Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski announces retirement, Jon Scheyer named coach-in-waiting

Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will retire at the end of next season and assistant coach Jon Scheyer is named as the coach-in-waiting.

Mike Krzyzewski, 74, will retire after the 2021-2022 college basketball season, according to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.

Krzyzewski has been the Blue Devils coach since 1980 and won five national championships.

Goodman also reports that Krzyzewski’s assistant coach Jon Scheyer, a former Duke basketball player, is the leading candidate to be his successor as the head coach of the Blue Devils. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports Scheyer will be named the coach-in-waiting of the Blue Devils with an official announcement from Duke coming soon.

Mike Krzyzewski announces he’s retiring as Duke basketball coach

Retirement has been looming for Coach K and after last season’s turbulent season that ended abruptly after a player tested positive for COVID during the ACC Tournament and saw the Blue Devils miss the NCAA Tournament, it was clear the finish line was nearing for the Hall of Fame coach.

Krzyzewski enters his final season with a career record of 1,170–361 (1,097–302 at Duke), including his five seasons at Army before taking the Duke job and making it one of the best programs in the nation. The 1,170 wins are the most in Division I history.

The 2006 Hall of Fame inductee has been a part of five Olympic medal-winning teams on top of his five national title teams(second all-time to John Wooden), was a three-time Naismith College Coach of the Year, went to the Final Four 12 times (tied-most all-time), won 12 ACC regular-season championships,15 ACC Tournament championships, 15 30-win seasons (most in D-1 history) and 41 first-round NBA Draft picks (most in modern draft era).

Scheyer has long been thought of as a potential successor to Coach K when he retired. Scheyer was a two-time captain during his four years at Duke from 2006-2010. After his professional career overseas came to an end, he joined his coaching staff in 2014 after Chris Collins and Steve Wojciechowski left for head coaching jobs. He was the lead recruiter to bring Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson to Duke. Expect him to take on a bigger role on the bench next season and in recruiting before assuming the full-time job once Krzyzewski walks away.

Former Duke basketball players and coaches Tommy Amaker and Johnny Dawkins were considered for the job that is going to Scheyer.

After the retirement of North Carolina coach Roy Williams after this season and Krzyzewski’s retirement after next, the ACC will be entering a new era without two of the best coaches to ever do it. Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim may be the next Hall of Fame coach from the ACC to announce his retirement too as the league’s old guard moves on.

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