ALBION, Mich. – Duke University men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will deliver the 2003 William K. Stoffer Lecture, given in conjunction with Albion College’s Opening Convocation at 7 p.m. tonight on the College’s Quadrangle. A successful coach, bestselling author and lecturer, “Coach K” [pictured at left and below] has led Duke University's men's basketball team to 18 NCAA tournaments, nine Final Four appearances and three national championships. He will speak on "Victory Through Teamwork and Leadership."

Krzyzewski—an 11-time National Coach of the Year—led the Blue Devils to an unprecedented fifth consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship in 2003. He was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

This year's Stoffer Lecture is co-sponsored by the Carl A. Gerstacker Liberal Arts Institute for Professional Management and the office of Albion College President Peter Mitchell.

“Coach K was selected in part because of his unparalleled team-building skills and his ability to motivate,” said Mitchell. “For this—the second annual Stoffer Lecture—we’re excited to host one of America’s most successful coaches and lecturers. As we prepare our students to be future business leaders and entrepreneurs in our Gerstacker Liberal Arts Institute for Professional Management, we continuously look to motivate and inspire them, and Coach K’s reputation is that he stimulates individuals and teams to exceed even their own expectations.”

The lecture is made possible by the generosity of 1974 Albion College graduate William K. Stoffer, a College trustee and CEO of Albion Machine and Tool Co. Stoffer sponsored the $1.5 million Stoffer Challenge, a successful five-year push to increase Albion’s alumni participation to 50 percent that concluded June 30. When all donations were counted, Albion’s alumni giving rate exceeded 51 percent last year, with more than half of the College’s graduates making gifts to their alma mater.

Stoffer’s $1.5 million in matching funds will endow the yearly lecture series in his name.

"The Stoffer Lecture creates a perfect vehicle to begin the school year by welcoming the new students and reaffirming for returning students the vitality and relevance of the liberal arts tradition,” said Mitchell. “Bill's generosity is nothing short of remarkable. More than the money, Bill's support of his alma mater is found in service, in continual promotion, and in wise counsel to the board of trustees and to me.”

Author ofthe best-selling “Leading from the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business and Life,” Krzyzewski offers audiences the motivational techniques, leadership skills and teamwork tips that result in success in all facets of life.

In 1992, he was named Sportsman of the Year by The Sporting News, becoming the first college coach to ever win the honor. In naming him, The News wrote, “On the court and off, Krzyzewski is a family man first, a teacher second, a basketball coach third, and a winner at all three. He is what’s right about sports.”

For ticket information, contact the Albion College Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at 517-629-0448. The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Recreation and Wellness Center on Albion's campus will be the venue in case of inclement weather.

Albion College is an independent, coeducational, residential college founded more than 165 years ago in Albion, Mich. Committed to the liberal arts tradition and the theme of “Liberal Arts at Work,” the College is a regional and national leader in academics, technology, and the arts. Dedicated to preserving the values of the past, to serving the needs of the present, and to anticipating the goals of the future, Albion is the first private college in Michigan to have a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. With 51 percent of its alumni making gifts to the college, Albion College is ranked 16^th in the nation among colleges and universities in the percentage of alumni who donate to their alma maters.

Back to Campus News

.