Duke Basketball: Top 10 game-winning shots of the Coach K era
By Matt Giles
1. Tom Butters vs. The Critics
Date: March 18, 1980
Place: Duke University
Final Score: Duke wins when Tom Butters takes a shot by hiring Mike Krzyzewski
Yes, this most certainly was a game-winning shot. Actually, more like a games-winning shot.
ALSO READ: Top 10 wins of the Coach K era
To be exact, 1,041 of them (and counting; 1,114 overall). Five national championships (and counting). Twelve final fours (and counting). His hiring was the overriding reason for all of the shots on this list and all those that, despite being spectacular and memorable, didn’t make it (note: the count of game-winning shots by the Blue Devils under Coach K has grown so high that a list of 10 really doesn’t do it justice; if I had ranked them all, this slideshow would have required much more than a few hours and turned into a book).
More from Ball Durham
- Duke basketball: The architect behind digital dominance
- Duke basketball prioritizing frontcourt prospects in 2025
- Duke basketball: Unmasking the hate for the Blue Devils
- Duke basketball: Countdown to Craziness lands another huge visitor
- Duke basketball fills final open scholarship
It was 14,190 days ago when then-Duke athletics director Tom Butters, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 77, announced that he was taking a shot on a 33-year-old he believed in — even if the majority had never heard of him (much less know how to spell or pronounce his name correctly).
Krzyzewski had just finished a 9-17 season in his fifth year as the head coach of his alma mater, Army. In other words, Butters’ choice seemed more than a bit nutty.
And 39 years later, despite his accomplishments, critics still make claims as nutty as those on Twitter from haters on Saturday following Reddish’s game-winner:
Coach K had nothing to do with getting Cam Reddish wide open.
Coach K didn’t draw that up. It was just bad defense from FSU.
I could list more messages from jealous critics. But why bother? Who has the time?
As I’ve explained — and what this slideshow is all about — Duke fans have too many game-winners to replay to pay any attention to the losers.
Related Story. The five sweetest comeback wins under Coach K. light
Just keep reliving all the best Duke basketball stories ever told. It’s time-consuming, but your soul will always thank you.