Mike Krzyzewski is a passionate man.
Just look at what hes done on the basketball court.
In 34 seasons at the helm of Duke basketball, Krzyzewski (commonly called Coach K), has won four national championships, appeared in 11 Final Fours and won 13 ACC Tournament championships.
In January, Krzyzewski became the first NCAA Division I mens coach to capture 1,000 wins as his Blue Devils beat the Red Storm of St. Johns.
This week, he looks to guide his No. 1-seeded Duke University through the NCAA Tournament madness.
Despite the years of success and accumulated accolades, however, Krzyzewski isnt one to forget where hes come from, and whats got him to the top of the college basketball world.
Born Feb. 13, 1947, in Chicago to humble Polish immigrants, Bill and Emily, Krzyzewski learned early in life the importance of family, faith and hard work.
My parents had little in the way of material things, said Krzyzewski in his book "Leading With The Heart," My parents were people who never had anything, but they had everything. There was a lot of love and a lot of pride in our house.
This strong sense of family pride has played a foundational role throughout Krzyzewskis life. To this day, Krzyzewski remembers and appreciates the influence of his mother. In fact, he encourages each of his players to develop a special relationship with their moms by acknowledging them after every game.
Ill say to them, You go right to your mother and give her a hug. If your mom is not here, go call her.
Along with his love for family, Krzyzewski also displays a deep passion for religion and commitment to God.
Born and raised as a Roman Catholic, young Krzyzewski attended St. Helen Elementary School and Archbishop Weber High School, an all-boy Catholic prep school. In these formative years Krzyzewski learned from various nuns and Fathers the principles of faith and morality.
Father Rog taught me religion in high school, recalled Krzyzewski, But then during those teenage years where you question a lot of things not just about your faith, but how to live it he was able to provide answers that a teenage boy understood.
To celebrate the opening weekend of March Madness, weve compiled a list of 10 quotes that demonstrate Krzyzewskis dedication to faith, family and hard work. Each quote is taken from his book, "Leading With The Heart."
When I was growing up, I was proud to be a member of the Krzyzewski family. It was the strongest single group Ive ever been associated with.
I believe work is good. There is dignity in work. I also believe that a hard-work ethic forges strong leaders.
I live every day of my life being proud of my family and where I came from. What price can a person pay for that?
Sharing with one another and caring for one another thats what love is. Thats what family is all about.
I have found that when people achieve something that theyve really worked hard for, it makes them feel great, superb, wonderful. In that context, rather than causing pain, work brings people joy, fulfillment, and self-esteem.
Family is a fist complete with communication, caring, trust, pride, and collective responsibility. Family makes individuals part of something bigger.
I remember the values my folks taught me. Back then, you grew up believing in God, you told the truth and you loved your country and playground basketball.
Anything that I felt good about, my mom and dad felt better about. Everything that I did was supported. I think this type of sustenance had a lot to do with me being confident as an adult.
Friendships, along with love, make life worth living.
I believe God gave us crises for some reason and it certainly wasnt for us to say that everything about them is bad. A crisis can be a momentous time for a team to grow if a leader handles it properly.
Just look at what hes done on the basketball court.
In 34 seasons at the helm of Duke basketball, Krzyzewski (commonly called Coach K), has won four national championships, appeared in 11 Final Fours and won 13 ACC Tournament championships.
In January, Krzyzewski became the first NCAA Division I mens coach to capture 1,000 wins as his Blue Devils beat the Red Storm of St. Johns.
This week, he looks to guide his No. 1-seeded Duke University through the NCAA Tournament madness.
Despite the years of success and accumulated accolades, however, Krzyzewski isnt one to forget where hes come from, and whats got him to the top of the college basketball world.
Born Feb. 13, 1947, in Chicago to humble Polish immigrants, Bill and Emily, Krzyzewski learned early in life the importance of family, faith and hard work.
My parents had little in the way of material things, said Krzyzewski in his book "Leading With The Heart," My parents were people who never had anything, but they had everything. There was a lot of love and a lot of pride in our house.
This strong sense of family pride has played a foundational role throughout Krzyzewskis life. To this day, Krzyzewski remembers and appreciates the influence of his mother. In fact, he encourages each of his players to develop a special relationship with their moms by acknowledging them after every game.
Ill say to them, You go right to your mother and give her a hug. If your mom is not here, go call her.
Along with his love for family, Krzyzewski also displays a deep passion for religion and commitment to God.
Born and raised as a Roman Catholic, young Krzyzewski attended St. Helen Elementary School and Archbishop Weber High School, an all-boy Catholic prep school. In these formative years Krzyzewski learned from various nuns and Fathers the principles of faith and morality.
Father Rog taught me religion in high school, recalled Krzyzewski, But then during those teenage years where you question a lot of things not just about your faith, but how to live it he was able to provide answers that a teenage boy understood.
To celebrate the opening weekend of March Madness, weve compiled a list of 10 quotes that demonstrate Krzyzewskis dedication to faith, family and hard work. Each quote is taken from his book, "Leading With The Heart."
When I was growing up, I was proud to be a member of the Krzyzewski family. It was the strongest single group Ive ever been associated with.
I believe work is good. There is dignity in work. I also believe that a hard-work ethic forges strong leaders.
I live every day of my life being proud of my family and where I came from. What price can a person pay for that?
Sharing with one another and caring for one another thats what love is. Thats what family is all about.
I have found that when people achieve something that theyve really worked hard for, it makes them feel great, superb, wonderful. In that context, rather than causing pain, work brings people joy, fulfillment, and self-esteem.
Family is a fist complete with communication, caring, trust, pride, and collective responsibility. Family makes individuals part of something bigger.
I remember the values my folks taught me. Back then, you grew up believing in God, you told the truth and you loved your country and playground basketball.
Anything that I felt good about, my mom and dad felt better about. Everything that I did was supported. I think this type of sustenance had a lot to do with me being confident as an adult.
Friendships, along with love, make life worth living.
I believe God gave us crises for some reason and it certainly wasnt for us to say that everything about them is bad. A crisis can be a momentous time for a team to grow if a leader handles it properly.
