Mike Krzyzewski made no bones about it. The legendary Duke University men's basketball coach said he wouldn't be able to continue coaching had he not had both of his hips replaced. Krzyzewski, 64, was in town Wednesday speaking to the employees at DePuy, telling them his story of how he almost had to walk away from the game he so dearly loves. "It gave me my mobility back," said Krzyzewski, who had his left hip replaced in 1999 and his right hip in 2002. "I want to thank the people at DePuy, and also let them know the impact it's had on my life. I wouldn't be coaching if I didn't have them replaced." In 1994, Krzyzewski, commonly known as Coach K, began experiencing pain in his left hip. The pain worsened, and in 1999, he walked with a limp and was forced to coach from a chair. After weighing his options, Krzyzewski chose surgery. Three years later, happy with the success of the first procedure, he went under the knife again. "Looking back, if I had it to do all over again, I wouldn't have waited," said Krzyzewski. "Basketball is my life. I always wanted to be a coach and teacher. Because I had both hips replaced, I don't see myself slowing down anytime soon." In 36 years as a Division I head coach, a career that includes five years at Army and the past 31 with the Blue Devils, Krzyzewski owns an incredible record of 900-284. His teams won national championships in 1991, 1992, 2001 and 2010. Krzyzewski is just three wins from breaking former Army, Indiana and Texas Tech coach Bob Knight's record for career wins. Throughout his career, Krzyzewski has openly talked about his respect for and friendship with Knight, for whom he played at West Point. Wednesday afternoon was no different when he was asked about the thought of breaking Knight's record. "In the history of the game, only two Division I men's basketball coaches have won 900 games," Krzyzewski said in a very humble and appreciative manner. "I think the neat story is that one guy was the coach, and the other was the point guard. The guy with 902 wins is responsible for 1,800." Asked what some of the more memorable lessons he learned from Knight, Krzyzewski spoke of Knight's loyalty and passion. "His loyalty off the court is incredible," said Krzyzewski. "I played for him more than 40 years ago, and he's still one of my best friends. His passion to prepare, and his passion to win are unbelievable." Krzyzewski's players have said the same about him. In a previously printed story, Duke center Miles Plumlee said, "Coach K is the type of guy you'd run through a wall for." Plumlee is the lone senior on this year's Duke roster, and along with junior Ryan Kelly, has been named a team captain. For the past two years, Duke has had two Plumlees – Miles and Mason – on its roster. This season, the Blue Devils will feature three Plumlee brothers, as Marshall has followed his brothers' footsteps to Durham, N.C. The Plumlees, who grew up in Warsaw, are just the third trio of brothers in Division I basketball history to play together. It hasn't happened, however, since 1958. Krzyzewski had nothing but praise for the 6-foot-10 Miles, 6-10 Mason and 7-0 Marshall. "We're expecting big things from them," said Krzyzewski. "Miles and Mason are men now, and they're a big part of our team. Our big guys are going to play an important role. Marshall is only a freshman, but he's going to be an incredible player. They're great kids, and they come a great family. We're very lucky to have them at Duke."
