Mike Krzyzewski Makes Decision on Attending Duke-Houston Final Four Game
In his third season as head coach of the Duke, Jon Scheyer has led the Blue Devils to the Final Four for the first time since Mike Krzyzewski retired.
No. 1 seed Duke will take on fellow No. 1 seed Houston at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday for a spot in the NCAA championship game.
“I think part of (Krzyzewski’s) legacy forever will be the fact that he set our program up for such success, and we’re able to be in a Final Four in Year 3,” Scheyer said of his legendary mentor. “It’s a credit to him and how the succession has gone down.”
While plenty of attention will be cast on Duke’s star freshman Cooper Flagg on Saturday night, Coach K’s presence will be another significant storyline in San Antonio.
Though Krzyzewski has stayed very involved with the Duke program under Scheyer, it has not resulted in frequent attendance at games. He did not attend any games in Scheyer’s first two seasons.
This season, he snapped the streak with an appearance at Duke’s game against Kansas in Las Vegas on Nov. 26. The Blue Devils lost 75-72, one of just three losses Scheyer’s team has sustained in the 2024-2025 campaign.
Coach K is hoping for a different outcome against Houston, where he plans to be in attendance to cheer on the Blue Devils.
“I’m planning on being there to watch ’em,” Krzyzewski said his Sirius XM radio show this week. He also said his wife, Mickie, will join him at the Alamodome.
“I try to stay out of it publicly, just to give our program a chance to keep moving in its direction,” the 78-year-old added. “But I want to be there for Scheyer. … Look, I want Duke to win. So I want to be there in support of them.”
