After a week of serious deliberation, men's basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski turned down an offer from the Los Angeles Lakers that would have placed him among the highest paid coaches in all of professional sports. He announced his decision at a press conference Monday, relieving anxiety throughout the Duke basketball community and providing a major lift to college basketball.
"I wanted to lead. Your heart has to be in whatever you lead," Krzyzewski said. "Duke has always taken up my whole heart."
Krzyzewski made his final decision to remain at Duke late Sunday night and placed early morning calls to Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Duke President Richard Brodhead to inform them of his intentions. "I must say that I am enormously excited that, at the end of the day, that you decide that your place was in college basketball," Brodhead told Krzyzewski.
Last Thursday, Krzyzewski was offered a contract by the Lakers valued at $40 million over five years. Ultimately, his comfort level with the University and excitement about the challenges he finds in the college game compelled the 57-year-old coach to stay on for at least a 25th season.
"The allure of coaching in college has no price," Krzyzewski said. "I have never made a decision based on what was going to just make me the most money.... I have been really happy at Duke and fulfilled at Duke."
The announcement Monday ended several days of tension for Duke players and fans. Members of the coaching staff called each of the players and committed recruits when news of discussions with the Lakers broke Thursday, telling them, "Just trust us and stick with us." Krzyzewski spoke with each player Monday morning informing his team of his plans to stay.
"I know I am breathing a huge sigh of relief that Coach K is staying at Duke," junior forward Shavlik Randolph said. "I am very grateful, as I know he just passed up an incredible opportunity to coach the Lakers. It shows how much he cares about Duke and our basketball program." Krzyzewski began conversations with Kupchak about the coaching vacancy in June, while the two discussed the potential placement of Duke players in the NBA draft.
"I said, 'I am 57, maybe I should just look,'" Krzyzewski said. "I have kind of just dismissed things for at least the last 10 years. I said, 'Just take a look at it.' As it went on I took a closer and closer look."
Many speculated that free agent Kobe Bryant played a large role in the Lakers' attempt to bring the Duke coach to Los Angeles. Krzyzewski had recruited Bryant to play at Duke before the Philadelphia high school star chose to jump directly to the NBA in 1996, and Monday the Hall of Fame coach dispelled rumors that Bryant played such an instrumental role.
"Kobe and I are very close," he said. "We got close in recruiting. Obviously the Lakers are a big organization. This isn't a Kobe Bryant-led movement. I was considering the Lakers whether Kobe Bryant was going to be there or not."
Flanked at Monday's press conference by Brodhead and Athletic Director Joe Alleva, Krzyzewski said he wanted to reach a decision quickly because of the fluidity of NBA free agency. The outcome for Krzyzewski never hinged on any possible shortcomings of Duke, where he has always felt very connected with the rest of the Duke community.
The head coach has taken an active role in other facets of the University beyond basketball, serving as a special assistant to the president and holding a faculty position in the Fuqua School of Business. Krzyzewski said these "intangibles" contributed to his decision to remain at Duke.
Krzyzewski has what amounts to a lifetime contract with Duke, and although the University could not come close to matching the Lakers' offer monetarily, his current deal has been reworked, Alleva said. In addition, Krzyzewski may have garnered further support for projects he considers important, including a separate practice facility for the team.
"Everybody knows about the practice facility, and I think that was fairly important," said Chris Kennedy, senior associate director of athletics. "But that thing has been in the works for a long time." By turning down the Lakers' lucrative offer, Krzyzewski caught the nation's attention and may have gained an edge in future recruiting battles for top prospects.
"I think that's just an unanticipated bonus, I don't think he went into it thinking, 'I'll acquire the reputation as the guy that turned down the Lakers,'" Kennedy said.
Krzyzewski's departure would have been a major hit for college basketball, which has been coping with the loss of its most talented stars to the pro ranks in recent years.
"It is a great day for Duke University," Alleva said. "It is a great day for college basketball."
Mike Corey contributed to this report.
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