The idea that Mike Krzyzewski was going to retire as the Duke men’s basketball coach soon was pretty obvious. The reality of his pending departure was made more inevitable as he turned 74 and the Blue Devils missed the tournament during an erratic COVID-19 season that also saw nearby rival Roy Williams leave North Carolina.
Speculation about future successors has been going on for years, so the school wasn’t caught flat-footed when Krzyzewski finally made the decision to walk away. There were plenty of former Duke players and assistants on his coaching tree to choose from. Names that had been discussed for more than a decade with each going up and down as they navigated their careers as head coaches.
So the decision to select associate head coach Jon Scheyer as Coach K’s replacement when he finishes his 42nd season at the school was as jarring as the thought of Krzyzewski no longer being on the Duke sideline after next year.
