‘End of an era.’ Basketball world reacts to news of Coach K retiring from Duke
The world of college basketball praised Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski on Wednesday after news broke he will retire at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Krzyzewski has led the Blue Devils since 1980 and will leave as the the winningest men’s basketball coach in Division I history.
The announcement comes almost two months to the day after UNC Chapel Hill basketball coach Roy Williams said he was retiring. Williams told reporters Wednesday that Krzyzewski had been “fantastic for the game of basketball” and a “good friend.”
“He’s just been phenomenal in everything he’s done,” Williams said.
Some questioned a world in which the two coaching legends weren’t at the helm of the Duke-Carolina basketball rivalry.
A few fans were shocked by his decision to retire. But many, including Williams and ESPN analyst Dick Vitale, said they saw it coming.
Many praised Krzyzewski’s lengthy and impressive coaching career over the last four decades. Krzyzewski, who turned 74 in February, is the second-longest tenured coach in NCAA Division I, behind Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim.
Fans also cheered for a final season under his leadership.
This story was originally published June 2, 2021 at 12:12 PM with the headline "‘End of an era.’ Basketball world reacts to news of Coach K retiring from Duke."
