Tonight, on April 4th, a new champion will be crowned. North Carolina and Kansas will face off for the 2022 NCAA title. Although the NCAA tournament has been thrilling, it has also been bittersweet. Saturday's game between rivals North Carolina and Duke marked the end of an era.
In a highly competitive game, the North Carolina Tar Heels defeated their archrival Duke Blue Devils 81-77. The Tar Heels advanced to their twelfth national title game in program history while the Blue Devils were sent back to Durham, NC.
Not only has Duke been eliminated, but Mike Krzyzewski has coached his last game ever after announcing his intentions to retire after the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. Despite the heartbreaking ending, there is plenty to celebrate in Krzyzewski's legendary career.
After being discharged from the US Army in 1974, Krzyzewski began his career as an assistant coach under Bobby Knight. After one year under fellow hall of fame member Bobby Knight, Krzyzewski was named head coach at his alma mater West Point. After five uneventful years with West Point, Krzyzewski was hired as the head coach of Duke Basketball, where he has remained for the last forty-two years.
Krzyzewski's time at Duke was not immediately successful, compiling a record of just 38-47 over his first three seasons. After finally making the tournament in 1984, Duke would establish itself as one of the best teams in the nation. Under Krzyzewski's leadership, Duke would end the season ranked in the AP Top 25 for the next decade with seven final four appearances.
Perhaps the real breakthrough in Krzyzewski’s career came in the 1991 final four. One year after a humiliating 103-73 loss to UNLV in the national title game, Duke rematched with UNLV. The Blue Devils stayed competitive throughout and eventually defeated the undefeated reigning national champions 79-77. Two days later, Duke would take down Kansas 72-65, winning its first national title in program history.
Krzyzewski built a program that commanded respect. Under Krzyzewski's leadership, Duke would repeat as national champions in 1992 and twice more in 2001 and 2010. The Krzyzewski-led Blue Devils were dominant and were always contending for a national title. In 2015, Krzyzewski added a fifth national title to his resume and achieved a rare milestone.
In a seemingly uneventful game, Duke defeated St. John's 77-68 on January 25th, 2015. The postgame celebration was not only for a win but a rare milestone. Krzyzewski earned his 1000th career victory, becoming the first coach to do so. Krzyzewski did not just overachieve at Duke, but he set the bar for what a coach can accomplish.
Over Krzyzewski's coaching career, he has branched out to other areas of coaching besides the college game. In 2008, Krzyzewski's leadership was vital in the US winning gold just four years after a disappointing bronze finish. Krzyzewski took the head coaching reigns of the Olympic team in both 2012 and 2016 as well, leading the US to a gold finish in both years.
Despite the hearbreaking end to this season, Duke looks to rebound and return to prominence next season. The Blue Devils have an elite recruiting class for the 2022-23 season and look to compete for a sixth national title. Current assistant coach Jon Scheyer will lead Duke into a new era to maintain the elite standard of the program.
Although Duke has a bright future ahead of them, one thing is irrefutable. Duke Basketball will never be the same without Mike Krzyzewski leading the charge. No matter how inexperienced or how talented his team was, Krzyzewski always ensured that his team played to win.
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