Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski

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One of the fundamental truths that O’Connor teases out is the fact that there is a high cost to high achievement. And to reach these heights – 12 Final Fours and five NCAA titles, three Olympic championships – the cost is that much higher. The toll it takes on one’s health – physical and emotional – is significant. And yet, Coach K soldiers on. 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. Mike had to explain to Tommy why he couldn't be the guy," one Duke source said, according to the book. "He can be Don Corleone when he needs to be." Eventually, Amaker decided not to take the job. Someone close to him, O'Connor writes, said he was "heartbroken" not to get the job. Scheyer was eventually announced as the successor. The reporting and research are exhaustive and impressive. The writing is direct. The portrayal is fair, but unsparing. In many ways, Ian O'Connor's work is like Mike Krzyzewski himself: unrelenting, contemplative, purposeful. You not only learn about the coach and the man in this book, but more important, you understand him. No small feat.”— Gene Wojciechowski,ESPN’s College GameDay reporterand New York Times bestselling author of The Last Great Game

Coach K book in Season 2 has fans mad - For The Win The Bear: Coach K book in Season 2 has fans mad - For The Win

I really like this book. I knew K was arguably the greatest college coach of all time, but man did Oconnor really bring out his genius. From one of the preeminent sports biographers in this country…another piece of remarkable work Adrian Wojnarowski I'm relieved I won't have to type the name again, though Connor includes some actual mispronounciations and misspellings before he was a household name, and those amused me***) 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. 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.Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski is an excellent read for hard-core college hoops fans. Like me. Mike Krzyzewski is portrayed as a real human being. If you’re looking for fluff, feel good pieces, you’ll find some of that; but the other side to Coach K is also shown, and it’s not always a pretty picture. Without a doubt, as a reader, I felt I got the good, the bad, and the ugly. After West Point, he was eventually sent to South Korea as an artillery liaison officer in the Second Infantry Division and commander of the recreational compound. 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.

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

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. Leading with the heart" stellt eine Mischung aus einem Ratgeber für Führungskräfte und einem Motivationsbuch dar. Mike Krzyzewski demonstriert einen Führungsstil, wie man ihn sich nur von jedem Vorgesetzten, aber auch von jedem Coach nur wünschen kann. Auch für die, die nicht das beste Englisch sprechen (und das ist wohl fast jeder, der eine deutsche Rezension zu einem englischensprachigen Buch liest) werden gut durch den Text kommen, da der Autor einfach und leicht verständliche Beispiele verwendet und jeden Tipp und jede Technik immer im Rahmen einer kleinen Geschichte erklärt. This book was exceedingly well researched. It had a bunch of stories even I -- a lifelong Duke fan who hosts a podcast about Duke basketball -- had never heard. I found the stories about K's rise to greatness the most interesting part. We hear so little about those early 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. Basketball fans might feel as though they already know Coach K—or Mike Krzyzewski, the decades-long coach of the Duke Blue Devils who’s set to retire after this season. In this insightful biography, sportswriter O’Connor captures the formative experiences and inner drive that catapulted the coach to icon status. Even the most die-hard fans will learn something." — Washington Post

It is absolutely fantastic. [The] level of reporting is insane. …This book is so fun, it really is. When you bring in the Bob Knight stuff, it is jet fuel to this book. You can’t get enough of this….An absolute must read.”— Colin Cowherd, The Herd Host and New York Times Bestselling Author Auf der Awesome People Conference 2017 hatte Christian Bischoff dieses Buch als empfehlenswert und inspirierend beschrieben. Nun, zu viel hat er auf jeden Fall nicht versprochen.Ich habe tatsächlich einen neuen Lieblingtipp für alle Führungskräfte dadurch erhalten. If you are a fan of college basketball, Duke basketball, and more specifically Coach K, this book is about as comprehensive and well written as they come.

Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski - Goodreads

I think Ian is one of the best writers in the country...and look at it as an honor that somebody of that level would write a book on me." Mike Krzyzewski The best account of a most pugnacious presence. ...a brilliant expose for anyone with interest in the combative melting pot of college athletics, sports management, and the type of character that succeeds within it." — Refereads 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. 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. I am a grateful recipient of a Duke graduate school degree and even before attending Duke, I was a huge fan of both the men’s and women’s BB programs. Reading Ian O’connor’s biography of Coach K’s life from his days in Chicago to his retirement announcement in 2021 shows the greatness and the weakness of all leaders. My respect for the man and all that he tried to do, his passion to win games, devotion to his family, and his unrelenting drive to be the best at his craft is inspiring for anyone on a quest for excellence in any area of life.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. 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. The reporting and research are exhaustive and impressive. The writing is direct. The portrayal is fair, but unsparing. In many ways, Ian O'Connor's work is like Mike Krzyzewski himself: unrelenting, contemplative, purposeful. You not only learn about the coach and the man in this book, but more important, you understand him. No small feat.” Gene Wojciechowski I skipped the Sweet Sixteen -- March 24, for Duke -- and they won but still it was a dumb mistake. Traveling.

Coach K on Apple Books ‎Coach K on Apple Books

A look into Krzyzewski's turbulent relationship with former Army and Indiana coach Bob Knight, who was a mentor to Coach K. It details how the relationship finally ended at a 2015 West Point reunion in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Having been a fan of Duke basketball and Coach K for most of his time at the elite program, I was thrilled and honored at the chance to review this book. If you are a Duke or Coach K fan, O'Connor's account of Coach K's career at Duke is largely a rehash of things that have been previously reported. One major exception is the behind-the-scenes story of the fracturing of the relationship between Coach K and his mentor, Bobby Knight. There had been previous stories of Knight passing a note to Tommy Amaker to give to Coach K just prior to tip off before Duke played Indiana in the 1992 Final Four. Amaker supposedly read the note and kept it to himself, knowing that it would only upset K. It turns out the note was given to someone else and was ultimately passed along to Krzyzewski, and we learn its contents. I'll definitely seek out the updated chapter on Duke's 2021-22 basketball season once it's published.Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski by Ian O’Connor (Mariner Books 2022)(Biography) (3632). I gained a lot of respect for Coach after reading another book and this one based on his relationship Jim Valvano and Dean Smith even though when they coached against each other during their time in the ACC and really was moving reading about how he was with Jimmy V right up to the end of his life. The best account of a most pugnacious presence. ...a brilliant expose for anyone with interest in the combative melting pot of college athletics, sports management, and the type of character that succeeds within it." Refereads For me, the stuff on Bobby Knight was the most fascinating. One former Army player of Knight's is quoted as saying Airborne Ranger School doesn't compare to a Bobby Knight preseason practice. The book presents Knight in all his complicated glory: abusive, tyrannical, petty, compassionate, great teacher, integrity. All of these attributes come to play in Krzyzewski's up-and-down relationship with his mentor.