Who are the ‘starting five?’ Meet Coach K’s family and support system
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Coach K’s Next Job
By next spring, Mike Krzyzewski will make the full transition out of coaching when Jon Scheyer takes over the Duke program. Coach K will have plenty to do at Duke even after his coaching days end. Krzyzewski is under contract to work as an ambassador for the school. How has Coach K reached this point in his career, and what’s next? This is The N&O’s special report.
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Who are the ‘starting five?’ Meet Coach K’s family and support system
Having arrived in Durham with two young daughters in March 1980, Mike and Mickie Krzyzewski’s family grew to include another daughter and now 10 grandchildren during Mike Krzyzewski’s 42 seasons as Duke’s men’s basketball coach.
Mike Krzyzewski refers to himself, Mickie and their three daughters as the “starting five.” All live within 6 miles of Coach K’s home in Orange County and their presence has been strong through his coaching career. When he retires from coaching following this season, Krzyzewski plans to spend even more time with his clan.
Here’s a look at the Krzyzewski family tree and its strong ties to Durham:
Mike and Mickie
Married in 1969 on the day he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Mike and Mickie Krzyzewski celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary this year.
Daughters
Debbie and Lindy were born prior to Coach K coming to Duke while their youngest daughter, Jamie, was born after the family settled in North Carolina.
Debbie graduated from Duke in 1993 with a sociology degree. She’s worked at Duke since 2002, currently as an assistant athletics director for special events and director of the basketball program’s Legacy Fund. Debbie and her husband, Peter Savarino, live in Durham.
Lindy graduated from Wake Forest in 1999 with a psychology degree with minors in Spanish and theater. She also has a master’s degree from Pepperdine. She’s worked with Duke’s basketball team for more than a decade as a staff counselor and is currently dean of Durham Academy’s Upper School. Lindy and her husband, Steve Frasher, live in Durham.
Jamie earned her English degree from Duke in 2004 where she also minored in Linguistics. She also has an MBA from Cameron University and a masters in Liberal Studies from Duke. Jamie has taught high school English, co-authored two books with her father and is vice chair of the Emily K Center, a college access nonprofit for Durham students. Jamie and her husband, Chris Spatola, live in Hillsborough.
Grandchildren
Peter and Debbie Savarino have four children: Sons Joey Savarino (age 21) and Michael Savarino (age 20); daughters Carly Savarino (age 17) and Emmie Savarino (age 17).
Steve and Lindy Frasher have three children: Sons Quin Frasher (age 15), Remington Frasher (age 12) and Caden Frasher (age 8).
Chris and Jamie Spatola have three children: John David Spatola (age 11), Mackenzie Spatola (age 9) and Madeline Spatola (age 4).
This story was originally published November 7, 2021 at 6:00 AM.