Mike Krzyzewski has posted some incredible numbers at Duke over the years. He has cut down the nets as national champion four times. There are 11 Final Four appearances, 13 ACC tournament championships, 82 NCAA tournament wins, the most of all-time.
He has had success bringing back the pride in the U. S. Olympic men's basketball program, joining up with Jerry Colangelo to get the last two golds as head coach.
Now he is going for another special feat, the milestone of career coaching victory No. 1,000.
With Monday night's win over Pittsburgh, Coach K sits firmly at 999. His shot at the magic 1,000 comes on Sunday, at a place where he has enjoyed success and historical memories before.
Duke faces St. John's of the Big East, with No. 1,000 looming. The Blue Devils have a great following in the Northeast, meaning Madison Square Garden should have its share of fans in blue and white.
Flash back to November 15, 2011. That significant night saw Duke beat Tom Izzo and Michigan State at The Mecca, Madison Square Garden. The reason that the Big Apple was rocking and rolling was simple: Coach K earned career W No. 903, passing his mentor, the General, Robert Montgomery Knight. Coach K became numero uno on the Division I men's coaching list that night.
Getting No. 1,000 will not be a cakewalk. Steve Lavin's Red Storm is vastly improved, can run up and down the court, and is led by a dangerous shooter in D'Angelo Harrison. St. John's would like to add to its resume with a big victory; the host would love to spoil the party.
My friends, I know there are a lot of Duke haters out there. There are fans who root against teams like the Yankees, the Cowboys, Notre Dame football and Duke basketball. They don't like to hear about teams that have great traditions of winning. There is a jealousy involved.
Coach K has done an incredible job with the Duke program over the years. Whether he gets to 1,000 against St. John's in New York, in front of the bright lights and big city, or whether it comes against Notre Dame in the next game, or even later, I consider him to be the best coach in any sport.
I am sure there will be arguments. People will say, come on Dukie V., what about Bill Belichick, Nick Saban or Gregg Popovich.
My vote goes to Coach K. And when he gets to that milestone of 1,000 victories, believe me, it will be special.