After Coach K

[4decadedukie]

Mike Krzyzewski is now over sixty. Although he clearly can remain Duke’s Head Men’s Basketball Coach for as long as his health permits – and most Dukies fervently hope he’ll do so for many years – it is possible that he may wish to leave sometime during the next decade, to pursue multiple interests and simply to enjoy a less-stressful lifestyle centered on his family.

Whenever K departs as our Head Coach, an intelligent, coherent, and cohesive transition plan will help maintain the program’s successes, character, and aggregate contributions to the Duke University. Therefore, here’s an opportunity offer ideas re a well-integrated, long term, and rational transition architecture.

My suggestion includes two fundamental elements:
a) Coach Dawkins (presuming this is his desire) is formally nominated as Duke next Head Coach well before Coach Krzyzewski retires; and
b) A several year schedule is established, where specific responsibilities would be transferred from Coach K’s leadership to Coach Dawkins’; however, Coach K would remain in place to assist, counsel, and integrate throughout the entire planned transition process.

[Cameron]

I could be wrong on this, but I have heard that Coach Dawkins does not wish to take over the head coaching job after Coach K retires. I believe I have heard him to say that he is happy where he is at, but that he does not plan on taking the responsibility of replacing Coach.

I hope I'm wrong, though, because he would be a wonderful successor.

Another guy I would love to have take over the program, though, saying that Coach K coaches yet another six or seven years, is Chris Collins. With another half-decade learning under the best in the business, I think Collins would be a great fit. His unbridled passion and love for Duke Blue, as well as the vast knowledge he's learned of the game from both his former NBA head coach father and guys like Coach K and Johnny Dawkins, would make him a very well-rounded candidate in my opinion.

Maybe it's because I just loved him so much as a player I do think he'd do well, though, and, on top of that, I would love to keep the job within the Duke family.

[duketaylor]

I'd love to know where you've heard JD wasn't interested in replacing K. I've never heard that until now. I agree I'd be comfortable with Chris or Wojo taking over, but it's been long-talked about that JD was heir-apparent.

[Cameron]

^^I think I've mainly just heard it floating around on Duke message boards, to be honest. I was almost positive that a rather respected poster awhile back on Devil's Den, posted a quote or something from Johnny saying that he wouldn't be interested.

I'm not trying to spread any rumors here, because I honestly do not know. These certainly aren't hard facts. I was just wondering if anyone else here had ever heard anything similiar regarding Dawkins??

[wilson]

I too have long heard that JD was K's heir apparent, and to echo others' sentiments, I would feel very comfortable with that. But I would admittedly feel decidedly less comfortable with Collins or Wojo at the helm.

Do y'all think it's a done deal that Duke will promote from "within the family," regardless of who the successor will be? That didn't exactly work out all that well for kuralonna the last time around, nor did their search from among only "family members" (the one that yielded Doh).

I wouldn't hate seeing a national search. I know it would sting a few egos in Durham, but how many coaches around the country are really going to be uninterested in Duke?

[kramerbr]

Steve Wojciechowski will take over for Coach K to carry on the tradition of having a last name that is hard to pronounce/spell for a majority of fans and people in the media.

[Classof06]

After passing up the Georgetown opening a few years back, I don't see how JD isn't the successor, unless he just doesn't want to be a head coach anywhere.

[SilkyJ]

I could be wrong on this, but I have heard that Coach Dawkins does not wish to take over the head coaching job after Coach K retires.

In 2004 (I think) During one of the Q&A sessions Coach K always has before the tenting games I asked him directly whether Coach Dawkins was his successor. As someone else pointed out he has turned down numerous head coaching jobs in the college ranks and has turned down top assistant spots in the NBA. He is also not just an ASSISTANT head coach, but rather an ASSOCIATE Head coach...while I dont know what that entails job-description wise, you can bet it means he's the one coach K trusts the most on his staff(as if we didn't know this). (Also, I pointed alllll of these things out in my question, to sort of make it easy for him to say yes).

Coach K's response was that he doesnt't plan on leaving Duke anytime soon and that Coach Dawkins is happy where he is...but then he went on and while he beat around the bush, he made one comment about "keeping it in the family" and I can't remember every detail, but I certainly came away thinking that JDawk was the heir apparent.

I agree I'd be comfortable with Chris or Wojo taking over, but it's been long-talked about that JD was heir-apparent.

Don't kid yourself, Neither Chris nor wojo is even CLOSE to being ready to take over at DUKE. Maybe at a smaller school like Jeff did at VCU, but definitely not Duke. Now we are talking about the future and Chris is only 32(ish) and wojo is 30(ish) so certainly in 5-10 (hopefully 20!) years they may be ready.

I'd actually like to see JDawk go somewhere for a few years as Head coach and then come back with some of that experience.

[Cameron]

Don't kid yourself, Neither Chris nor wojo is even CLOSE to being ready to take over at DUKE.

Well that is what I was eluding to in my original post. If Coach K sticks around another five to seven years, and Dawkins doesn't want the job, then I think Chris would be ready. It will have given Chris over 20 years of learning from Coach K, both as a player, person, and assistant. In my opinion, if he's not ready by 2014, then he'll never be.

[Lord Ash]

Being that Collins is the son of a coach he might be a good choice.

Not to bash on ANYONE, tho, but damn, when K goes, I think this board will MELT DOWN for a year, no matter WHO takes over, unless MAYBE it was Shane Battier.

[Indoor66]

Steve Wojciechowski will take over for Coach K to carry on the tradition of having a last name that is hard to pronounce/spell for a majority of fans and people in the media.

Further adding to the list of one letter coaches - G, K, P then W.

[TheDukeCreed]

Dawkins has said that he hates recruiting. This may also be a factor in him shying away from being a head coach.

[wilson]

Not to bash on ANYONE, tho, but damn, when K goes, I think this board will MELT DOWN for a year, no matter WHO takes over, unless MAYBE it was Shane Battier.

Truer words were never spoken. The best approach is simply to prepare ourselves properly, then sit back and watch it happen, because viewed in the right light, it will be really funny.

[jaimedun34]

I was just thinking about the good times we'll have when K retires.

If it isn't one of the assistants, I wonder if Jeff Capel's name will be thrown around when the time comes. I'm not sure how realistic that is because Jeff is just starting to build his program at OU.

[happydays1949]

I'd love to know where you've heard JD wasn't interested in replacing K. I've never heard that until now. I agree I'd be comfortable with Chris or Wojo taking over, but it's been long-talked about that JD was heir-apparent.

I'm not exactly sure where I heard that Dawkins doesn't want the job. Don't think it was the message boards...maybe he said it after a game several years ago.

[SilkyJ]

Dawkins has said that he hates recruiting. This may also be a factor in him shying away from being a head coach.

You know, assistants are just as active, and often MORE active than head coaches on the recruiting front. So I'm not sure if that works...

Someone finally mentioned "Who's your daddy"...I forgot about him. Def my #1 choice behind J-Dawk or Mickey Krzyzewski

[thomas]

Not to take anything away from Johnny Dawkins, who has his own skill set and admirable career, but Chris Collins is an incredible communicator and motivator. I had the privilege of getting a closer exposure to him several years ago, and I came away very impressed.

[dukemomLA]

I don't have any doubt that the new HC after Mike retires will be from the Duke family. Who it is will depend on Coach K's timeline. I think it will probably be Collins, Wojo, Amaker (depending how he does at Harvard). In the past I would have added QSnyder to this list...but....whatever. Again, depending on timing you could add Grant Hill, Shane, Hurley,etc. to the mix.

I LOVE JD, but I'm not sure he's head coaching material (which might be why he's been such an incredible asset to the Duke staff for so long). He works so well with players and offers so much expertise that has allowed Duke to excel beyond and up to our expectations. He's extraordinary. BUT I'm not sure his soft-spoken demeanor is Head Coach material. I'd rather see him...run for President...or Vice President with Shane as Pres. ??!!??!!!!

[Uncle Drew]

Further adding to the list of one letter coaches - G, K, P then W.

I think when Coach K retires Duke should replace him with Danny Ferry. Then Duke should make former major league baseball player Ugueth Urbina baseball coach. Get hall of famer Joe Namath to take over the football program. Then get hall of fame player Denise Curry to take over the womens' basketball coaching job. Sure it makes no logical sense, I just want the first letter of the coaches last names to spell out FUNC!

[cspan37421]

I agree with a poster above, I'd like to see some of the coaching tree branch out and apply their wares elsewhere for a bit, if not also set up a horse race and see which coach had the most K magic rubbed off on them. It isn't just coaching, it is recruiting too.

I'm surprised that Collins and Wojo are getting so much attention. Yes they're on the staff now, but a) they haven't gone elsewhere to prove themselves, so how do we know that their success while coaching at Duke isn't really due more to K? and b) they were part (I think) of the mid-90s seasons of 13-18 and 18-13. Seems to me that Hurley should be thought of if he wants it. Didn't K describe him as being the ultimate pure extension of himself, what K would do (or want to do) if he were on the court running the offense?

I would look at Amaker seriously too. He was put in too deep of a hole at Michigan and I don't think he can be fairly judged based on that stop. He did well at SH and was on the sideline for Duke in the early 90s, I think. I hope Capel hasn't stepped in the same doggy doo at OU that Tommy did at UM. Some might say, well, Pitino led UK out of probation and back on the national scene. But didn't Pitino know they were on probation before he agreed to come? Expectations were different. That was a no-lose situation for him. Buy low, sell high.

Brey has a good deal going and I don't know if he would want it. Same for Ferry (I'm sure that was meant in jest anyway).

JD was a great player, and it is heartening that K has so much confidence in him. But the best players don't always make great coaches; JD didn't really run the offense, TA did, and if it is true JD doesn't like recruiting, I can't see how he's the right fit.

BTW, the idea of Joe Namath as football coach is hilarious. Talented, drunk and horny - think any recruits might relate well to him?