America's Koach

Need I say more?

To see the face of such a man, causes one's mind to fill with millions of thoughts. Sports fan or not, you dont even need a name to know who he is. I say this only because it's people like the one here, that sports become relevent to the world. Tournaments, championships, and medals become secondary. Our reasoning to play sports is suddenly for more than the hardware we are rewarded with. We can all attest to the unfortunate reality that the coaches of today, in any sport, are not always the coaches they truly should be. But for all of the negative encounters we may have had, the select few of postives far outweigh it. This is one of those positives. But don't get me wrong, this is not, in any way, casting a shadow over all of the incredible experiences we've all had in sports, because we all know those live forever. What I'm referring to is the few positive encounters in our lives, where sports has been responsible for changing us. A moment, or in this case, a person.

No coach in history has been more influential in the lives of his athletes and the people around him, than Coach Mike Krzyzewski. Object if you will, but it will all be for not. This is not a knock to any other great coach in history, it just means that he's the leader of the pack. "Coach K" has become the icon of what it means to be a coach. He has taken the role of a coach at Duke University, and turned it into the role of a mentor for people all over the world.

As the son of two Catholic polish immigrants, Krzyzewski quickly learned the value of pride and respect towards your fellow man and country. This upbringing then laid the groundwork for the man who would become "Coach K". He was once quoted saying "My ambition in high school was to be a high school coach and teacher, and that's still what I do: teach". From day one he made it very clear that he did not want to preach to anyone, he simply wanted to teach. But before being given the opportunity to coach at Duke in later years, he was living out his earlier ambitions of experiencing basketball for himself. He was fortunate enough to bond his love for basketball with his love for his country, as he attended the United States Military Academy to train to be an officer in the Army. He was then recruited by Army's basketball coach at the time, the legendary Bob Knight. After much success there, he graduated to serve three years in the military. Following his service, he began his coaching career for a military prep school in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. After a short stint there, "Coach K" started his storied journey at Duke University in 1980. From there, the rest is history. He has led Duke to postseason appearances in 27 of the 30 years he has coached there. Countless Coach of the Year awards, 12 ACC championships, 11 Final Four appearances, four NCAA national championships, and on February 13, 2010 coached his 1,000th game at Duke University. Believe me, there's plenty more where that came from. But like I said, it's never been about the hardware for "Coach K".

You would think that a man of his stature would strive only for the greatest of opportunities in his life. He has. We don't see this only because our definition of "great opportunity" and that of his, are extremely different. Through all of his incredible accomplishments, he remains walking with humble feet. He has been approached by the NBA four times now for a coaching position, all with a hefty contract to motivate. All four have been turned down. Krzyzewski has said for years and years that he would never leave Duke until he was absolutely done coaching. The latest and largest offer from the NBA came in the summer of '09 when New Jersey Nets' billionaire owner offered "Coach K" between $12-$15 million a year. K still walked away. It's commonly said that he's one coach who actually practices what he preaches. He believes heavily in loyalty, honor, and trust. Time and time again, he has proved this by showing it in his love for Duke. For 30 years he has bled royal blue during the greatest times, but especially during the worst. However, during this long relationship, he has commonly stepped off campus to offer his assistance in matters that only he could fix.

Now just because he hasn't coached in the NBA, does not mean he hasn't coached their players. Most notably, he was recently called upon to coach the Men's 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team. Understand that before his arrival, their team had been droughting for several Olympics. Once known as the "Dream Team", they became known merely as just another team. After many years of frustration and disappointment, it was time to set things straight again. Basketball is America's sport. But when other countries start playing it too, it's kind of hard to continuously "walk to the podium". The team that had apparantly lost their way, were found by "Coach K". From this point it was no longer about being the "Dream Team" again; it was simply about being the "Redeem Team". As per his record, "Coach K" quickly made this about more than getting gold again. He was hired right after their 2004 Olympic embarrassment, and decided to start the 2008 Olympics right then. Before making a team, he made it very clear that anyone who was going to play for team U.S.A. was going to commit to a four-year preparation. This caught the attention of the most elite players in the NBA. The most dominant, athletic, and independent players became a team about their country. Through those four years, "Coach K" made these players not only bond together, but gain a sense of liberty and pride in what exactly it was that they were playing for. At a team photoshoot, Krzyzewski recalled seeing Kobe Bryant in the dressing room putting his jersey on, and seeing him break in to tears staring at his jersey. By the time the 2008 Olympic games came around, it was simply about fixing the reputation of the Unites States, on a basketball level, but on an internationally social level as well. They won the gold that year. And because of Coach Krzyzewski, won the respect and admiration of the world as well.

Through everything "Coach K" has done in his life, he has continued to constantly give grace and love to everyone around him. His biggest goal has never been to win countless championships, and countless medals, and countless Coach of the Year awards. The biggest goal in the life of Coach Mike Krzyzewski has simply been to teach.

...We're listening, coach.