Coach K on How He Knew It Was Time to Go
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski explained how he knew it was time to step down as Duke’s head coach.
"I always felt that you would know when to stop if you weren't ready to do all the things necessary to do what you do,” he said. “You have to do a lot of things before you do what you do. That's never been a question. I'm older, and we've both (he and wife Mickie) felt that I'm not sure I'm ready to prepare – she can tell you how much I've watched tape. I'm still watching tape. I'm watching tape of some pro teams now to figure out. I want to use some of the things that I have to prepare for [and spend] that time with [my family]. I want to see Quin [Frasher's] games. I want to see John David [Spatola] win in Ninja. I want to see (his grandchild) hit a last-second shot to win. I want to be able to do that and live a little bit through them. That's how I want to spend the rest of my time, and doing whatever else I have to do. I'm not ready to do all that.”
Krzyzewski was also having trouble answering questions from recruits who asked if he’d be coach for their career at Duke.
“In recruiting, it'd be tough to recruit for next year if I'm not coaching the kids,” he said. “That's not fair to a kid that you would be recruiting, saying 'I think I'm going to coach,' and then at the end of the year say you're not coaching. That's part of it. That doesn't mean I hate recruiting. I just want to use that time better. I want to allocate that time better in my life."
