O'Connor's writing here is often one-note. Mostly what he's done here is collate information. Almost all of it is from other sources, is public knowledge and/or common sense. There's too much about Coach K as a student at West Point playing for Army and too many details about life at West Point (more than at Duke). Do you want to know the math book most students dreaded? In here along with more minutiae. One thing surprised me, because I was a child when Krzyzewski played for West Point: during the Vietnam War some crowds chanted "baby killers!" at the team. One of the fundamental truths that O’Connor teases out is the fact that there is a high cost to high achievement. And to reach these heights – 12 Final Fours and five NCAA titles, three Olympic championships – the cost is that much higher. The toll it takes on one’s health – physical and emotional – is significant. And yet, Coach K soldiers on.

Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski - Kindle

He’s the winningest Division I men’s basketball coach in NCAA history. He’s won multiple national titles and been to even more Final Fours. He’s been in charge of USA Basketball and led the national team to gold medals more than once. He is an iconic figure, one of the titans of the game’s last half-century. I skipped the Sweet Sixteen -- March 24, for Duke -- and they won but still it was a dumb mistake. Traveling. After graduation, he served for five years in the U.S. Army before moving on to become a grad assistant to Knight, who had taken the job at Indiana that would define his career. It was on Knight’s recommendation that Krzyzewski would land his first head coaching gig at his alma mater, taking over the Cadets and helming them for five years. on the record and a few here and there that perhaps weren't, this is for you. For me, reading it often was more like reading an encyclopedia than a biography. It was not worth my time, which is unfortunately very limited right now though that will change soon.The author writes of allegations of Duke getting an unfair advantage in recruiting the best high school players because of Krzyzewski’s coaching of Team USA, for whom he won eighty-eight of eighty-nine games. The book, "Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski," chronicles the fabled career of the Duke men's basketball coach, who is retiring after 42 seasons and five NCAA national championships. He announced that this would be his last season on June 2, 2021 -- with Scheyer named his successor the same day. For me, the stuff on Bobby Knight was the most fascinating. One former Army player of Knight's is quoted as saying Airborne Ranger School doesn't compare to a Bobby Knight preseason practice. The book presents Knight in all his complicated glory: abusive, tyrannical, petty, compassionate, great teacher, integrity. All of these attributes come to play in Krzyzewski's up-and-down relationship with his mentor.

Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski - Kindle Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski - Kindle

A look into Krzyzewski's turbulent relationship with former Army and Indiana coach Bob Knight, who was a mentor to Coach K. It details how the relationship finally ended at a 2015 West Point reunion in Pinehurst, North Carolina. I am a grateful recipient of a Duke graduate school degree and even before attending Duke, I was a huge fan of both the men’s and women’s BB programs. Reading Ian O’connor’s biography of Coach K’s life from his days in Chicago to his retirement announcement in 2021 shows the greatness and the weakness of all leaders. My respect for the man and all that he tried to do, his passion to win games, devotion to his family, and his unrelenting drive to be the best at his craft is inspiring for anyone on a quest for excellence in any area of life. O’Connor botched it the last two chapters. I think he could’ve done better/ taken it a different direction, but everything up to that point was *chefs kiss* Meh. I wanted to read this book because of the reported allegations surrounding the conversations Coach K had with Tommy Amaker regarding Jon Scheyer's succeeding Coach K as the head basketball coach at Duke. So, I spent the money, read the book, and regretted it.I'm relieved I won't have to type the name again, though Connor includes some actual mispronounciations and misspellings before he was a household name, and those amused me***)