Krzyzewskis Make Legacy Fund Gift to Honor Coach K's Brother

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and his wife, Mickie, have made a $1 million gift to the university to become partners in the Duke Basketball Legacy Fund, director of athletics Joe Alleva announced Monday.

The gift will fully endow an annual scholarship for a captain on the basketball team in honor of Coach K's brother, Bill Krzyzewski, a retired captain of the Chicago Fire Department.

Coach and Mrs. Krzyzewski have been long-time donors to Duke University. They currently serve as co-chairs for the Carolina's Challenge -- a scholarship endowment program to recruit and reward students attending Duke from North and South Carolina. In addition, they co-chaired the efforts to build the Duke Children's Hospital and are annually involved with the Children's Miracle Network Telethon.

In addition to his coaching duties, where he has amassed nearly 600 wins at Duke, Coach K serves as a special assistant to President Nan Keohane and is an executive in residence at the Fuqua School of Business.

Bill Krzyzewski, Coach K's older brother, retired from the Chicago Fire Department this Fall as a captain of the 8th Battalion. He served the city for 38 years and amazingly, never missed a day of work. He serves as a daily inspiration to Coach K among many others.

"I have always looked up to my brother as a great leader of men and women," said Coach K. "What he has done as a captain in the Chicago Fire Department is truly inspirational. I would hope that every Duke Basketball captain in the future that holds this scholarship would try to uphold those same standards of dedication and honor."

Bill Krzyzewski and his wife, Pat, currently reside in Chicago. They are the parents of two daughters and grandparents to three grandchildren.

The Basketball Legacy Fund was created in 2000 with Duke All-America Grant Hill serving as the chairman of the fund and one of the founding partners along with his wife, Tamia. Each of the partners in the fund has contributed a minimum of $1 million to the basketball program.

The Legacy Fund has added six new partners since last May, including Coach K and Mickie who now become the 24th partners in the Fund. The Legacy Fund was created with the goal of fully endowing the basketball program and paying for all capital expenses in and around historic Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Captain Bill Krzyzewski Scholarship is the sixth scholarship to be fully endowed and awarded since the creation of the Legacy Fund.