The list of great players that have been coached by Mike Krzyzewski while the winningest coach of all-time was piling up victories at Duke feels endless.
From Christian Laettner and Grant Hill to Carlos Boozer and Shane Battier, to Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson. The list goes on and on and on, and that’s without getting to Coach K’s work with Team USA, where he coached the likes of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to gold medals.
But there’s at least one player that Krzyzewski wishes he could have coached.
Recently on his SiriusXM podcast, “Basketball & Beyond with Coach K,” the retired former Blue Devils coach told Iowa star Caitlin Clark: “I would have loved to have coached you.”
Here’s more from Krzyzewski, who seemed to have endless compliments for Clark:
“You have an incredible platform now. You’re going to be one of the leaders to help millions of young girls realize their dreams – not just in sport. … It was fabulous talking to a great player. You made my day. You know what? You are so real. I would’ve loved to have coached you. And you’re not afraid. You’re not afraid. And God bless you. I’ve really enjoyed it, and I’ll be pulling for you the whole season. Stay healthy and stay real.”
"You are so real. I would have loved to have coached you."
Coach K and @CaitlinClark22 caught up on Basketball and Beyond yesterday and Coach had high praise for Caitlin after their conversation.
Hear the full interview: https://t.co/NpAjtQPT1P@DukeMBB | @IowaWBB pic.twitter.com/s72pBaj26a
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) December 15, 2023
Krzyzewski is likely not alone. It’s safe to say that a whole lot of coaches would like to have Clark on their team.
The reigning consensus national player of the year, Clark is leading the nation in scoring this season with 29.5 points per game and is fifth in assists with 7.4 per game. Iowa is 10-1 and ranked fourth in the AP Top 25 Poll this week.
Clark has one year of collegiate eligibility left beyond this season, but should she declare for the WNBA Draft, she will likely be the No. 1 overall pick. She already has endorsement deals with big national brands like Gatorade and State Farm, and it seems like businesses in Indianapolis are eager to work with her should she become a member of the Indiana Fever this spring.
