(CNN) In his 42 seasons as head coach of the Duke Blue Devils, Mike Krzyzewski became synonymous with college basketball.
Affectionately known as “Coach K,” he retired in 2022 as the all-time winningest coach in men’s Division I college basketball (1,129 games), winning five national championships in the process.
His dedication, desire and love for the sport were contagious and he hasn’t lost an iota of that passion since retiring.
In an interview on CNN and HBOMax’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace,” the 76-year-old slammed the current state of the game, arguing that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which governs the collegiate system, is too bureaucratic.
“The game being played is not in chaos. We have good coaches, good players. It’s the things that happen to the people who play the game,” Krzyzewski told host Chris Wallace.
“Every decision that was made in our sport ultimately had to go through many committees.
“Do you know that in the room where the decision was supposed to be made, there was never a basketball coach present? How can you have a good sense of what you’re deciding if you don’t hear from the people who trained it? game or the chairman of our coaching association?
“I mean, it’s like ‘Hamilton,’ we had to be in the room where it happens. And we weren’t. How can that be good?
Krzyzewski in 1980 after his appointment as Duke’s head coach.
Krzyzewski has specifically called for guidelines for the new NIL era of collegiate athletics.
College athletes, now allowed to capitalize on their name, image and likeness (or NIL), have announced a spate of endorsement deals.
The legendary coach doesn’t mind young athletes taking advantage of the lucrative college basketball system, but wants to have a better handle on it.
“[Athletes] They haven’t been helped for decades, they’ve basically been used in some ways,” he said, adding that he would like the college system to be run more like a business.
Earlier this year, the NCAA Division I Transformation Committee released its report and recommendations to modernize the division’s governance structure.
The report, which was endorsed by the Division I board, says decisions should be “deferred as far down the structure as possible and into the responsible committees composed of dedicated and experienced representatives with knowledge of the sport.”
It also said that “voices from student-athletes” should be included in decision-making.
Record-breaking longevity
Krzyzewski began training in 1969 while in the army.
From there he became the head coach at the US Military Academy Prep School in Fort Belvoir, Virginia for two years before earning a position as a graduate assistant coach at Indiana University.
He did so for another year before returning to his alma mater, West Point, as head coach in 1975.
Krzyzewski then took the reins as Duke head coach in 1980 and never looked back.
Since spending time off the pitch for the first time in nearly half a century, he said he misses the game but doesn’t miss the hard work that coaching requires.
“There is a difference between the game and the coaching,” he added.
“Coaching means there’s a lot of preparation, there’s a lot of recruitment […] and I don’t miss that – not at all.
“So when I say I don’t miss the coaching, it’s the whole thing, man. It’s not just a game.
“I think I could go on the pitch and still coach a game, but I wouldn’t do the preparation the game deserves.”
Krzyzewski with gold medals at the 2008 Olympics.
Due to its success and longevity at the highest level, there was a natural interest on the part of professional football.
Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers had inquired about Krzyzewski’s services during his time with the Blue Devils, but his love of the collegiate game always proved too strong.
“If you’re a really good coach, you’ll be approached in any sport, so I’m not the only basketball coach who’s been approached for a pro job,” he said.
“At the end of the day, the way the college game was, I loved the college game. I loved being at Duke. I love having crossed some bridges with these kids even if it was only for a year.”
Although Krzyzewski turned down the NBA, he coached professional players and won three Olympic gold medals as coach of the US men’s basketball team in 2008, 2012 and 2016.
“That was sort of my solution. I loved coaching those guys,” he said.
“With the US team, they’re grown men, they’ve already crossed their bridges,” he added, speaking of the differences between the coaching staff and professional athletes.
“Can we cross a bridge together now? Can we all put our egos under an ego umbrella and win a gold medal, and not just a gold medal, but win the respect of our country and win the respect of the world while we make it.”
Krzyzewski celebrates his 1,000th with the team. Career win on January 25, 2015.
Early coaching ambitions
Krzyzewski, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001, has many fond memories of his prestigious career.
He credits his success in part to his ability to build relationships and his relentless work ethic.
“At 16 I knew what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a coach and a teacher,” he said.
“And so a lot of my buddies in downtown Chicago say, ‘You’ve never worked a day in your life, Knucklehead.’
“And I said you know you’re right. I could do what I’ve loved all my life.”
Even though he won’t be there this month, Krzyzewski is excited about this year’s March Madness.
If his beloved Duke isn’t crowned champion, he believes the Houston Cougars have the best chance of lifting the trophy.
But after years of experience, he doesn’t rule out a surprise.
“The one and only aspect of the tournament makes it so very, very difficult to win, so it’s going to be exciting,” said Krzyzewski.
“Look, there’s no sport that takes over the whole country for a month like this tournament and for me it’s been an incredible honor to be a part of this tournament for over four decades.”
Watch Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? on CNN TV Sundays at 7 p.m. ET. New episodes of full-length interviews are available on HBO Max every Friday.
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