Where does Mike Krzyzewski rank among the group of other great coaches in the history of men's college basketball?
It's a good time to take stock of that question and legacy of the Duke coach with the announcement Wednesday that he will spend one more year on the Blue Devils' bench before heading to retirement.
It's not an easy exercise as all the candidates have had long and successful runs on the sidelines that led them to national titles and multiple Final Fours. They're also from different eras when tournaments were smaller and getting an invitation was more difficult.
A look at the 10 best coaches of all-time:
1. Mike Krzyzewski
Accomplishments: 1170-361 record, 12 Final Fours, five national titles
The records are staggering. Tied for the most Final Fours. The most wins all-time. Most tournament appearances (35) and tournament wins (97). Fifteen ACC tournament championships. The sustained excellence of more than 40 years at Duke is what separates Coach K from everyone else, especially in an era when parity has been greater and advancing in the postseason is more difficult. One of his greatest strengths has been his adaptability as he built rosters that changed with the times during six decades (he spent five seasons at Army from 1975-80). For his first two decades at Duke, he built tough-minded teams that succeeded with defense and roster continuity. None of his players left early for the NBA before the 1999 season. He transitioned during the middle of his career to taking players that likely would depart before their eligibility was up to a full embrace of a one-and-done model as the Blue Devils became a magnet for the best recruits in the country that wanted a short stay before professional basketball.
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