Coach K Says He Couldn't Sleep After Duke Loss to UConn, Congratulates Braylon Mullins in New Video

Legendary former Duke head men's basketball coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski revealed Monday the emotions he felt watching the Blue Devils' shocking loss to UConn in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA tournament on Sunday.

During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Coach K called the loss "heartbreaking" and noted that he couldn't sleep Sunday night after witnessing it.

Duke led by as much as 19 points and by 15 points at halftime, but UConn staged a furious comeback and won 73-72 thanks to a deep three-pointer by freshman guard Braylon Mullins with 0.4 seconds remaining in the game.

Despite his disappointment over the result, Krzyzewski congratulated Mullins when he joined him Monday on the Pat McAfee Show:

The 79-year-old Krzyzewski said he has "such great empathy" for the Duke coaches and players over how the season ended on Sunday night, and has "concern for them" regarding how they will get over the loss.

Despite UConn closing the gap significantly during the second half, Duke was in excellent position to finish off the win when Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. made only one of two free throws with 10 seconds remaining.

The Blue Devils were up 72-70, and all they needed to do was inbound the ball, take a foul and make both of their free throws to essentially put the game away.

However, UConn head coach Dan Hurley had his players get highly aggressive by pressuring and going for a steal before fouling, and it turned out to be a brilliant call, as the Huskies were able to deflect and intercept a pass by Duke superstar forward Cameron Boozer with six seconds left.

BRAYLON MULLINS DEEP DAGGER

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Then, Alex Karaban dished the ball to an open Mullins, and the freshman made one of the biggest and most dramatic shots in college basketball history to send UConn to its third Final Four in four years.

Krzyzewski, who coached Duke to 13 Final Four appearances and five national titles during his 42 years at the helm, retired from coaching following the 2021-22 season.

He was replaced by Jon Scheyer, who played under Coach K at Duke. Scheyer has taken the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight twice and the Final Four once over the past three seasons, but he has been on the wrong end of some devastating losses.

Duke blew a late lead in a Final Four loss to Houston last season, and the loss to UConn was even more dramatic.

It has now been 11 years since Duke last won a national title, and it remains true that no coach other than Krzyzewski has ever guided the Blue Devils to the pinnacle of college basketball.

Duke has been firmly in the mix every year under Scheyer, though, and the Blue Devils figure to remain in contention for years to come even after falling short in agonizing fashion once again.