Mike Krzyzewski earns win 1,099, passing Pat Summitt for most all-time in Division I history
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski earned career win number 1,099 in the Blue Devils’ win over Rhode Island in the Round of 32 on Saturday, a mark that passes late Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt for most all-time in Division I basketball.
The Duke head man also said it was “an honor” to pass the legendary Summitt in career wins but also recognized that the record has a tragic side to it: Summitt, who coached started coaching at Tennessee in 1974, retired in 2012 due to early-onset Alzheimer’s. She died in 2016 at the age of 64. “Pat would have won hundreds of more games if health had not taken her from us,” Krzyzewski said. “Someone will have more eventually. You know?”
He later added on: “It’s an honor because she was a pioneer in her sport. Her sport, women’s college basketball, took off because of her.”
After a bit of a slow start, Duke started to roll over the Atlantic 10 regular season champs and took a 45-28 lead into the half. Duke was never threatened in the second half and won going away, 87-62. All five starters scored in double digits, led by Marvin Bagley III’s 22 points. The Blue Devils’ defense held the Rams to just 39.7 percent shooting.
Krzyzewski, 71, now stands alone in the history books. He’s won 1,026 games — including five national championships — in 38 years at Duke after winning 73 in five years at Army in the mid-1970s. He’ll have a chance to extend his all-time wins record when the Blue Devils meet either No. 3 Michigan State or No. 11 Syracuse in the Sweet Sixteen.
