Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski takes leave to have back surgery

FILE - In this April, 2015 file photo, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski reacts during a homecoming celebration for the national championship Duke basketball team at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Krzyzewski has won the eighth annual Lapchick... (Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Duke says Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski is stepping away from the team to have lower back surgery.

The school announced Monday that Krzyzewski will have the procedure Friday and that associate head coach Jeff Capel will take over in his absence, starting with a home game Wednesday night against Boston College.

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

The winningest men's coach in 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 the trip to Georgia Tech last season because of dehydration and high blood pressure.


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