Mike Krzyzewski Quotes - Page 5

I have a rule on my team: When we talk to one another, we look each other right in the eye, because I think it's tough to lie to somebody. You give respect to somebody.

Embrace the hell out of personal responsibility.

It's funny what happens when you become a grandparent. You start to act all goofy and do things you never thought you'd do. It's terrific.

I don't think we surprise people. We try to out-execute them.

Everybody wants to take responsibility when you win, but when you fail, all these fingers are pointing.

The life expectancy of a team is about eight months. Then the next year, it's a whole new team.

If a team cannot perform with excellence at a moment's notice, they probably will fail in the long run.

As a leader you can get sidetracked but you have to complete your mission

I had a really bad temper, when I was growing up. Sport helped me channel that temper into more positive acts.

I love practice. It is when a coach exercises the most control over the improvement of his or her team.

Confidence shared is better than confidence only in yourself.

When you first assemble a group, it's not a team right off the bat. It's only a collection of individuals

A leader's responsibility to his team is paramount. It overshadows even his own personal feelings at any given time.

I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.

I think you're not a human being unless you have doubts and fears.

In high school, in sport, I had a coach who told me I was much better than I thought I was, and would make me do more in a positive sense. He was the first person who taught me not to be afraid of failure.

I believe a big part of leadership is about winning the moment.

I didn't miss any games, but Coach Knight came out and spent three days with my family in Chicago when my dad passed away. I came back and played and it was good therapy for me. Having a basketball family and a coach who understood and actually became like a father figure for that time was comforting to me, and I'm sure that will be comforting to Coleman.

Great rivalries don't have to be built on hatred. They're built on respect, on a respect for excellence.

I'm still not a great reader, but my wife is and my daughters are, and I envy them. I think I got into a bad habit of trying to do something all the time, instead of trying to sit down and take my time a little bit.

A team is a fist-not five fingers.

Once you win a National Championship, how do you do that again? How do you get the passion to do that again? We won it again right away, the next year. A lot of it had to do with the fact that I didn't give myself an opportunity to enjoy the first one.

With me and basketball, it became part of me.

Don't let a single game break your heart.

We lost, and that's the main thing that went wrong.