Coach K Describes the Defining Moment in His Development as a Coach

Written By Evan Burk

Legendary Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski sat down with Warriors GM Bob Myers to discuss his journey and the impact Bob Knight had on his career and the development of his leadership style.

The defining moment in his coaching came at a dinner with Coach Knight, Henry Iba, and Pete Newell. When Knight got up from the table, Iba + Newell leaned over to give Coach K, then in his 4th year as head coach at Duke, advice that served as the defining moment in his coaching career.

Defining moment in Coach K’s coaching career: “Do it your way. Don’t try and be us”

“‘You’re going to be a really good coach, and one piece of advice is don’t try and be us. Don’t try and mimic any of the three of us. But if there are things that you like from the three of us, and some things that you might not like, do it your way.’

It was really a moment for me. I said to myself, I’m going to start following my instincts more. It was a defining moment for me, and that’s what I try to tell the guys that work for me all the time. ‘You can’t be me, and you shouldn’t want to be me. But you can be you.’…A lot of people don’t do that”

Check out the full interview with Coach K.

Evan Burk

Evan Burk is a speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures.

Evan Burk is not your typical football coach. Despite not playing football beyond high school and no network in the coaching profession, Evan's unlikely football journey began as a 4th grade coach, where he quickly worked his way to the NFL in just 6 years, and included coaching for teams such as the Miami Dolphins, UCLA, and SMU.

After spending fifteen-plus years working with the highest-performing athletes, coaches, and teams on the planet, Coach Burk uses his unique football coaching background to teach people how to utilize the same strategies in business and life that elite players and teams use to perform at a world-class level.

Evan received his B.S. in business management from the University of Colorado, and his Master of Liberal Studies degree from Southern Methodist University. He also hosts his own weekly sports leadership podcast, The Highest Level, where he reveals how championship team cultures are built and the keys to leadership excellence at the highest level.

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