RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Coach Mike Krzyzewski, a native of Chicago, led the United States Men's National Basketball Team to a Gold Medal in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has bene informed of this honor by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, With a 96-66 victory over Serbia, Coach Mike Krzyzewski became the first head coach to lead the United States to three consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's basketball; and
WHEREAS, Coach Mike Krzyzewski also led Team USA to gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics; and
WHEREAS, The Rio Olympics marks the end of Coach Mike Krzyzewski's tenure as Head Coach as he departs with an undefeated 24-0 record across the last three Olympics; and
WHEREAS, A "favorite son" of Chicago's Polish community, Coach Mike Krzyzewski grew up in Ukrainian Village, graduated from Weber High School and played college basketball at the United States Military Academy at West Point; and
WHEREAS, After serving in the United States Army, Coach Mike Krzyzewski became an assistant coach to Bob Knight at the University of Indiana; and
WHEREAS, From 1975 to 1980, Coach Mike Krzyzewski was the Head Coach at his alma mater, West Point, where his team posted a 73-59 record; and
WHEREAS, As Head Coach of the Duke Blue Devils, Coach Mike Krzyzewski led his teams to five national championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010 and 2015), 12 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season championships, 13 ACC Tournament championships, and 10 consecutive Top-10 AP Poll finishes between 1997 and 2006; and
WHEREAS, In 2015 Coach Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils won their 5th National Championship; and
WHEREAS, On January 25, 2015 Coach Mike Krzyzewski earned his 1000th career victory against the Red Storm of St. John's University in New York City at Madison Square Garden and Coach Krzyzewski is the first Division 1 men's basketball coach to reach 1000 wins; and
WHEREAS, Coach Mike Krzyzewski has coached 28 All-American selections, seven National Players of the Year, six National Defensive Players of the Year, 49 NBA draft selections, and 18 NBA lottery picks; and
WHEREAS, Coach Mike Krzyzewski has been named "National Coach of the Year" 12 times and has received many other recognitions, including "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated in 2011 and "America's Best Coach" by Time Magazine and CNN; and
WHEREAS, Coach Mike Krzyzewski was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001, the Army Sports Hall of Fame in 2009, the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011; and
WHEREAS, Coach Mike Krzyzewski is widely beloved and admired by the Duke University community and countless others around the world; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this fourteenth day of September, 2016, do hereby congratulate Coach Mike Krzyzewski on the occasion of his remarkable success at the 2016 Rio Olympics; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Alderman - 14,n Ward