6/7/2023 0 Comments Duke head basketball coach![]() ![]() ![]() Shortly after athletic director Kevin White called Duke's longtime head coach the "GOAT" and promised a deep NCAA tournament run in the final season of his legendary career, Mike Krzyzewski corrected him. Men's College Basketball, Duke Blue Devils The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĭuke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski says he is retiring for family, not due to changes in sport This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. (SOUNDBITE OF THE VINES SONG, "MARY JANE")Ĭopyright © 2022 NPR. For NPR News, I'm Mitchell Northam in Durham, N.C. NORTHAM: Should Duke win tonight's game, another long-standing tradition will likely take place - a huge bonfire on campus. So I think that's definitely going to be a part of his legacy that hopefully remains here, you know, forever. RINCON: And it's such a unique experience that, like - I mean, even just, like, the sign and, like, the area, everything is called K-Ville. NORTHAM: Even after Krzyzewski retires, Natalie Rincon is sure that the Krzyzewskiville name and tradition, which began in 1986, will stay. You know, I have the rest of my life to watch it on TV. And that's why it was so, so competitive this year to get a spot. MARIUSZ DEREZINSKI-CHOO: I think it being Coach K's last year and the fact that we had a whole year off is really what made a lot of groups interested. Last year, Krzyzewskiville and Cameron Indoor Stadium were emptied for the first time in 35 years because of the pandemic, leaving students like Mariusz Derezinski-Choo even more eager for tickets this year. NORTHAM: With the chance to see Krzyzewski's final game in person on the line, a record 174 groups, almost one-third of Duke's undergraduate population, took a test for the chance to camp outside for tickets. But every play, you know, everything that happens, we're going to be looking at Coach K to see what his reaction is. WISEMAN: It's going to be, you know, a basketball game. He expects an atmosphere like no other at this game between the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels. NORTHAM: Wiseman has covered Duke basketball for more than a decade. You kind of see him kind of doing that constant internal battle of staying focused on the game and on the team and not, you know, what's next for him while, you know, people are honoring him for his long career. STEVE WISEMAN: Now as we get closer to the end here, you can kind of see where the emotions are starting to come out a little bit more. NORTHAM: Raleigh News & Observer reporter Steve Wiseman has followed Krzyzewski's farewell tour all season. And I'm sure it will be emotional, but it's going to be about my team and - always, always, always, always. KRZYZEWSKI: For me than to say, no, hey, look at me it's my last game - I'm not going to do that. NORTHAM: The Hall of Fame coach has already won five national championships and hopes to add a sixth. MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: The thing I've learned - one of the joys of coaching for me in 47 years is to be in the moment of the team that I have the honor to coach. NORTHAM: This year, the tickets that the students like Rincon camped out for are so exclusive because it's the last home game ever for coach Mike Krzyzewski. NATALIE RINCON: My parents like to use the word ridiculous (laughter). Duke senior Natalie Rincon's family calls it something else. It's a collection of tents filled with students outside its basketball arena each winter. Those are some of the words used to describe Krzyzewskiville (ph). MITCHELL NORTHAM, BYLINE: A rite of passage for Duke students - cold and crazy. Duke students have been camping outside the arena for weeks to try to secure one of the free seats that's reserved for them. Mike Krzyzewski has won more games than any other college men's basketball coach, and some tickets for his final home game tonight against North Carolina are selling for as much as $70,000. BJ Leiderman, who writes our theme music, is not. A bit more about Coach K - the Duke University men's basketball coach is retiring.
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