WRAL Sports Fan

Duke

Coach K, Hurley enter Duke Hall of Fame together

Sep 9, 2011

Durham, N.C. — Men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said he worried at first when he learned he was named to the Duke University Athletics Hall of Fame. Until recently, the rules prohibited induction of active Duke players and coaches.

A rule change allowed Krzyzewski to join one of his championship guards, Bobby Hurley, in the Class of 2011 inducted Friday night. Football player Ben Bennett, tennis player Vanessa Webb and golfer Jenny Chuasiriporn round out the class.

Krzyzewski, as usual, deflected the personal praise, saying, "When a coach gets in, it's because you have a lot of good players." 

Hurley, who won NCAA championships playing for Krzyzewski, said, "He deserves all the accolades."

Even Bennett had praise for the coach.

He recalled Krzyzewski's first year with the Blue Devils, which coincided with his freshman season. "I knew back then, that if hard work counted for anything, then he would be successful," Bennett said. "How successful? Who had any idea?"

Bennett, too, shared the credit for his achievements with his peers. "This is a cumulative effect that a lot of people worked very, very hard," he said. "I obviously did not do it alone."

The weekend is a reunion of sorts for Hurley because other members of the 1992 championship team are on campus working on a documentary about their title run.

"It's nice to reconnect with guys that you shared tremendous moments with," he said.

Krzyzewski echoed that sentiment. "Those were great days," he said.

 

• Reporter: Jason Jennings
• Web Editor: Jodi Leese Glusco