The man whose eyes, fist and towering presence simply embody Duke could have left it all to follow the dreams of Hollywood. But he wouldn't have been Coach K there, and the pulse of the University wouldn't have measured up without the pounding life force of its legend.
Duke's most visible public figure and both the engineer and keeper of the blue school spirits decided to remain where he spoke the loudest.
"I wanted to lead. Your heart has to be in whatever you lead," Mike Krzyzewski said. "Duke has always taken up my whole heart."
The Duke basketball coach turned down a $40 million, five-year offer from the the Los Angeles Lakers to replace Phil Jackson as head coach. July 5, when he rejected the chance to prove himself on another stage and decided to continue what he started 24 years ago; Cameron Crazies, a new president and college basketball all took a sigh of relief and gained new momentum.
But Duke also could have surrendered more than just its coach. With the loss of would-be sophomore Luol Deng and top recruit Shawn Livingston, Duke will lack its typical star players next season. During the four-day hysteria when Krzyzewski was flirting with the Lakers, incoming freshmen David McClure and DeMarcus Nelson received calls asking about their interest in other schools. Members of the coaching staff called the players and committed recruits when news of discussions with the Lakers broke July 1, telling them, "Just trust us and stick with us." Krzyzewski spoke with each player early July 5 informing his team of his plans to stay. "I know I am breathing a huge sigh of relief that Coach K is staying at Duke," junior forward Shavlik Randolph said. "I am very grateful, as I know he just passed up an incredible opportunity to coach the Lakers. It shows how much he cares about Duke and our basketball program." Krzyzewski began conversations with Lakers' General Manager Mitch Kupchak about the coaching vacancy in June, when the two discussed the potential placement of Duke players in the NBA draft. "I said, 'I am 57, maybe I should just look,'" Krzyzewski said. "I have kind of just dismissed things for at least the last 10 years. I said, 'Just take a look at it.' As it went on I took a closer and closer look." When Krzyzewski was offered a contract by the Lakers, students who remained on campus held a vigil in Kryzewskiville, the plaza outside Cameron Indoor Stadium where undergraduates pitch tents during basketball season. Painted like full-fledged Cameron Crazies, revelers hoped to show Kzyzewski how much he was appreciated. University administrators delayed their vacations, and President Richard Brodhead--on his first day in office--contacted University trustees. Krzyzewski made his final decision to remain at Duke late July 4, and the following day, he placed early morning calls to Kupchak and Brodhead to inform them of his intentions. "I must say that I am enormously excited that, at the end of the day, that you decided that your place was in college basketball," Brodhead told Krzyzewski at a press conference July 5. Ultimately, it was Krzyzewski's comfort level with the University and his excitement about the challenges in the college game that compelled the coach to stay on for his 25th season. "The allure of coaching in college has no price," Krzyzewski said. "I have never made a decision based on what was going to just make me the most money.... I have been really happy at Duke and fulfilled at Duke." The University reworked Krzyzewski's contract, but Brodhead and Athletic Director Joe Alleva, refused to elaborate on the changes. "There was no question of devising anything for a college coach that would resemble a high-up person in the NBA," Brodhead said. Krzyzewski appears to have gained considerable leverage within the University since considering the Lakers' offer. He generated University support for a $10 million basketball training facility (see story, page 13). Chris Kennedy, senior associate althletic director, said the project's timetable was "accelerated." Krzyzewski, who has what amounts to a lifetime contract with the University, has taken an active role in aspects of the University beyond basketball, serving as a special assistant to the president and holding a faculty position in the Fuqua School of Business. Krzyzewski said these "intangibles" contributed to his decision to remain at Duke. Krzyzewski expressed concern just days before the Lakers offer that college basketball was losing its "brand;" many players in recent years have jumped to the NBA with remaining NCAA eligablity. If the Hall of Fame coach had deffected to the Lakers, the college product would have taken a further hit. "Coach is an icon and what he does for college basketball is just tremendous," Alleva said. "I think it was a huge win for college basketball."
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