Let’s get this out of the way up front: Mike Krzyzewski is easily one of the five best college basketball coaches to ever live. He built a long-dormant program into a national elite, as his five NCAA titles will attest. He has won more games than any coach— 1,123 and counting— and is ranked in the top-20 all-time in win percentage. To do the latter is a great accomplishment in the modern era of college basketball, and the former is a great testament to his longevity.
His ability to adapt his entire program to the one-and-done era has been swift and impressive, as Duke has joined Kentucky in the ‘amass the most talent possible, roll the ball out, and let the chips fall as they may’ model.