Preseason Presentation from Coach K

The Honor Council held an event in Scharf Hall on the night of Thursday, October 27th to feature a presentation from Coach Krzyzewski on honor, integrity, and ethics. This one-hour event was attended by 40 members of the Duke Honor Council community.

Coach K began with a brief introduction, during which he stated that the military helped to instill honor in himself. Years later, as the coach of both the Duke and U.S. National basketball teams, he believes that it is his duty to instill honor in his players and to develop a team culture based on standards.

“A standard is the way you do things all the time” – Coach K

While at West Point, Coach K was expected to follow a set of rules established by the military, but he felt that he lacked ownership of these policies. Therefore, as the National Team’s coach, he did not outline a list of rules for his players. Instead, he established a team culture by working with them to create mutually respected standards based on trust, respect, responsibility, and honor.

Reflecting on the community at Duke, it can be noted that students are not constrained to a rigid set of rules; rather, all members are united by the Duke Community Standard. Coach K concluded his presentation by stating that it is the duty of Duke students to inspire honor, integrity, and ethics in others.