The college basketball world received major news this week when longtime Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced he will retire at the end of the 2021-22 season.

During his time in Durham, Krzyzewski has led Duke to five national championships, most recently in 2015. With 1,170 victories, he is the winningest coach in men’s college basketball history, with 1,097 of them coming during his 41 years with the Blue Devils.

Former UNC head coach Roy Williams — who recently retired as well — said Krzyzewski has been “fantastic for the game of basketball.”

“Mike’s been fantastic for the game of basketball,” Williams said while speaking to reporters at the Rex Hospital Open golf tournament, “he’s been fantastic for college basketball, been fantastic for the ACC, for the greatest rivalry in sports, Duke-North Carolina basketball.

“He’s been a good friend, a guy I’ve respected a great deal. He made everybody bring their ‘A’ game for years and years and years. In the old days it was a little easier. There weren’t as many teams. I can remember when the ACC was a seven-team league, now it’s 15. He’s just been phenomenal in everything he’s done.”

In addition, Williams addressed those who have concerns about the UNC-Duke rivalry after himself and Krzyzewski are no longer coaching.

“It will be different. But Vic Bubas and Dean Smith left and Duke and North Carolina were still pretty good. Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski are leaving and (basketball is) still going to be pretty good in this area,” Williams said.

Both UNC and Duke hired longtime assistant coaches for the head coach openings. Hubert Davis takes over for the Tar Heels, while Duke assistant Jon Scheyer will assume the head coach role during the 2022 season for the Blue Devils.

“Coach Krzyzewski’s career has been awesome,” said Davis in a release from UNC. “All of his accomplishments have elevated college and USA basketball for so many years. I’m so thankful and privileged that I was able to compete against his teams as a player, as an assistant coach, and now has a head coach this upcoming season.

“Carolina vs. Duke is the pinnacle of college basketball and the fact that his final game at Cameron will be against the Tar Heels adds more uniqueness and history to this great rivalry.”

Featured image via ACC Media

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