Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski

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The author writes about Krzyzewski’s temper and profanity, and that in defeat he was at times unpleasant to be around. He states that Krzyzewski at times had trouble saying he was sorry. In other words, it did what a biography should do. It painted an accurate and exhaustive portrait of the man.

Leading with the Heart: Krzyzewski, Mike: 9781538741610

The Chronicle, Duke’s independent student news organization, has published a new book documenting Mike Krzyzewski’s historic coaching career ahead of his final season leading the Blue Devils. This was a VERY in depth portrayal of the legend of Coach K. When he first started coaching, he was ridiculed and viewed by many as having a brief career, but this gritty leader who was shaped by Bobby Knight ended up being now recognized as the greatest college coach ever (And some question whether he was the greatest coach ever!)! O'Connor's writing here is often one-note. Mostly what he's done here is collate information. Almost all of it is from other sources, is public knowledge and/or common sense. There's too much about Coach K as a student at West Point playing for Army and too many details about life at West Point (more than at Duke). Do you want to know the math book most students dreaded? In here along with more minutiae. One thing surprised me, because I was a child when Krzyzewski played for West Point: during the Vietnam War some crowds chanted "baby killers!" at the team. This is a look at many pivotal moments. From the start of his own basketball career, to his time at Army, and his rough start at Duke, this is a fantastic read. Many important games are discussed, many former players and coachs are talked about, as well as the way Coach K had to adapt through the years.

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There is a staggering amount of reportage at work here, so many details from every aspect of the Coach K story. We hear from his old buddies from the neighborhood. We hear from guys he played with at West Point, as well as guys who played for him. We get the lowdown from Blue Devils across generations – players, coaches, administrators, you name it. All of it focused on this singular guy who, through sheer force of will and a masterful grasp of motivation, turned himself into the winningest DI coach to ever sit on the bench. Ian O’Connor’s “Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski” purports to be the definitive biography of the man who is arguably the definitive figure in college basketball in the past 50 years. From his early days growing up in Chicago to his time as West Point – first as a player, then as a coach – to his ascension to the top job at Duke, where he turned a decent ACC team into one of the greatest college basketball programs ever. Meh. I wanted to read this book because of the reported allegations surrounding the conversations Coach K had with Tommy Amaker regarding Jon Scheyer's succeeding Coach K as the head basketball coach at Duke. So, I spent the money, read the book, and regretted it.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI (of 168) | A-Z Quotes TOP 25 QUOTES BY MIKE KRZYZEWSKI (of 168) | A-Z Quotes

After graduation, he served for five years in the U.S. Army before moving on to become a grad assistant to Knight, who had taken the job at Indiana that would define his career. It was on Knight’s recommendation that Krzyzewski would land his first head coaching gig at his alma mater, taking over the Cadets and helming them for five years. About the only big picture thing that isn't detailed is Krzyzewski's involvement with the '92 Dream Team. There's plenty of documentation on that story elsewhere, which might explain why O'Connor just gives it a drive-by.I hoped for new info on the Olympic players, especially LeBron and Kobe, but there's not much. So much is common knowledge even to someone like me who did not closely follow Duke or the ACC other than when Christian Laettner and Zion Williams** played there. The rest was TMI, and you can feel O'Connor strain in certain parts to paint Coach K in the best light. Listen, Coach K is a legend and a fascinating guy (I met him when I was a fellow at Duke, where he is basically God, and I was impressed and intrigued), but a biography that mainly hypes him up does not do justice to this complex character. O'Connor has collected tons of info on the man, but it builds up to a basketball hagiography. What makes Coach K truly larger than life though are his weaknesses and how he fought them - plus, questioning your subject critically always renders a text more interesting. Mike Krzyzewski, known worldwide as “Coach K,” is a five-time national champion at Duke, the NCAA's all-time leader in victories with nearly 1,200, and the first man to lead Team USA to three Olympic basketball gold medals. Through unprecedented access to Krzyzewski’s best friends, closest advisers, fiercest adversaries, and generations of his players and assistants, three-time New York Times bestselling author Ian O’Connor takes you behind the Blue Devil curtain with a penetrating examination of the great, but flawed leader as he closes out his iconic career. Ian O'Connor's book covers Coach K basically from birth through his announcement that this is his last season. I've stayed up late, exhausted, and pushed myself to finish it before the game tonight. The book isn't very good and if Duke loses tonight it would have been anticlimactic to keep going yet I probably wouldn't have DNF'd it, still hoping for some fascinating revelation which would never come. As the brief snippets from Coach K's videos in The Bear season 2 hint, Sydney learns through his books and lectures that in times of extreme pressure, a team should continue grinding while keeping composure. She also absorbs that true leadership comes from failing and understanding what may or may not work. Out of all the lessons from the book, the one that seemingly holds the most importance in Sydney's arc is Coach K's emphasis on being a good listener and thoughtful communicator. In The Bear season 2's finale, when they finally open their restaurant, Sydney's efforts into honing her leadership skills through Coach K's lessons finally pay off.