Not definite but rumors starting. https://247sports.com/Article/Duke-f...rt--175337490/
Not definite but rumors starting. https://247sports.com/Article/Duke-f...rt--175337490/
If true, this would be ideal to me. The man did an AMAZING job turning Duke from one of if not the worst college football program of all time to a respectable winner and occasional champion. Sure, we’ve backslid and maybe it’s time for him to go but I would very much like Duke (and it’s fans) to send him off with the respect he deserves.
Big new job, Nina! Basketball and football HC gigs to fill in your first year.
The article just links to this Yahoo article: https://sports.yahoo.com/2021-colleg...191536455.html
Nothing concrete, or even really any smoke. But people are certainly starting to talk/write about it.David Cutcliffe did so much to pull the Duke program out of decades of irrelevance. And now the program is slipping back, as the Blue Devils (3-6) have a 10-game conference losing streak and face a likely three-year streak without a bowl appearance. New athletic director Nina King already has found a successor for Mike Krzyzewski and faces another potential opening in her first year on the job. Cutcliffe, 67, is beloved and did great work rejuvenating Duke. But retirement looms as a possibility here, as there’s no resounding argument to keep him outside of sentimentality.
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
Oh wait...there's nothing to see here. This is 247 throwing gas on a fire that never even started.
Two big quotes..
media speculation has turned the heat up on Duke coach David Cutcliffe, who could opt to retire by season’s end, according to a report from Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports.
Which leads to the mentioned report, which is days old. (And has been quoted here, I think by myself even.)
Duke
David Cutcliffe did so much to pull the Duke program out of decades of irrelevance. And now the program is slipping back, as the Blue Devils (3-6) have a 10-game conference losing streak and face a likely three-year streak without a bowl appearance. New athletic director Nina King already has found a successor for Mike Krzyzewski and faces another potential opening in her first year on the job. Cutcliffe, 67, is beloved and did great work rejuvenating Duke. But retirement looms as a possibility here, as there’s no resounding argument to keep him outside of sentimentality.
It's 247 trying to get clicks by not doing any reporting themselves.
Edit...Acy noticed what I did.
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
I suspect there's a pretty good chance of this happening. But the linked article is pretty high on clickbait, pretty low on content.
I'm just glad somebody in the media is talking about it. That's how pressure to act starts to build.
"This is the best of all possible worlds."
Dr. Pangloss - Candide
I suspect pressure from donors is a lot bigger factor than media conversations.
Nina has said she'll evaluate the program after the season, as she will for every sport. Duke lost 5 of its last 6 games in 2019, went 2-9 in 2020 and appears headed for a 3-9 season in 2021. Cut is 67 and has a year left on his contract and he's clearly not getting an extension. There's simply no plausible scenario in which it makes sense for him to return for 2022 and I cannot imagine anyone involved in the end game wants this to end any way other than a professional and graceful manner. The devil is in the details and all that but this isn't the Manhattan Project either. Good will and good lawyers and good agents should be able to get this done without it getting messy.
I hope for a retirement announcement this week. I think we'd get more fans to come to Wade for the final two games, Cut could have a nice send off, and the team would probably play more inspired and maybe even pull out one last victory for him. If we don't get one, I expect a desolate Wade and two more bad losses to cap off an 0-8 conference season.
This is the main reason I've been hoping for some kind of announcement. Although Thanksgiving weekend is probably going to be bleak no matter what, that weekend doesn't work great for a lot of schools and it is even worse for Duke. If you're going to do a thank you/send-off, better to do it against Louisville.
I would not expect it before this week's game. This is a short week and focus will be on Louisville. If this is in fact advanced to the point of true media leaks, I would expect it to come this weekend, after the UL game. That would give the program a chance to do a proper send off the following week against Miami.
Yup.
This is certainly what Duke fans (like those at that site) should want — a graceful exit for Cut, and a new start for Duke. That is certainly my hope. And it is not an unreasonable hope/speculation.
In reality, It really comes down to Cut, Nina, and the right amount of money to make it happen smoothly. Gotta think it will.
He will leave as a hero who we were lucky to have on our side. Let's hope that his replacement keeps up the good work.
I haven't seen any games this year, and it seems to be maybe his weakest season, but any change is a risk and we might take a step backwards with his replacement (just as we might find a new level of success, as well).