Obviously, these are not shocking revelations (although you would be pleasantly surprised by the cookies). I have had the good fortune to interview or speak with a number of former Blue Devils through the years, from Chip Engelland to Coach Dawkins to Christian Laettner to Grant Hill to Coach Collins to Coach Wojo to Shane Battier to Jason Williams to our current freshmen. All have said something along the lines of: “This man never sleeps” or “Coach is as hungry now as he was back then (in 1986)” or “Coach K is the most passionate man I have ever known” or “Coach shows up for work each day like it is his first day on the job and he has something to prove.”
If you are like me, you don’t sleep well on planes and this consistent passion by the head coach of the Blue Devils, on display at Duke for almost three decades, inspires you. Secondarily, you might also wonder what motivates the Hall of Famer.
The long-time Duke Basketball fan might answer that the highest standards, maximum pride, devotion to family and Duke, and commitment to excellence are key parts of the equation whose solution is the best all-around coach in basketball today.
However, a recent quote by former Duke Basketball player Luol Deng suggests another reason, and one that goes unsaid too frequently around Duke. The standout Bulls forward and Sudan native said in The Times (United Kingdom), “I feel that I can do something to help those who are suffering and to assist the victims of war and illness (in Sudan). That is what I want to do. Playing basketball is something I am passionate about and I give it my all. But a large part of the motivation is that the better I get, the more influence I will have beyond the court.”
Deng, amazingly mature at age 22, would have been a senior on last year’s Duke team. A main reason he opted to enter the NBA Draft after his freshman season was to begin collecting paychecks and initiate programs to give back. Like his college coach, Deng has identified causes, programs and people close to his heart and used his on-court success to do big things off it.
In Coach K’s case, numerous entities have reaped the rewards of his generosity (and success). From the V Foundation to the Duke Children’s Hospital to the Duke Athletic Department (over $58 million raised to endow scholarships via the Legacy Fund) to Duke University itself, Coach K’s unprecedented achievements have allowed the Chicago native to make an incredible difference.
The Emily Krzyzewski Center, a community center located in Durham, is the best example. Stunning in its depth and design, the center has become a phenomenal place of growth, dreams and smiles since its opening in February 2006. Coach K built the center in honor of his late mother because growing up he had a community venue where he could hang out with his buddies. Most of the funding for the building’s construction and continued programming have been raised non-locally. Coach K and his family, friends, former players, and current and former staff members have combined to make the center an amazing reality.
At the grand opening early last year, Coach K shared an emotional and tearful hug with his brother, Bill. It was at that moment I concluded the legendary Duke Head Coach is likely motivated by hugs most of all (or at least the life, love and optimism contained in one).
