Legendary Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski will retire at the end of the upcoming season, he announced Wednesday.
Krzyzewski, 74, confirmed his impending retirement in a statement, though the celebrated coach did not give a reason for the decision.
“My family and I view today as a celebration,” said Krzyzewski, who was head basketball coach at his alma mater West Point for five seasons before he was hired at Duke. “Our time at both West Point and Duke has been beyond amazing and we are thankful and honored to have led two college programs at world-class institutions for more than four decades.”
Krzyzewski ― affectionally known as Coach K ― led the Duke Blue Devils to 24 straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1996 to 2019, and has won the tournament five times over the years. As ESPN noted, he has clinched more wins than any other coach in Division I men’s basketball history.
Duke said Jon Scheyer, associate head coach and former Blue Devil, will succeed Krzyzewski.
Scheyer, who was coached by Krzyzewski when he was a player, said in a statement that he was humbled by the opportunity.
“Duke University has been a central part of my life for more than a decade, and I could not ask for a better place to continue my career,” Scheyer said. “This is absolutely humbling.”
Announcing Scheyer’s appointment, the Blue Devils shared a video on Twitter of a younger Scheyer, then still a player, embracing Krzyzewski at a game.
“I offer extreme gratitude to the greatest coach of all time whose career is unrivaled in basketball,” Scheyer said in his statement about Krzyzewski. “Coach K has built the premier program in our sport thanks to his unwavering competitive edge, a tireless attention to detail, a family-first approach and a remarkable compassion and care of his players, coaches, and staff. He has set a standard that every coach at every level should strive to achieve.”
This article has been updated with Krzyzewski’s and Scheyer’s statements.