What Mike Krzyzewski said about Bob Knight's death after complex relationship: 'Deeply saddened'

Bob Knight, the sixth-winningest coach in college basketball history and the most successful coach in Indiana history, left behind a giant legacy with his death Wednesday.

One of his mentees left behind a similarly massive shadow after retiring in 2022.

Former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, the winningest coach in college basketball history with 1,202 victories, was Knight's most notable mentee. Krzyzewski played under Knight at Army and coached under him at Indiana.

Here's what you need to know about their complicated relationship:

More: Legendary Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight dies at 83

Mike Krzyzewski statement on Bob Knight's death

Krzyzewski released a statement following Bob Knight's death on Wednesday, according to WTVD-TV in Raleigh-Durham.

"Coach Knight recruited me, mentored me, and had a profound impact on my career and in my life," Krzyzewski said in the statement, in part. "Our family is deeply saddened by his passing."

Bob Knight and Coach K history

Knight coached Krzyzewski at Army from 1966-69, just before Knight left in 1971 to coach at Indiana. Once Krzyzewski finished his military service, he started his coaching career as an assistant under Knight at Indiana, for one season in 1974-75.

Krzyzewski was hired at Army the following season and stayed through 1980. His five-season tenure ended when he was named head coach at Duke in 1980 and grew into a legend of college basketball.

But Krzyzewski struggled in his early career to get out from Knight's shadow. In 1987, Knight's Indiana team beat Krzyzewski's Duke team in the NCAA tournament.

REQUIRED READING: ‘Remember how you (expletive) got your job’: Bob Knight's relationship with Coach K detailed in book

Bob Knight and Coach K relationship sours at 1992 Final Four

Ahead of a 1992 Final Four matchup between Duke and the Hoosiers, a Sports Illustrated article was published that rankled Knight, according to Ian O'Connor's biography of Coach K.

“In 1987, Indiana beat Duke in the Midwest Regional semifinals, a crucible that a friend of Krzyzewski’s describes as the ‘divorce’ between the two coaches, because Krzyzewski wanted so badly to eliminate the notion that he was nothing without Knight’s patronage,” the article said. “Since then Coach K has taken every opportunity to outline their many differences while still staying on Knight’s good side – wherever that is – undoubtedly a stickier task than teaching dozens of trophy makers how to spell his name."

According to the biography, the two had a frosty interaction at the Final Four after Duke beat Indiana 81-78, where Knight wrote Krzyzewski a note.

After Knight addressed the media postgame, he congratulated the waiting Duke players, but “walked right by (Krzyzewski) without saying a word or shaking his hand,” O'Connor wrote in the biography.

The interaction left Krzyzewski teary-eyed despite advancing to the national championship game.

Bob Knight record compared to Mike Krzyzewski

Mike Krzyzewski ranks first all-time in college basketball victories and Bob Knight ranks sixth. Here are the top 10 winningest men's basketball coaches in Division I history:

• Mike Krzyzewski, Army/Duke: 1,202-368

• Jim Boeheim, Syracuse: 1,015-441

• Bob Huggins, Walsh/Akron/Cincinnati/Kansas St./West Virginia: 935-414

• Jim Calhoun, Northeastern/UConn/St. Joseph: 920-397

• Roy Williams, Kansas/North Carolina: 903-264

• Bob Knight, Army/Indiana/Texas Tech: 902-371

• Dean Smith, North Carolina: 879-254

• Adolph Rupp, Kentucky: 876-190

• Jim Phelan, Mount St. Mary's: 830-524

• Cliff Ellis, South Alabama/Clemson/Auburn/Coastal Carolina: 828-560

Source: NCAA.com

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Mike Krzyzewski statement on Bob Knight's death: Coach K 'deeply saddened'