"You're 1 of the leaders to help millions of young girls realize their dreams" - Coach K once expressed his desire to coach Caitlin Clark

Mike Krzyzewski, also known as Coach K, once said he would have loved to have coached Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

Coach K, widely regarded among the best college coaches, praised Clark during their interview on SiriusXM in 2023, saying that the basketball star had aided many young fans in discovering their dreams.

"You're one of the leaders to help millions of young girls realize their dreams not just in sports," Krzyzewski said.

Krzyzewski also said that he regretted not being able to coach Clark in college.

"What I told my wife yesterday about talking to a great player that I would enjoy it," Krzyzewski said. "I've to confess I was wrong. It was fabulous talking to a great player. ... You are so real. I would have loved to have coached you."

During the 2023 interview, Caitlin Clark was a senior with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Krzyzewski's coaching career spanned decades. He was at the helm of Duke from 1980 to 2022. Among the coach's most notable accolades are three Naismith College Coach of the Year awards (1989, 1992, 1999).

Coach K was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame twice. He went in 2001 for his coaching career and in 2010 as part of the gold medal-winning 1992 US Olympic men's basketball team, also known as the "Dream Team."

Coach K hails "terrific" Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, recently received praise from Mike Krzyzewski in a video uploaded on X (formerly Twitter). Coach K was asked how he would build a team around the superstar.

"Well, she's terrific," Krzyzewski said. "It'd be easy to build something on her because she's very young. The best thing she does is pass. She's a magical passer and she has a great feel for the game. So what her coach did, I would have done exactly what she did: make sure she handles the ball a lot and she'll make everybody better."

Coach K said that when Clark transitioned to the WNBA, he was amazed by the guard's ability to break defenses and commended her response to negativity.

"What I was amazed with, how she handled all the defenses. And then when she got into the WNBA, some of the negativity that was out there or jealousness, and I think she has just been remarkable," Krzyzewski added. "She's a really good basketball player."

In her rookie season, Caitlin Clark, Time's 2024 Athlete of the Year, displayed her greatness by breaking several records, and she is widely credited with the rise in women's basketball's popularity.