DURHAM, N.C. — For the last 11 years, Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke coaching career has been perfectly intertwined with his side job coaching the USA Basketball men’s national team.
The combination began with skepticism in 2005 but has been wildly successful as he’s led the U.S. to Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012 and Duke to NCAA championships in 2010 and 2015.
It all ends this summer when Krzyzewski will coach the Americans for the final time at the Rio Olympics.
The Hall of Fame coach has always said he would only keep his U.S. national team gig if he was still coaching Duke. So, now that his international coaching career is winding down, how does that plan work in reverse?
Krzyzewski will turn 70 years old during next season, when he’ll be coaching a Duke team expected to be among the nation’s best. NCAA championship No. 6 is a strong possibility thanks to a superior recruiting class and the return of trusted, talented veterans Grayson Allen, Amile Jefferson and Matt Jones.
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