Coach K is no new name in the world of basketball. Having coached collegiate athletes at Duke University for 42 years, Coach K sits in a class of his own. The now-retired coach led the Blue Devils at Duke to five national championships and 13 Final Four berths. Apart from his success coaching collegiate athletes, Krzyzewski led the U.S. men’s national team to gold medals at three Olympic Games, earning his well-deserved induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

Being one of the best basketball coaches out there, he was also renowned for his speeches that fired athletes up. Notably, one of his pre-game speeches ended up becoming one of the craziest things he’s done.

Coach K delivers a spooky pre-game speech

Mike Krzyzewski took over as the basketball coach at Duke University on March 18, 1980, beginning a storied career. Prior to joining Duke, he went to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, where he studied both academics and basketball with the intention of becoming an Army officer. He directed service teams and coached at the U.S. Military Academy Prep School in Belvoir, Virginia, from 1969 to 1974, during which he attained the rank of Captain.

Coach K received a graduate assistantship offer from his former coach, Bob Knight, at Indiana University when he was only 26 years old. He demonstrated his coaching prowess by guiding the Indiana Hoosiers to a stellar 31-1 overall record and an unblemished 18-0 Big Ten record in 1975.

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Krzyzewski spent five years at West Point before moving to Duke, where he methodically developed the basketball program. Most recently, Duke basketball alum, Jay Bilas revealed one of the craziest things that Coach K did – deliver a spooky pre-game speech.

Jay Bilas revealed, “Before a game we played in my freshman year we were playing Louisville, and they went to the Final Four that year. We had some ups and downs during the course of the early season.”

We were waiting for his pre-game speech and the lights went out. And all of a sudden, we see this flickering light coming down the hallway. He’s got a candle in front of his face so all you could see was his face in this pitch darkness. And all he said was, ‘I came not to praise Louisville but to bury them,’ and blew the candle out.” 

Bilas continued, “All the guys started jumping up and you know screaming and then we ran out on the court, and we had a great first half. And then they kicked our ass in the second half, so we lost the game. That was the last time we saw the floating head candle thing.”

Even though they ended up losing the game, Coach K stood tall and continued coaching until the 2021-2022 season. Coach Mike Krzyzewski announced his retirement after the 2021–22 season, capping off his stellar career with five national championships. His legacy includes an astonishing 1,202 victories at the men’s Division I level, 13 Final Four appearances, 36 NCAA Tournament participation, and 101 NCAA Tournament game victories, in addition to the championships.

“Be as Tough as Your Mothers”: Having Served 42 Years Coaching Young Athletes, Coach K’s Words From 2018 Will Inspire You

However, it seems like the coach has trouble staying retired.

Coach K steps into the NBA

It seems like former Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski can’t stay away from the hardwood. Only after a year of retiring, Coach K made the unexpected leap to the professional ranks, taking on the role of a special advisor to basketball operations in the NBA in May 2023. So, what will he do in the league?

According to the NBA, he will advise the league office, NBA team executives and other important figures on a variety of basketball-related issues.

Coach K seemed excited about the opportunity, stating, “This is a tremendous opportunity to deepen my connection to the NBA and participate in conversations about further strengthening the league and the game. Even in my retirement from coaching, my passion for the sport has never been higher. This role will enable me to stay engaged with basketball at the highest level.”

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