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Duke coach Krzyzewski taking leave to undergo back surgery

Published 1:30 am Monday, January 2, 2017

By Associated Press

Duke coach Krzyzewski taking leave to undergo back surgery
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Duke coach Krzyzewski taking leave to undergo back surgery
Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski yells to his players during the first half of Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech. (AP Photo/Don Petersen)

DURHAM, N.C. — Hall of Fame Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski is stepping away from the team to undergo lower back surgery.

The school announced Monday that the procedure is scheduled for Friday, with an anticipated recovery time of four weeks. Krzyzewski will coach Wednesday night’s game against Georgia Tech before handing off to associate head coach Jeff Capel for Saturday’s home game against Boston College.

The 69-year-old Krzyzewski will have a fragment of a herniated disk removed. The school said Krzyzewski tried several treatment options during the past month before deciding on surgery.

The winningest men’s coach in NCAA Division I history had four surgeries during the offseason to replace his left knee, repair his left ankle and fix a hernia.

Capel previously took over for Krzyzewski when he missed a trip to Georgia Tech last February because of dehydration and high blood pressure.

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