Duke's Coach K receives one of state's highest honors from Gov. Roy Cooper

Former Duke basketball coach and Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski was presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, among the state's highest honors, by NC Gov. Roy Cooper during a Thursday morning ceremony.

Coach K retired in April after 42 years as the Blue Devils basketball coach, leading Duke to five NCAA Tournament championships, 15 ACC tournament titles and more wins than any coach in NCAA history. He took his final Duke team to the Final Four before falling to UNC in the national semifinal.

WHAT NOW? What does Coach K's retirement look like? New Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer gave us some insight

CELEBRATING PICK: Coach K sends Paolo Banchero special message after No. 1 NBA Draft selection

DUKE SCHEDULE: Duke basketball releases 2022-23 nonconference schedule, highlighted by Kansas game

“Thank you for your dedication to the young people you’ve served on and off the court, and congratulations on joining the company of so many outstanding North Carolinians,” Governor Cooper said during the presentation. “No matter what shade of blue you wear on game day, it’s impossible to deny the essential role that Coach K has played in uplifting education, preparation for life, Duke University and, of course, the greatest rivalry in sports history.”

Krzyzewski ended his career with 1,202 wins, 101 NCAA Tournament wins, 13 Final Four appearances, five national titles and six gold medals. Krzyzewski announced his plans to retire after this 2021-22 season last June and longtime assistant and point guard of Duke's 2010 national title team, Jon Scheyer, was named his successor.

In addition to his successes on the court, Krzyzewski has been recognized nationally for his philanthropic efforts. He is an honorary chairman of the Duke Children’s Hospital and on the board of the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. He also started his own charity, the Emily K Center, a non-profit organization in Durham that provides quality educational experiences to young students in the community.

Krzyzewski, a Chicago native, called himself a "North Carolinian" during the ceremony.

“It’s been an honor to be part of Durham and see Durham grow into the magnificent city it has become,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s an amazing honor for me to accept the award, not only for me, but for my family and for Duke, because it’s a team award.”

David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the USA Today Network covering NC State and Duke athletics. He can be reached at dthompson1@gannett.com, at 828-231-1747, or on Twitter at @daveth89.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke's Coach K receives honor from Gov. Roy Cooper