By: Erich R Pilcher

Goat in American English: (goʊt) NOUN

1. Word forms: plural goats or goat

a. any of a genus (Capra) of wild or domesticated bovid ruminants with hollow horns

b. US Rocky Mountain goat

2. a lecherous man

3. US, Informal a person forced to take the blame or punishment for others; scapegoat

That is the technical definition of Goat. Sadly the acronym for Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T) is not listed. The world of sports who is the greatest is often debated. Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Pele, Wayne Gretzky are usually at the forefront of this debate. However, coaching is one aspect that is not as definitive.

I’m here to say the debate is over. There is a clear-cut and definitive choice. It is Duke University Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski, and the debate is not even close. 

Krzyzewski took over the head coaching job at Duke in 1980 following a five-year stint as the head coach for Army (Where he went 73-59 with one National Invitational Tournament berth). Since then, Duke has been the preeminent program in college basketball. Duke has made the NCAA Tournament 37 out of 40 years (They missed in 2021 due to COVID and will make the tournament this season), he holds the record for both most wins and most tournament wins (1,195 wins overall and 97 in the tournament), he has an astounding 12 Regular season and 15 conference tournament titles in arguably the toughest basketball conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Finally, he has won a national title in three different decades and five overall (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, and 2015), led his team to 12 Final Four and he rejuvenated United States basketball on the global stage, leading the team to three consecutive gold medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016 (following the unmitigated disaster and near-catastrophic showing in the 2004 Summer Games). 

Those stats alone would justify his lofty standing. Then we ignore the intangibles. This is where he truly shows his greatness. He has done most of this from a private university in Durham, North Carolina. A school was known as the “Ivy League of the South”. He has outlasted his rivals. When he started he had to combat Dean Smith and Bobby Knight (who he eventually passed in most measurable categories) throughout his career he has had wars with Rick Pitino, Roy Williams, Jim Calhoun, Jim Boeheim, Tom Izzo, and many more. Not only has he thwarted them, but he has also lapped them. Krzyzewski has also done so by running a clean program, with no major infractions or controversies. Something not many of his foes can say. 

In this debate, people will throw out other names such as Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, former Iowa Wrestling coach Dan Gable, or pro basketball coach Phil Jackson. In regards to the professional coaches, they often have a say in what players they get and ultimately how long they stay. Krzyzewski does not. 

Early in his career, Krzyzewski would only get kids that would stay for four years and graduate. Once “one and done” became common, many thought Duke would be finished. Not only has Krzyzewski evolved, but he also succeeded. He embraced the one-and-done and has modified his program’s approach to getting kids ready for the pros. His offense and defense are less basic and more fluid. It is based on the players he has not the scheme he wants. 

His control is limited to his recruiting pitch. After that the decision is the kids, how long they stay, and if they venture to Durham. Pro coaches can offer, or get management to offer, long-term deals, re-negotiate contacts and get more money. This is a luxury not afforded to Coach K and he has won despite it.

Then, some will point to the championships won by Lombardi and Gable. To that point, competition has to be debated. Lombardi won most of his championships in an eight-team league and to be fair it was a glorified YMCA dad league. Gable also had limited competition and Iowa is a wrestling-rich state. So not only did he have limited competition, he had his pick of the top-tier talent. 

Most impressive is the fact that Coach K was able to get NBA players to believe in him as he led them for 12 years across three Olympic Games. When he was first hired, many felt that he could not do this. There were egos, such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and others. The thought was his approach would not be accepted by NBA players. But not only did he get them to buy in, the players often shower adulation and praise on the legend. Something that shows he transcends levels and can get anyone to believe in him and his approach. 

Anyone is welcome to debate me on this. But the stats and intangibles do not lie. What Krzyzewski has done is something we have never seen before and will never see again. Nearly 40 years of consistent dominance from a small campus, shrouded in Gothic decor and high academic standards. He succeeded despite a constantly changing environment. 

This Saturday night “The Man” coaches his final game, in front of his people, The Cameron Crazies. A fan base he cultivated by his success. I would advise any sports fan to watch and see because it is something we will never see again.