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

by Ian O'Connor (Author)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The definitive sports biography of college basketball's all-time winningest coach, Mike Krzyzewski.

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 in this must-read coaching biography as he closes out his iconic career.

Krzyzewski built a staggering NCAA basketball empire that has endured for more than four decades, placing him among the all-time titans of American sport, and yet there has never been a defining portrait of the coach and his program. Until now. O'Connor uses scores of interviews with those who know Krzyzewski best to deliver previously untold stories about the relationships that define the venerable Coach K, including the one with his volcanic mentor, Bob Knight, that died a premature death. Krzyzewski was always driven by an inner rage fueled by his tough Chicago upbringing, and by the blue-collar Polish-American parents who raised him to fight for a better life. With updated coverage of Coach K's stunning final season and his last journey through March Madness, O'Connor shows you sides of the man and his methods that will surprise even the most dedicated Duke fan.

"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

More than a chronicle of wins and losses, this is the definitive portrait of a complex and driven leader.

• A Complex Leadership Style: Go beyond the wins to understand the "inner rage" and demanding methods that forged one of the most successful--and scrutinized--leaders in American sport.
• The Knight and Krzyzewski Relationship: Uncover the previously untold story of his bond with volcanic mentor Bob Knight, from their days at West Point to the premature, painful end of their friendship.
• Building the Blue Devil Dynasty: Through unprecedented access, discover how Coach K built a basketball empire at Duke that endured for more than four decades, creating a new standard in college sports.
• Gold Medals and Global Dominance: Relive the inside story of how Krzyzewski led Team USA to three Olympic gold medals, managing the biggest egos in the game to restore American basketball's world dominance.
• The Final Season: Features updated, exclusive coverage of Coach K's stunning final season, offering a poignant and behind-the-scenes look at the end of an iconic career.

Author Biography

Ian O'Connor is an award-winning columnist who has written four previous books including The New York Times bestsellers Belichick, The Captain, and Arnie & Jack. He has finished in first place in 18 national writing contests, including those conducted by the Pro Football Writers of America, Golf Writers Association of America, and Associated Press Sports Editors. He is a sports columnist at The New York Post, and former columnist for ESPN.com, USA Today, and The New York Daily News. Twitter: @Ian_OConnor