What They’re Saying About Coach K’s 800th Career Victory

On March 1, 2008, Coach K recorded his 800th career victory with a dramatic 87-86 win at N.C. State. The Blue Devils trailed almost the entire game, rallying from a 13-point second half deficit to finally get the lead with just over a minute left. You can read below what others are saying about Coach K’s remarkable achievement.

“I think this is an accomplishment Mike and his players can be very proud of and it’s a very visible result of his tremendous ability to coach.”- Bob Knight

“Mike’s built one of the most consistently successful programs in college basketball history. To coach 800 wins at the Division I level at a time when college basketball has gotten so competitive is an amazing accomplishment.”
- Jim Boeheim, Syracuse Head Coach

“This is just another milestone in an already illustrious career. What hasn’t Mike Krzyzewski accomplished in his coaching career? I was fortunate to have spent eight seasons along the sidelines with this gentleman, learning from one of the game’s best tacticians. I owe so much to him and will always be thankful for the opportunity he gave me to start my college coaching career at Duke. Although it’s been nearly 14 years since I coached with him, Mike remains a true friend and mentor.”
- Mike Brey, Notre Dame Head Coach

“Nobody gave Mike anything. He started out coaching at West Point which is a difficult situation, then when he went to Duke where they had to fight hard to get back to a national level again. I’ve always appreciated that fact that Mike worked for whatever they have won. In addition to that, sustaining a program is very difficult especially nowadays with so many schools putting the resources into basketball, but Duke continues to be right at the top every year. To maintain that high level for his program is a tremendous accomplishment. Lastly, I wasn’t sure we’d ever see a college coach coaching the Olympic team again with pro players, but I think that shows the amount of respect people have for Mike’s basketball knowledge.”
- Gary Williams, Maryland Head Coach

“Mike is one of the premier basketball coaches of all time. He’s been an unbelievable teacher and coach throughout the years and is quite frankly the best our game has to offer.”
- Rick Pitino, Louisville Head Coach

“It is a tremendous achievement for Coach to get his 800th career win. It is great for the program and for everyone involved because it is one of those honors that take a lot of people to be a part of what you are doing. I’m proud to be a part of his outstanding coaching career as a player and as a coach. To see him accomplish a milestone like this is something that I know I will remember forever and hopefully there are a lot more victories in the future.”
- Johnny Dawkins, Duke Associate Head Coach

“What Coach K has done is truly amazing. To maintain the standard of excellence here at Duke and West Point to reach 800 wins is something I really admire. He prepares and coaches every game as if he is always looking for his first win. His energy and passion for coaching is unbelievable and something I feel lucky to be around and learn from everyday. Here’s hoping that this 800th win is just another milestone on the way to many more.”
- Chris Collins, Duke Assistant Coach

“This is a significant accomplishment for one of the truly great coaches and mentors of all-time. I am extremely fortunate to have played for and coached with him. His commitment to excellence at the highest level is amazing as is his ability mold, motivate and develop young men.”
- Steve Wojciechowski, Duke Assistant Coach

“800 wins is an honor that very few coaches have achieved and no one is more deserving of this milestone than Coach K. He has played an instrumental role in my life.”
- Bobby Hurley

“To have had an opportunity to play for one of the greatest coaches of all-time was an amazing experience. The thing that impresses me most about Coach K, is his great passion for the game of basketball. To see Coach reach 800 victories is truly outstanding.”
- Chris Carrawell

“It is such an honor to hear Coach K’s name spoken among the greatest coaches of all time. Amidst all of his accomplishments, the one I am most thankful for is him coaching me through the most important game of all; the game of life. Congratulations on #800 Coach.”
- Jason Williams

“Coach K’s 800th win is a testament to all of the values that makes him one of the greatest coaches of any sport. The virtues of integrity, discipline, and teamwork were ever present in each of his 800 wins. Every player who has ever played under him is looking forward to the next 800 wins.”
- Shane Battier, Houston Rockets

“It means a lot. Coach has put his heart and soul into this program and to college basketball. He is the cornerstone and face of college basketball and integrity. For us to be a part of his 800th win is tremendous and special for us. I am just glad we were able to go on the road and get No. 800 now.”
- DeMarcus Nelson, team captain

“It is something that when growing up you want to be a part of. We are all really lucky to have an opportunity to play for Coach and be around him everyday for the years we are here. To get a chance to be a part of history and his 800th win is special. He deserves it and nobody works harder or has more passion. It is special to be a part of the win but also to be around him all the time.”
- Greg Paulus, junior point guard

“As Coach K reaches yet another milestone I am struck by how little his legacy has to do with just cold, hard numbers. Mike is a man of uncompromising integrity who stands for all the goodness in sport. I have always felt the role of a coach is complex – part teacher, part friend, part motivator, part surrogate parent. In Mike’s case, he is all of these important ingredients and more. I believe any young person searching for an identity could look at Coach K and say ‘Now that’s a man. And that’s how a life should be lived.’ I salute Mike on number 800. It’s a nice round number and surely there will be many more wins to come. But I am really lost in admiration, by the thousands of people he has reached. Each of them are far more important victories that should also be counted on this man’s amazing and expanding record.”
- Jim Nantz, CBS Sports

“All of us in the media hope that Coach K sticks around for 1,000 wins. That’s how much he’s respected by broadcasters and writers. When you say “class act”Coach K is at the very top.”
- Brent Musburger, ABC Sports

“Mike is one of the greatest coaches in any sport in any era, but he is an even better person than coach.”
- Mike Patrick, ESPN

“My first national broadcast in 1985 involved then #2 Duke at Virginia, and I recall meeting Coach K before that game for the very first time. He had no idea who I was, and yet treated me with trust and respect. Few in the profession have spawned as much goodwill from their own good fortune. Already in the hall of fame, but a better person than Coach in this sportscaster’s opinion.”
- Tim Brando, FSN college basketball analyst/Sporting News Radio host

“The most exciting aspect of Mike’s arrival at the 800 mark is that it occurs as he continues to perform at the very peak of his abilities. He is coaching Duke to function at the highest level, not marking time and milestones but working to form championship teams out of talented players. It might seem like an insult to someone who has been in the Hall of Fame for years, but you can see that he continues to improve himself as a coach. And some of the evidence of that is in the numbers. He advanced so quickly from 700 to 800 that you almost expect him to reach 900 by next Thursday.”
- Mike DeCourcy, Sporting News

“Duke’s continued presence atop college basketball as a lightening rod of success is due to one reason — the Blue Devils win. And they win because of the way Mike Krzyzewski leads the program. It’s no accident that the Blue Devils are the most televised team in the country. People watch to see Duke win, or see if someone can actually beat them. The national interest is due to the remarkable consistency of Coach K. This season is yet another example. Just when it appeared that Duke might slip off the perch it had set for itself over the past two decades, the Blue Devils surprised only those outside of Cameron with another stellar season.”
- Andy Katz, ESPN college basketball analyst

“There’s no substitute for consistent excellence and that’s exactly what Mike Krzyzewski brought to Duke when he became the Blue Devils head basketball coach. The program has remained among the elite in college basketball. Its system, devised by Krzyzewski, is like clockwork. From its notorious defense, to its game preparation, to its ability to out-think opponents, the Blue Devils are the same now as they were the day Krzyzewski arrived – running the same system. What’s unique about Krzyzewski’s program is the names may change but the system doesn’t. I remember when Krzyzewski was hired and somebody asked me where did he come from. Now they ask me how many more Final Fours his teams will play in.”
- Frank Dascenzo, Durham Herald-Sun columnist

“As the victory total increases and the milestones are added to the list, I think back to the early years. I think of the faith Duke showed after that last losing season at West Point. I think of the resolve Mike demonstrated during those difficult early years in a loaded ACC. I wonder if a young head coach in the 21st Century would have any chance to build such a remarkable career.”
- Malcolm Moran

“Flexibility tends to decline with age. Yet Mike Krzyzewski continues to leaven competitiveness with creativity, intensity with intelligence, in adapting to changing personnel and a changing game. We should never take extraordinary achievement for granted, but in his case it is seductively easy.”
- Barry Jacobs

“It is such a great accomplishment for Mike to reach the 800-win plateau. He is the best coach of this generation in any sport at any level and we are honored to have him on our team here at Duke. In addition to his excellence on the court, Mike has had a tremendous impact on the development and growth of Duke University as a whole. His hard work and dedication to the university is unrivaled and a testament to the kind of man that he is. On a day when we are celebrating his 800th win, we can also look forward to many more under his leadership.”
- Joe Alleva, Duke Director of Athletics

“The ACC has been fortunate to have some of the best coaches in the history of college basketball and Mike is certainly one of them. His accomplishments are well documented in terms of numbers, but it’s his commitment to the men he has coached, Duke University and the Atlantic Coast Conference that make him remarkable. All of us at the ACC our proud of his achievement and send our congratulations to Mike.”
- John Swofford, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner