How Osteoarthritis nearly ruined Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski’s career

Coach K, post hip-surgery

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Immobility and extreme pain in his left hip cause by osteoarthritis nearly caused 65-year-old Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski, the head coach of Duke University men’s basketball team, to hang up his whistle in 1998. If he had, one of the most prolific coaches in U.S. college and Olympic basketball would have missed out on two NCAA Championships, multiple trips to the Sweet 16 and two Olympic gold medals.

The Centers for Disease Control define osteoarthritis (OA) as a painful joint disease that causes weakness and disability and can place severe limits on daily activity and quality of life. It’s the most common form of arthritis and typically patients don’t develop symptoms before 45. One in two Americans will develop some form of OA in their lifetime and 27 million adults currently have it.

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OA almost cost him everything

In 1998, Coach K says he started experiencing groin pain. “When I went to the doctor, he told me it was my hip and suggested a hip replacement,” says Krzyzewski.

But the man who has guided the basketball careers of hundreds of players, counting on them to take his advice, failed to take the advice of his doctor.

“We were just starting the season and I didn’t want to take time off. I figured I could put off surgery,” he says. “That’s a move that almost ruined my entire career and our team’s season.”

Krzyzewski says he had to fight the pain resulting from his OA every day. And that pain cost him a significant of mobility. “I lost a lot of movement and could hardly get on the floor. I had to coach from one position or a chair, which isn’t nearly as effective as being able to walk around the side of the court.”

To manage his pain, ‘Coach K’ says he relied on “a lot of medicine, but I didn’t manage very well.” And as the season went on, his ability to effectively lead his team began to deteriorate.

“It’s tough to be positive with the players and other coaches when you’re in pain or fatigued from trying to combat the pain. I was using so much energy trying to fight the OA instead of taking care of myself. That wasn’t a smart thing,” he says.

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Ending the season of pain

Coach K says he ended the 1998-99 season with regret. “I knew at the end of the season I didn’t do the job I could have done if I was healthy.”

If given the chance to coach himself the coach would have said taking care of himself was the priority. “I got to a point where I knew I couldn’t go on. I either had to have the hip replacement surgery my doctor recommended or I had to stop coaching.”

In April 1999, at the age of 52, Coach K had his left hip replaced.

Typically, patients having a hip replacement are hospitalized for 3 to 5 days and undergo physical therapy for three to six months. Coach K underwent rehabilitation from April to June. 

He was back behind the bench full time in June but says he returned better than ever.

“I was amazed how good it felt to not have pain. I thought I was getting older and was supposed to have a limp or some pain related to age. I didn’t realize just how much pain I was in until it was completely gone.”

He enjoyed improved mobility, too. “I’m 65 now and move better than when I was 51 and 52. It’s amazing to have full range of motion again.”

Krzyzewski says he would also have told himself “don’t be so stubborn.”

“Fighting pain doesn’t make you a better man. It made me less productive and less of a better man. I shouldn’t have tried to be so stoic.”

Fear also played a role. “I was afraid having a hip replacement would somehow feel odd. That I would know there was something foreign in my body that wouldn’t feel like a part of me.” Those fears were quelled by his doctor. “He assured me that wouldn’t be the case and he was right. It didn’t feel foreign at all.”

A few years later, when Krzyzewski began experiencing similar pain on the right side, he wasn’t as stubborn. “I went right to the doctor and followed his advice to have the surgery right away. Now 12 and 10 years later, I’m pain free and have more movement than when I was 50.”

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The symptoms of OA

Osteoarthritis symptoms often develop slowly and worsen over time, according to the Mayo Clinic. Signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

• Pain. The joint may hurt during or after movement.
• Tenderness. Your joint may feel tender when you apply light pressure to it.
• Stiffness. Joint stiffness is often most noticeable when you wake up in the morning or after a period of inactivity.
• Loss of flexibility. You may not be able to move your joint through its full range of motion.
• Grating sensation. You may hear or feel a grating sensation when you use the joint.

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