Tournament MVP, becoming the first freshman in conference history to be named ACC Player of the Year and Tournament MVP in the same season.
February 8, 2020 — In one of the most remarkable games in the great history of the Duke-North Carolina rivalry, freshman Wendell Moore Jr., tips in the game-winner at the buzzer in overtime for a 98-96 victory that stuns the Dean Smith Center crowd. Moore’s tip of Tre Jones’ missed jumper finally ends a game that saw Duke rally from 13 down in the final 4+ minutes of regulation. Jones forced overtime, as the sophomore hit a contested jumper at the regulation horn after corralling his own intentionally-missed free throw.
October 29, 2020 — Make-A-Wish America presents the Chris Greicius Award to Coach K and the Duke men’s basketball program, recognizing the exceptional wish-granting support exemplified by the Blue Devils in helping create life-changing wish experiences for children fighting critical illness. Duke become the first collegiate program nationally the earn the honor.
December 31, 2020 — The Emily K Center announced the completion of its three-year Game Changer comprehensive fundraising campaign. Goaled at $15 million, the campaign surpassed that by more than $3 million, raising $18.85 million by the campaign’s completion.
June 2, 2021 — Coach K announces that the 2021-22 season will be his final year of coaching, ahead of his 47th season overall as a head coach and 42nd at Duke. “My family and I view today as a celebration. Our time at both West Point and Duke has been beyond amazing and we are thankful and honored to have led two college programs at world-class institutions for more than four decades.” In addition, Duke also announces Jon Scheyer as the next head coach, succeeding Krzyzewski for the 2022-23 season.
“according to Mike Krzyzewski’s biography on goduke.com