Duke basketball: Six reasons Coach K may never retire

2. K may only need to show up from now on

This past season, Mike Krzyzewski did not display as much jacket-off emotion as he did in his younger years. He stood less often during games. At times, he looked his age; heck, there have even been reports of a few gray hairs surfacing around his noggin.

However, because of his current solid collection of multiyear staff members — Jon Scheyer, Nate James, Chris Carrawell, and Nolan Smith — the solution to Coach K’s aging limbs and occasional laidback demeanor could be as simple as putting his adaptive powers in action by instructing one or more of his cohorts to sometimes stand and shout on his behalf.

ALSO READ: The 100 greatest Blue Devils under Coach K

All in all, thanks to all his program-building devotion over the years, all the Duke basketball machine may need from Coach K from this point forward is his mere presence at all times and unmatched wisdom when necessary.

If the five-time national champ can accept a gradually diminishing role — a less demonstrative one — then he could achieve what may be a secret goal, which serves as the next reason he may stick around at Duke for as long as he is capable of showing up in sound mind…