Nolan Smith joins the Duke coaching staff

[FerryFor50]

http://www.heraldsun.com/sports/blogs/smith-joins-duke-coaching-staff/article_0193a8f6-d997-11e5-b2d5-8f01559a6bb3.html

[CDu]

http://www.heraldsun.com/sports/blogs/smith-joins-duke-coaching-staff/article_0193a8f6-d997-11e5-b2d5-8f01559a6bb3.html

Should help on the recruiting trail when and if Capel or another assistant leaves and he gets a spot on the bench as an assistant. Sorry that his career didn't turn out better, though.

[GGLC]

Nolan's easily one of my all-time favorite Duke players; it will be great to see him on the bench every game.

Congratulations, Nolan!

[devildeac]

https://twitter.com/stevewisemannc

http://www.heraldsun.com/sports/blogs/smith-joins-duke-coaching-staff/article_0193a8f6-d997-11e5-b2d5-8f01559a6bb3.html

Welcome!

#Nolan'sRollin

[Li_Duke]

Great to hear. Love this guy!

[kAzE]

Congrats to Nolan! Sad that his professional playing days are over, but a welcome addition to the coaching staff.

[Mike Corey]

Via GoDuke:


DURHAM, N.C. – Former Duke All-American Nolan Smith has joined the Blue Devils’ men’s basketball staff as a special assistant, effective immediately, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced Monday.

The Upper Marlboro, Md., native’s duties will include assisting the coaching staff in developing game strategies, breaking down game film, planning practices and contributing in staff meetings.

“This is a terrific addition to the Duke basketball staff,” Krzyzewski said. “Nolan Smith is a true champion and a consummate example of the type of young man we strive to have in our program. It’s exciting to be part of his journey toward becoming a coach, and we’re so proud to have him on our staff.”

A consensus first-team All-American and the ACC Player of the Year in 2011, Smith helped lead Duke to three consecutive ACC championships and the 2010 NCAA title during his tenure as a student-athlete. He was also a two-time All-ACC selection and earned ACC Tournament MVP honors as a senior in 2011.

Smith currently ranks 17th on Duke’s career scoring chart, having amassed 1,911 points in his four seasons. He played in 121 victories in a Duke uniform to rank fifth in program history and his 143 games played are tied for the seventh-most in Duke annals.

“I’m excited to be joining the Duke men’s basketball staff,” Smith said. “This transition has been natural for me, as it combines my love for basketball and understanding of the game with my passion for mentoring student-athletes. The opportunity to start my coaching career and learn from Coach K is something I couldn’t pass up. As a member of the coaching staff, Duke fans will see the same passion I brought to the program as a player for four years.”

Following his graduation from Duke in 2011, Smith was selected by Portland with the 21st overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

[moonpie23]

AWESOME news........

guess we'll continue to see him around campus .......that's great!!

[Ichabod Drain]

An amazing addition to an already amazing staff. Welcome Nolan!

[luburch]

The People's Champ is back! Happy for Nolan :)

[duke blue brewcrew]

Welcome BACK to Duke Nolan Smith, this is very exciting news for sure!

[gurufrisbee]

Congrats Nolan! I love how our guys stick with the program. And I truly believe part of why we have a great program is that the coaches really can do the stuff they are asking the players to do, really know each other and Coach K well, and really have the love and investment in Duke basketball.

[DukePA]

Fabulous news! He is one of my all time favorites. My favorite memory of him was when I was playing in the alumni pep band at Madison Square Garden, Nolan tapped the ball out of bounds right in front of us. He convinced the ref that the opposing player did it and as the ref turned away, Nolan looked at us and winked and grinned :D

Welcome home, Nolan!!!

[Reisen]

A class act and great ambassador for the University. Very happy to have him back!

[NYBri]

This is good news to me...reflected in my avatar.

:cool:

[CatDevil]

Welcome Back Nolan!!! I have seen him sitting behind the bench several times this season and thought he should be part of the staff. Nolan (and Mason) by far have been the most personable players relating to my son. Luck being on our side, we have been able to see him on three occasions. He traveled with the Barnstorming Tour/Quinn Cook in April even though he was sick with a terrible cold. The fans were getting autographs from him as much as the other athletes. Pretty cool to see him again.

Cole and Nolan talked about how stressed out they both were during the National Championship Game. Nolan said when Duke was down he had to leave the team area and calm down. Cole was worried he missed the best part of the game, but he came back as soon as Grayson had his out of body experience.

I believe Nolan is a huge plus+++ for recruiting. A graduate, some NBA time, and now a staff member... wouldn't recruits and their parents think Duke makes the most sense. Of course my vision is proudly colored by a darker shade of blue...

[miramar]

Outstanding. Great guy, great player, great bow ties.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Nolan is my favorite Duke player of all time. Coach K said that he never had a player who was so involved with the Duke community.

Nolan will be a massive asset on the recruiting trail.

What a win for Duke.

[superdave]

What a great addition. I could not be happier as a fan.

[rsvman]

Totally.Awesome.News.

[Ichabod Drain]

Nolan is my favorite Duke player of all time. Coach K said that he never had a player who was so involved with the Duke community.

Nolan will be a massive asset on the recruiting trail.

What a win for Duke.

Can a special assistant go out on the recruiting trail? Serious question because I don't know. Obviously he can talk to guy when they're on Dukes campus but can he travel and talk to players?

[Henderson]

Sweet. Just sweet. Great addition to the staff, and a great place for Nolan to land.

[I hope this doesn't mean there's going to be a departure soon....]

[Kfanarmy]

Does he have any eligibility left? :-)

[OZZIE4DUKE]

A very pleasant but not unexpected surprise! Nolan has been around a LOT recently so I think this is a natural progression! Welcome home, Nolan! LGD!

And nc to answer a question above, no, Nolan can't go out to recruit. Not until he's a full assistant.

[Dev11]

Sweet. Just sweet. Great addition to the staff, and a great place for Nolan to land.

[I hope this doesn't mean there's going to be a departure soon...]

Given how much credit Jeff Capel gets for the Duke's recent success, both on the court and in recruiting, I wouldn't be surprised if he finds a new head coaching job again soon. He might be the most over-qualified assistant in college.

Congratulations to Nolan for representing the class of 2011 on the staff. I'm glad one of us is being productive.

[westwall]

A very pleasant but not unexpected surprise! Nolan has been around a LOT recently so I think this is a natural progression! Welcome home, Nolan! LGD!

And nc to answer a question above, no, Nolan can't go out to recruit. Not until he's a full assistant.


- - - so there's a chance?

[TruBlu]

Great news, will be a huge plus to the staff.

Also doesn't hurt that he can hit the court for practice, since the injury bug has bitten big time.

[Edouble]

Also doesn't hurt that he can hit the court for practice, since the injury bug has bitten big time.

Yeah, do we get the nod over Marquette now?

[MarkD83]

Great news, will be a huge plus to the staff.

Also doesn't hurt that he can hit the court for practice, since the injury bug has bitten big time.

The interesting question is if the coaching staff could give the team a run for their money in a scrimmage.

[NancyCarol]

The interesting question is if the coaching staff could give the team a run for their money in a scrimmage.

Welcome Home Nolan.
What a great mentor for the kids who come in for just one season.
I'm so happy.

[COYS]

The interesting question is if the coaching staff could give the team a run for their money in a scrimmage.

That's a scrimmage id like to see. When it comes to guards, I'm pretty sure Jon and Nolan are close enough to their playing days to give Luke, Derryck, and even Grayson a little schooling.

[weezie]

Excellent! Chiming in that I think he'll be a terrific addition to the staff. Especially with the freshman players who might need a bit of soothing followed by the occasional rear-end boot.

[BD80]

The interesting question is if the coaching staff could give the team a run for their money in a scrimmage.

With the luhiville refs? Maybe ...

[elvis14]

What great news. This really makes my day.

[jacone21]

Welcome back, Nolan!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMyRr_xy5EQ

[gep]

Great news, will be a huge plus to the staff.

Also doesn't hurt that he can hit the court for practice, since the injury bug has bitten big time.

I thought that a "special assistant" cannot be on the court with the players during scheduled practices. If I recall correctly, when Jon Scheyer was first named "special assistant", he couldn't be on the court during scheduled practices. Do I recall correctly? :confused: He also couldn't be seated on the bench during games... gotta be behind the bench. Maybe still sit with the Crazies!!

[DukeTrinity11]

Welcome back to Duke Nolan Smith!!!

As a Detroit Pistons and Duke Basketball fan, the 2010 Duke title and the 2004 Pistons title were the two most selfless, team-driven title runs I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing in all my years of fandom. In an age with ego-driven superstars, it was a sheer pleasure to watch the journey of these teams.

Here's hoping Zoubek decides to join the Duke staff as well in the near future to be with his former teammates!!!

[COYS]

Welcome back, Nolan!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMyRr_xy5EQ

Thanks for posting this. Kyle's retrospective came on next. Brings back some really good memories. Gun to my head, if I had to pick my favorite championship run for Duke, it would definitely be the 2010 run. Kyle, Nolan, Jon, Lance, and Brian had faced more criticism than most Duke players, in large part because if you play for Duke, you're compared to some the greatest college players of all time. After three years of post season disappointments (I think many fans didn't regard that 2009 ACC Title as highly as we should have), the 2010 team was supposed to be too slow to do any better. However, I was quietly confident all season. When Duke won the title, I was excited as a fan, unbelievably happy that that Jon, Kyle, and Nolan got to win a title and put Duke back on top after many haters speculated that K had begun to lose his magical touch, and smugly satisfied that my confidence in an unorthodox Duke team was justified. Believe it or not, I was more confident about the 2010 team than the 2015 team.

Anyway, I do not lament the one and done era. I love that we've had talented guys like Kyrie, Austin, Jabari, Tyus, Justise, Jahlil, and Brandon play for the right shade of blue. But it was really special watching Jon, Kyle, Lance, Brian, and Nolan develop over their careers and bring home the big prize.

[aswewere]

Given how much credit Jeff Capel gets for the Duke's recent success, both on the court and in recruiting, I wouldn't be surprised if he finds a new head coaching job again soon. He might be the most over-qualified assistant in college.

Congratulations to Nolan for representing the class of 2011 on the staff. I'm glad one of us is being productive.



Jeff is not going anywhere his compensation here is better than a lot of major head coaches. He is already inline for the best position of all.

[jv001]

Jeff is not going anywhere his compensation here is better than a lot of major head coaches. He is already inline for the best position of all.

I hope you're correct because he's my favorite choice to replace the greatest college basketball coach of all time. I think he has very good communication skills and relates to our young guys, he's a terrific recruiter and he represents Duke University well. I know our other coaches have some or all of the same qualifications but I think he is the better choice. GoDuke!

[NYBri]

This is good news to me...reflected in my avatar.

:cool:

...and I've had this avatar for years. Glad it's come back into play instead of being a fond memory.

[duke4ever19]

So, did Nolan just decide that playing overseas wasn't that fun or lucrative?

I know he was injured for a while and had that run-in with a coach, but on the bright side, he won a championship in Croatia.

Has he spoken openly about why he chose this path instead? Don't get me wrong, I'm pumped he's on the Duke staff now, but I don't know what happened to him career-wise that led this opportunity.

[oldnavy]

This is good news. Welcome home buddy!

[Devilwin]

Welcome home, Nolan!:cool:

[jv001]

Great addition to our coaching staff. Nolan will bring a youthful excitement to our staff and he and Jon can tell the team about recent success. GoDuke!

[Rudy]

I misses this news and saw him at the bench for the first time last night at the Wake game. Great to see him, but sad he's not playing professionally somewhere.

What's the answer to the question of whether he can practice with the team?

Talent on the pick up game circuit on campus has elevated