Nets reportedly to make Krzyzewski rich offer

As coach Mike Krzyzewski prepares to go after his fourth NCAA title at Duke, a report out of New Jersey this morning says the New Jersey Nets are prepared to offer him a fortune to leave the Blue Devils.

Citing unnamed sources, NorthJersey.com reports that incoming Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov will offer Krzyzewski between $12 million and $15 million to be the team’s head coach and perhaps its general manager.

Krzyzewski said last summer that he will spend the remainder of his coaching career at Duke. When reports of the Nets’ interest in him surfaced earlier this season, Krzyzewski downplayed them and said he hadn’t been contacted by the team or its owner.

"The guy's Russian, right?" Krzyzewski said Feb. 13. "Do you think he'd hire a Polish guy? Really?"

He was asked if a Polish guy would go work for a Russian guy.

"No one's contacted me, and if they do, 'Nyet' would be easy for me to say," Krzyzewski said.
In 2004, Krzyzewski turned down an offer reported to be worth $40 million over five years to coach the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ken Tysiac