The NBA added former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski To the league’s office, it announced Wednesday in a press release that Krzyzewski has been hired as Special Adviser for Basketball Operations (Twitter link).
In his new position at the league’s office, Krzyzewski will advise the league’s office, NBA team executives and other leaders across the league on a range of issues related to the game, the league’s announcement said Wednesday. He will be there when the general managers of the NBA meet next week in Chicago.
An inductee into both the College Basketball Hall of Fame and the Basketball Hall of Fame, Krzyzewski coached Duke’s men’s basketball team from 1980 to 2022. He won five national championships during that time, most recently in 2015. Final Four during Krzyzewski’s last season in 2022.
Krzyzewski has also spent time as the head coach of Team USA’s men’s basketball, winning Olympic gold medals in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Krzyzewski has received a great deal of interest from NBA teams over the years, but he has always chosen to stay at Duke. He will finally make the transition to the NBA now, at the age of 76, but in the role of executive director of the league rather than that of the franchise’s head coach.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to deepen my connection with the NBA and participate in conversations about further strengthening the league and the game,” he said in a statement. “Even after my retirement from coaching, my passion for the sport has never been higher. This role will enable me to continue to engage with basketball at the highest level.”