Durham, N.C. — Jon Scheyer will be officially introduced as the Duke’s next men’s basketball coach on Friday morning.
Scheyer will take the torch from departing five-time national champion coach Mike Krzyzewski, who spoke publicly on Thursday after announcing his retirement on Wednesday. Coach K will coach the upcoming season, his 42nd in Durham, before hanging it up after a decorated career.
Scheyer’s not a new face to Duke and Triangle hoops fans. He was somewhat of a Duke rarity in his playing days, a four-year player who grew into a All-ACC performer by his final season, which culminated with a national championship.
The former guard played for the Blue Devils from 2006 to 2010 and joined the coaching staff in 2013 before being promoted to associate head coach. Krzyzewski referred to Scheyer as his top assistant in an interview with the TODAY show on Friday morning.
Scheyer was a key part of the staff that led Duke to a national title in 2015 with a freshman-laden squad. He’s now 33, the same age Krzyzewski was when he took the Duke head coaching job in 1980.
Needless to say, Scheyer has a mighty task ahead in replacing Krzyzewski and his litany of accomplishments for Duke, college basketball and USA basketball.
“He’s 33,” Krzyzewski said. “I was 33 when I got here. My only wish is for him is not to replicate my first three years. It wouldn’t be good.”
“He is one of the smartest coaches in the country. Nobody knows that as well as I know that. The players know that.”
Scheyer is a native of Glennbrook, IL. Glennbrook is a suburb of Chicago, which is Krzyzewski’s hometown. At Glenbook High School, Scheyer was a prolific shooter and is the fourth-highest scorer in Illinois High School Association history with 3,034 points.
The news conference starts at 11 a.m. from Cameron Indoor Stadium. WRAL will carry Scheyer’s remarks live on-air, on WRAL.com and on the WRAL news app.
