Duke's Mike Krzyzewski ends illustrious career with loss to UNC: 'This team has been a joy for me to coach'

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Mike Krzyzewski walked off the court for the final time as the head coach of the Duke men’s basketball team on Saturday as the team came up short against North Carolina in their Final Four matchup.

Duke fell just short 81-77 as North Carolina will get to play Kansas in the national championship on Monday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Krzyzewski got the team to the Final Four for the 13th time and the final run nearly saw the team cut down the nets at the end.

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Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski watches during the first half of a college basketball game against North Carolina in the semifinal round of the Men's Final Four NCAA tournament, Saturday, April 2, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Krzyzewski was a bit emotional at the end of the game when he spoke to CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson.

"Obviously, I’ll deal with all that later. This team has been a joy for me to coach," he said. "And especially them turning it around in March and to put us in a position where he had a chance to play on Monday. That’s the ultimate goal – to play on Monday and have a chance to win."

FINAL FOUR 2022: NORTH CAROLINA NARROWLY DEFEATS DUKE IN CLASSIC THRILLER, HEADS TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils walks toward the locker room following their loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four at Caesars Superdome on April 2, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Lance King/Getty Images)

There will certainly be more fanfare when the team returns to Durham, N.C. 

Krzyzewski will retire as one of the