Mike Krzyzewski Quotes

A collection of quotes by Mike Krzyzewski.

Mike Krzyzewski, commonly known as Coach K, is a renowned figure in the world of college basketball. Born on February 13, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, Krzyzewski has carved a legendary career as both a player and a coach. After a successful high school career, he went on to play college basketball at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he captained the team for three years. Upon graduation, Krzyzewski served in the Army for five years, coaching the basketball team at West Point as well.

In 1980, Coach K took the helm of Duke University's men's basketball program. Over the following decades, he transformed the Blue Devils into a powerhouse in the NCAA. Under his leadership, Duke has won numerous Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championships and has claimed a remarkable five NCAA tournament championships to date. Under Krzyzewski's guidance, several Duke players have gone on to successful careers in the NBA.

Krzyzewski's coaching prowess extends beyond college basketball as well. He has been a crucial part of the USA Basketball program, coaching the national team to several Olympic gold medals, including in 2008, 2012, and 2016. His dedication, charisma, and leadership have earned him the respect of not only his players and colleagues but also the entire basketball community.

Coach K's enduring success on and off the court, along with his tireless dedication to the sport, has cemented his status as one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time.

Playing sport was somewhat frivolous, but I liked it. I rebe

Playing sport was somewhat frivolous, but I liked it. I rebelled a little bit, and wouldn't go to music lessons and things like that, but I would go and play ball. My parents learned to love it because they saw how much I got out of it.

Mike Krzyzewski

Music Love Sports

I have a rule on my team: when we talk to one another, we lo

I have a rule on my team: when we talk to one another, we look each other right in the eye, because I think it's tough to lie to somebody. You give respect to somebody.

Mike Krzyzewski

Respect

The person who has inspired me my whole life is my Mom, beca

The person who has inspired me my whole life is my Mom, because she taught me commitment. She sacrificed.

Mike Krzyzewski

Mom

I always won in my imagination. I always hit the game-winnin

I always won in my imagination. I always hit the game-winning shot, or I hit the free throw. Or if I missed, there was a lane violation, and I was given another one.

Mike Krzyzewski

Imagination

My ambition in high school was to be a high school coach and

My ambition in high school was to be a high school coach and teacher, and that's still what I do: teach.

Mike Krzyzewski

Teacher

The thing I loved the most - and still love the most about t

The thing I loved the most - and still love the most about teaching - is that you can connect with an individual or a group, and see that individual or group exceed their limits.

Mike Krzyzewski

Teacher

In high school, in sport, I had a coach who told me I was mu

In high school, in sport, I had a coach who told me I was much better than I thought I was, and would make me do more in a positive sense. He was the first person who taught me not to be afraid of failure.

Mike Krzyzewski

Failure

Leadership is an ever-evolving position.

Leadership is an ever-evolving position.

Mike Krzyzewski

Leadership

Throughout my life, my mom has been the person that I've alw

Throughout my life, my mom has been the person that I've always looked up to.

Mike Krzyzewski

Mom

I've been so fortunate in my life that my family has never b

I've been so fortunate in my life that my family has never been jealous of my success. They have shown true love and commitment to me by being supportive. They shared in it.

Mike Krzyzewski

Family

I think some parents now look at a youngster failing as the

I think some parents now look at a youngster failing as the final thing. It's a process, and failure is part of the process. I would like it if the teacher and the parents would connect more. I think that used to be, but we're losing a little bit of that right now.

Mike Krzyzewski

Failure

Fun is to experience things you would not have been able to

Fun is to experience things you would not have been able to experience in any other setting.

Mike Krzyzewski

Experience

The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making

The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions.

Mike Krzyzewski

Truth

I've tried to handle winning well, so that maybe we'll win a

I've tried to handle winning well, so that maybe we'll win again, but I've also tried to handle failure well. If those serve as good examples for teachers and kids, then I hope that would be a contribution I have made to sport. Not just basketball, but to sport.

Mike Krzyzewski

Failure

I had a really bad temper, when I was growing up. Sport help

I had a really bad temper, when I was growing up. Sport helped me channel that temper into more positive acts.

Mike Krzyzewski

Positive

Imagination has a great deal to do with winning.

Imagination has a great deal to do with winning.

Mike Krzyzewski

Imagination

To me, teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have f

To me, teamwork is the beauty of our sport, where you have five acting as one. You become selfless.

Mike Krzyzewski

Beauty