Duke’s Coach K Announces He Will Retire After Next Basketball Season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The sports world is feeling the hurt after Duke University men’s basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski announced he’s retiring after the 2021-22 season. The 74-year-old released a statement saying in part, “For my family and myself, there is no greater joy than being part of our players’ respective endeavors through basketball, and more importantly, their lives off the court. Our family is eternally grateful to everyone who contributed to our career for the past 46 years.”

And while Coach K and his family see it as a joyous occasion, some basketball fans online see it as a loss. One social media user saying, “He’s so good because unlike a lot of the great coaches out there now he actually built and made Duke what it is today similar to like Wooden did with UCLA.” And another saying, “Coach K retiring hurts almost as bad as when Kobe retired.”

Coach K’s announcement comes the same year that is rival and friend Roy Williams retired from the North Carolina Tar Heels two months ago. Williams wishes his friend well. Williams says, “He’s been a guy I respected a great deal. He made everybody bring their A game for years and years and years.” And, “Michael doesn’t need Roy Williams giving him any advice. He’s a great family man, he’s going to enjoy his family a great deal, he’ll still be important in college athletics. He’ll still be important for college basketball.”

This episode’s panel features:
WCCB TV’s Morgan Fogarty
WCCB News @ Ten anchor Drew Bollea
WCCB Sports anchor Zach Aldridge