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Even Coach K Thinks Obama is Failing in the Fight Against Islamic State

"That’s like saying I’m not going to play two of my best players"

Coach K / AP
November 4, 2014

Duke's legendary Coach K said he thinks President Obama is implementing a terrible strategy in the fight against the Islamic State. The president's decision to reveal strategy to the enemy is a recipe for failure, the Daily Beast reported.

In previously unreported remarks at the Association of the U.S. Army conference last month, [Coach Mike] Krzyzewski told an audience of hundreds of military officers, defense contractors, and Army supporters that Obama has disrespected the U.S. Army by not using its infantrymen to fight in the war against ISIS. Making matters worse, Krzyzewski added, was Obama’s decision to reveal America’s playbook to our enemies by publicly declaring that the United States will not use "boots on the ground" in the current fight against ISIS.

"I know it’s upsetting to many of you when you hear ‘no boots on the ground.’ It upsets me too, because that’s like saying I’m not going to play two of my best players," he said in his speech accepting the 2014 George Catlett Marshall Award, AUSA’s highest honor. "Because that’s what you are trained to do. And for decades and decades, the fact that we are a free country and we don’t play home games here is a result of having boots on the ground. That’s the problem."

Krzyzewski was more than frank in his assessment of the president's performance.

"It’s about letting your opponent know we are going to use our best players. And whether we use them or not, that’s up to the coach. You never tell your opponent you are not going to use [them], like I’m not going to play Grant Hill, J.J. Redick, [Christian] Laettner," he said, rattling off the names of some of his biggest stars at Duke.

The former Olympic coach then turned the metaphor to international play, comparing Obama’s words to saying, "‘Hey Spain, I’m not going to start LeBron [James] and Kobe [Bryant] tonight.’ I don’t think you do that. Now, how much I play them? Let the guy try to figure out how much I’m going to play them."