The greatest coach in men’s college basketball history is ending his career without one final championship. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski announced before the 2021-22 college basketball season that he would retire when the Blue Devils’ year came to an end, and on Saturday night, that happened thanks to the North Carolina Tar Heels. The two sides faced off in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the history of their lengthy rivalry and the Tar Heels came out on top, 81-77, to earn a date with the Kansas Jayhawks for a national championship on Monday.
But in the immediate aftermath of the game, the focus for college basketball fans on the internet was celebrating the fact that Coach K’s career is over. While his success as a coach is unparalleled in the men’s game, Krzyzewski isn’t exactly beloved for what he’s done at the helm of the Blue Devils. As such, when the clock hit zero, a whole lot of folks pressed send on tweets to wish him goodbye.
— BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL (@edsbs) April 3, 2022
ITS THE WAY MY BOYS PERSONALLY ASSURED COACH K WENT OUT SAD FOR MEEEEEEEE
— Aaron West (@oeste) April 3, 2022
UNC with one of the most incredible hater moves of all time to retire Coach K like this. Forever iconic.
— Zito (@_Zeets) April 3, 2022
COACH K GO HOME AND BE A FAMILY MAN
— Bunkie Perkins (@BunkiePerkins) April 3, 2022
Coach K should come back for another year. It can’t end like this. It should end on a perfect note: another embarrassing loss, but next year.
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) April 3, 2022
coach K? more like coach L
by reading this tweet you agree to send the no escalators llc $3,000
— No Escalators (@NoEscalators) April 3, 2022
coach k’s farewell tour pic.twitter.com/ZLqatjIxqo
— ace (wrong) (@AceAnbender) April 3, 2022
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA
— bomani (@bomani_jones) April 3, 2022
that man is coach L forever.
— bomani (@bomani_jones) April 3, 2022
Happy Duke Senior Crying On Coach K’s Shoulder Day!
— James Holzhauer (@James_Holzhauer) April 3, 2022
UNC fans have this over their rival for the rest of time. It’s an aspirational level of petty achievement unlocked.
— Richard
Johnson (@RJ_Writes) April 3, 2022
The official Twitter account for the Tar Heels couldn’t help but bid him adieu in its final score tweet.
Farewell.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/0AkvQLJ1OU
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) April 3, 2022
There were some attempts to send him out on a really positive note, like the one from Nike — the longtime uniform sponsor for Duke basketball. The official Nike hoops account asked the Twitterverse to name their favorite moment of Coach K’s career…
What is your favorite #CoachK moment? pic.twitter.com/7EwKkIjtzO
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) April 3, 2022
…and there’s about a 99.9999999 percent chance you can guess how that went.
Several minutes ago
— Jason Kirk (@thejasonkirk) April 3, 2022
A few moments ago pic.twitter.com/dHI8sspKr3
— The Basketball Classic Bracketologists (SickosCBB) (@SickosCBB) April 3, 2022
Gotchu – this one. pic.twitter.com/opyw6oHeie
— Jaron (@thisisJaron) April 3, 2022
This one pic.twitter.com/6FYTyj1Rrx
— Eddie Joseph (@lakid213) April 3, 2022
— Sean Rosales (@Sean_ESPN) April 3, 2022
The loss on Saturday was the second time this season that the Tar Heels spoiled a big night for Krzyzewski, as they went to Cameron Indoor Stadium during the final game of the regular season and picked up a win.