Coach K's Tie Raises Money for Cerebral Palsy

Coach K wore a special tie named after him to help support a charity

Coach Mike Krzyzewski wears a tie for every game, but late in the season, he chose one that had a meaning other than looking good on the bench.

“Do I look like a Catholic School guy?” he asked after a February game, displaying the tie for the media. “Just so you know. How long has it been? I’m 73, so 58 years ago, this is how I would go to school. You had to wear … no blazers, but you had to wear a tie. It was an all boys school.”

Krzyzewski then explained the meaning behind his neckwear.

“I tell you this is a great story about this tie,” he said. “This is an amazing story about this tie. It’s called WillPower Ties. The kid is named Will Howell. He has cerebral palsy. He’s about 20 and lives in Georgia. He started his own business with ties, bow ties, scarves. What he makes, he buys bicycles and equipment for other kids that have cerebral palsy.”

Howell founded the company last year. When he graduated high school, he and his family were given advice by a doctor and family friend. “Will needs more than a job,” he was told. “He needs a purpose.”

Howell donates five percent of his profits from WillPower Ties to AMBUCS, a charity that provides bicycles for the physically challenged.

“I know he’s watching,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s telling his mom, ‘We won, because Coach K wore it.’ I don’t know if we should wear it again next game.”

Krzyzewski didn’t just wear any tie.

“It’s a Coach K tie,” he said. The tie is handmade in North Carolina and has sold out twice. “He’s been a big Duke fan obviously. Or maybe not obviously. He wasn’t just hawking his tie. I’m not getting 10 percent of how many ties he sells.”