The ‘crazy good’ moment that fostered Coach K’s approach to his final Duke team
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Coach K’s Next Job
By next spring, Mike Krzyzewski will make the full transition out of coaching when Jon Scheyer takes over the Duke program. Coach K will have plenty to do at Duke even after his coaching days end. Krzyzewski is under contract to work as an ambassador for the school. How has Coach K reached this point in his career, and what’s next? This is The N&O’s special report.
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Michael Savarino settled onto a couch in his grandfather’s office June 2, in the midst of a history-making week at Duke University.
That same day, the Blue Devil basketball players and their parents learned during a Zoom call with Mike Krzyzewski that he planned to retire after the 2021-22 season.
That news struck Savarino in two ways — one as a Duke basketball player and another as Krzyzewski’s second-eldest grandchild.
“Wow,” Savarino said, looking back. “It’s really coming to an end. But he’s going to be on to better things. He’s going to be even more of a family guy than he already is.”
But the 74-year-old coach had one bit of family business to add to his plan.
In his office, on the sixth floor of the Schwartz-Butters Athletic Center, Krzyzewski settled into a chair facing his grandson on the couch. Savarino enrolled at Duke in 2019, spending his first two seasons on the Duke roster as a walk-on while becoming more and more of a leader to his teammates
“He’s earned his stuff,” Krzyzewski told the News & Observer in an exclusive interview. “None of those guys think of him being my grandson.”
Krzyzewski and his assistant coaches noticed Savarino’s hard work and the respect he’s gained among his teammates, just as they have with other walk-ons who’ve routinely been put on scholarships over the years
“Michael, you’ve worked your fanny off man. You’ve been terrific,” Krzyzewski told Savarino. “Going into next year, we’re going to need your maturity and your leadership and how you interact with the team.”
Retelling the story, two months later, Krzyzewski stopped in the middle to say, “I get chills thinking about it.”
Now, back to June 2, when Krzyzewski told Savarino, “I want you to know. I want to put you on scholarship this year.”
This isn’t about a player earning a scholarship from an expensive private school and thus relieving a crushing financial burden from his family. Savarino’s mother, Debbie, is Krzyzewski’s oldest child. She graduated from Duke and has worked in the basketball office since 2002, currently as an assistant athletics director for special projects and director of the Legacy Fund.
Instead, it’s about a lifelong dream coming true.
Michael Savarino began sobbing as he absorbed the news.
“I just broke down crying,” he said. “I probably cried for 10 minutes. It was one of the best days of my life. One, it’s a dream to come here. But to play on scholarship is a whole new level. I can’t describe it at all.”
Krzyzewski went to his grandson and hugged him. A thought entered his mind about the entire team for this season, the final one of his career before retirement.
“I knew at that moment what I wanted this year to be,” Krzyzewski said. “I want every kid on my team to feel that way.”
Not focusing on how to get better for the NBA, he said, not focusing on any individual honors, just totally bought into this Duke team and its season and accomplishing as much success as possible and enjoying it together in Krzyzewski’s final year.
To have that clarity while sharing in his grandson’s joy meant everything to Krzyzewski.
“Imagine having that moment with your grandson?” he said. “It was beautiful. Not good. Crazy good. So damn good. Those are like the real special, really special, moments. For me to share that with him.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2021 at 6:00 AM with the headline "The ‘crazy good’ moment that fostered Coach K’s approach to his final Duke team."