Mike Krzyzewksi's name has always stood for a certain level of athletic excellence.
Now he's got a building to prove it.
Duke's Board of Trustees approved naming the Center for Athletic Excellence after the men's basketball head coach when it convened last Friday. The $15.2 million facility, which is currently under construction, is expected to be completed early next year.
"I have long believed that we have the best coach in all of sports right here at Duke University, and when I think of the word 'excellence,' I think of Mike Krzyzewski," Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said in a statement. "So how very appropriate that we now have 'Krzyzewski' and 'Excellence' forever linked to our athletic department with the naming of the new center."
Krzyzewski, in his 27th season at the helm of the Duke program, won his 700th game at the school Feb. 18. Under his leadership, the Blue Devils have been to 10 Final Fours and captured three national championships.
The coach is also involved with several charities through the University and is a member of the Fuqua School of Business as an executive-in-residence.
"I have been at Duke for 27 years and love everything this university stands for. It is a special place with special people," Krzyzewski said in a statement. "The Center for Excellence will be a part of my coaching career while I am at Duke, and to have my name associated with it forever means even more."
The Michael W. Krzyzewski Center for Athletic Excellence-which is located in the area behind Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Schwartz-Butters building-will house the athletic department's academic center, greatly increasing the amount of space for academic support and tutoring for athletes. Additionally, the facility will include two full-court practice areas, a weight room and a large event space.
"I am extremely thankful to all of the people who have stepped forward to make this facility a reality," Krzyzewski said. "It will be a tremendous benefit to our university and athletic department in facilitating a well-rounded and exceptional educational process for more than 600 student-athletes annually."
One of the primary reasons for the center was the crunch for time in Cameron. In late fall, the seasons of all four teams that use the stadium-volleyball, wrestling and men's and women's basketball-overlap. While the volleyball and wrestling teams do not use Cameron for practice, the new facility will allow multiple teams to practice and compete simultaneously.
"The new student-athlete academic support area will help bolster an already strong program well into the future," Alleva said. "In addition, we have ensured that we have the best resources available to continually strengthen our men's and women's basketball programs and also host large gatherings within our athletics facilities."
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