Hundreds of Army officers and senior enlisted soldiers were given a pep talk Thursday from a coaching legend, as Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski '69 paid a visit to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Known in some circles simply as "Coach K," Krzyzewski coached Lt. Gen. Robert Brown '81, commanding general of I Corps and Lewis-McChord, when Brown played basketball at West Point from 1977-81. The two men have remained close friends.
Krzyzewski, who has won more games than any other men’s Division I college basketball coach, discussed his experience guiding the U.S. men’s basketball team to gold during last year’s London Olympics. He said it offers lessons about team-building that apply as much to the battlefield as the hardwood.
“There’s nothing more important that we do than build a team,” Brown told the audience in introducing his mentor.