Issue date: 4/26/05 Section: News

Whitney Martin - The Battalion. Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski speaks at a Leadership Forum hosted by George Bush in Rudder Theater Monday.

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski saluted Former President George H. W. Bush and shared tips on how to excel at life and the game of basketball.

Krzyzewski joined Bush and CBS commentator Jim Nantz for the Bush Leadership Forum in Rudder Auditorium Monday.

The salute was something Krzyzewski, a U.S. Military Academy graduate, said he has wanted to do since the first time he met the president.

"Coach Krzyzewski has values, an innate sense of decency and a commitment to friends and family I admire," Bush said. "Even if he didn't go to West Point, his character alone would make me a big fan of his. He and everyone in his program play to win in life, and that's the way it should be."

During the forum, Krzyzewski discussed the five things he teaches Duke players to make them not only good people in basketball, but also good people in life.

"Good communication between people is critical to being a successful person in life," Krzyzewski said. "You also need to be able to care about others, tell each other the truth, show collective responsibility and show pride in whatever you do. These are thing that I have believed in my whole life."

Krzyewski shared lessons he learned during his time in college at West Point, and even shared what he learned from his mother while growing up in inner-city Chicago.

"I learned from an early age that my family was just like a team," Krzyewski said. "I also learned firsthand what being part of a team was and how important those close to you really are. A team, no matter if it's a team of friends or players, is very critical in life, because those are the people where you draw your strength from."

In 25 seasons, Krzyzewski won the National Head Coach of the Year award 12 times, led his team to 694 victories and three national titles and had one of the highest player graduation rates in the nation.

Thirteen-year-old Chris Benjamin, one of the younger Duke fans in attendance, said that because of Krzyzewski, he wants to coach basketball someday.

"He is one of the greatest coaches I have ever seen," Benjamin said. "I really look up to him because he is such a nice man, and you can really tell he cares about the players he coaches. I think that makes him a real role model."

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