# Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski to retire **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** basketball-nba\ **Created:** [June 3, 2021, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-coach-mike-krzyzewski-to-retire/943514 "2021-06-03T01:50:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-coach-mike-krzyzewski-to-retire/943514/1 "2021-06-03T01:50:10Z")
Whatever you think about Duke (and fans tend to have pretty strong feelings one way or the other), Coach K has obviously had an enormous impact on college basketball. Coming just months after Roy Williams’ retirement, it really feels like the end of an era on Tobacco Road. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-coach-mike-krzyzewski-to-retire/943514/2 "2021-06-03T01:52:07Z")
[Link](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/31553654/duke-blue-devils-coach-mike-krzyzewski-plans-leave-season-leave-next-season-sources-say) for anyone who wants to read the ESPN article about it. ---
**Author:** ![lum\_s\_husband](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lum_s_husband/32/3698_2.png) [@lum\_s\_husband](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lum_s_husband)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-coach-mike-krzyzewski-to-retire/943514/3 "2021-06-03T13:36:49Z")
How could anyone expect someone like Coach K to stay on when society has decided that the field hands should be allowed to be so uppity? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-coach-mike-krzyzewski-to-retire/943514/4 "2021-06-03T17:25:08Z")
He can’t leave fast enough, as far as I’m concerned. He was ALWAYS there and ALWAYS really good and ALWAYS annoying and, well, there’s also that thing he and his henchman Christian Laettner did to my Kentucky Wildcats back in the day that’ll always be a sore spot. I can’t believe the finish line is in sight! I keep pinching myself, hoping it’s not just a magical dream. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-coach-mike-krzyzewski-to-retire/943514/5 "2021-06-03T21:04:28Z")
> [@lum\_s\_husband](#): > > How could anyone expect someone like Coach K to stay on when society has decided that the field hands should be allowed to be so uppity? _ **Moderating** _ This kind of weird swipe (alluding to racism, I guess?) is inappropriate for this forum. Knock it off. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-coach-mike-krzyzewski-to-retire/943514/6 "2021-06-04T11:26:14Z")
It might have been awkwardly said but there are reports that the strengthening movement for increasing college athletes’ economic rights was as much a factor in K’s decision to retire as his age. I don’t know how accurate those reports are and K has generally taken a fair stance about NIL rights in recent years but it’s still possible that a continuing loss of traditional coaching power was a factor in his retirement decision. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-coach-mike-krzyzewski-to-retire/943514/7 "2021-06-04T13:27:04Z")
I once dated a girl who was a rabid UK fan. I’m an Indiana boy, born and raised. I used to talk so much trash about the Wildcats that I was banned from her residence during NCAA tournament games. I remember one night, apropos of nothing, we were laying down to go to sleep, and as she drifted off, I whispered “and there’s the pass to Laetner.” It was my apartment, and I still had to sleep on the couch ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-coach-mike-krzyzewski-to-retire/943514/8 "2021-06-04T15:23:24Z")
A legend is moving on. He is 74 now. He’s earned his rest.