K retiring after 2021-2022 season

[Native]

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[SkyBrickey]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I expect Jon to beat the odds and be successful. And I bet Coach K does too. Jon is definitely set up for success the way Coach K and he are managing this transition.

Half the battle, at least, to winning games and championships is having the right mix of talented players. Coach K broke through at Duke by assembling the legendary Dawkins class. I believe the biggest reason why Wojo, Collins, Capel, Dawkins (Stanford) have not been able to establish top programs is that they have not been able to win the recruiting battles to consistently bring in top 20, eventually top 10, classes. Yes, winning fuels recruiting, but you have to have good recruits/players to win at a consistently high level.

According to the recent Fayetteville Observer article, Duke's targets next year include 5-stars Whitehead, Duren, Mitchell and 4-stars Lively, Gortman and Smith Jr. A number already have visits planned this summer. I haven't tried to find out how many of these guys J is the lead recruiter on, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's all of them. We're just learning about Coach J, but this has been in the works for months at a minimum.

So I think if J can close the deal over the next 9 months on a top-10 recruiting class, with some help from Coach K, then he will have a springboard to a solid first season that none of the coaches above had - and that Coach K himself didn't have when he landed at Duke. If he can pull it off, then I think Jon plus CWell plus Nolan are a dream team to keep the recruiting train rolling.

[Owen Meany]

Coach K has always been someone who sees the big picture and thinks way ahead. I don't remember if I have seen it referenced or if it was just in my head, but I have always believed that he saw how the retirement of Dean Smith played out and was determined to avoid some of the same mistakes. To me, this has played out almost exactly as you would expect. Retirement announced one year in advance to allow recruiting continuity. Head coach in waiting from among Coach K's former players (and given Coach K's very specific past comments that Quin "is a pro coach, he belongs in the pros", I think Scheyer was the obvious choice). Though some have really bristled at "The Brotherhood" marketing, I think it was a very, very important part of Coach K's long-term planning. In addition to the recruiting success he enjoyed, I think Duke and Scheyer will continue to benefit tremendously from great players association with Duke University. I think he was trying to build for Duke what UNC received from Jordan. The Brotherhood will continue to benefit Duke longer after Coach K is gone as kids watch Zion, Tatum, Kyrie, et al continue to tout their Duke allegiance.

I also thought Coach K might move on to become the NCAA czar and work to put NCAA basketball on firm footing as he did with USA basketball. I feel like that bridge was burned when the NCAA approved immediate transfers and all that this entails.

[uh_no]

A few other posters have made your point #4 that the coaching tree is not one of K's assets meaning he hasn't produced any above average coaches, I guess. But compared to who? Name me for me, if you will,
some other seasoned coaches that over the years have produced coaches that you would say are better than those coming under K?

dean smith, eddie sutton, rick pitino, larry brown

[MarkD83]

dean smith, eddie sutton, rick pitino, larry brown

And didn't all of these coaches have some "character" issues that spilled over to their basketball programs?

[flyingdutchdevil]

A few other posters have made your point #4 that the coaching tree is not one of K's assets meaning he hasn't produced any above average coaches, I guess. But compared to who? Name me for me, if you will,
some other seasoned coaches that over the years have produced coaches that you would say are better than those coming under K?

Dean Smith
Rick Pitino
Larry Brown
Thad Matta
Bob Knight


Coach K doesn't have one branch on his coaching tree who made it to a Final Four. Given the countless head coaches he's produced, that's very surprising. He does, though, have a ton of branches.


PS See that uh_oh beat me to it

[Pghdukie]

Will K ever sit with the Crazies for a game ?

[dukelifer]

Will K ever sit with the Crazies for a game ?

K will never sit on the UNC bench- oh - wait- you mean the Cameron Crazies

[Acymetric]

I agree with something I heard yesterday, it is a real bummer that Duke won't play at State in K's last year. I'm hoping that the conference works something out or the schools arrange to meet as a non-conference game.

[luburch]

Dean Smith
Rick Pitino
Larry Brown
Thad Matta
Bob Knight


Coach K doesn't have one branch on his coaching tree who made it to a Final Four. Given the countless head coaches he's produced, that's very surprising. He does, though, have a ton of branches.


PS See that uh_oh beat me to it

Mike Brey?

[UrinalCake]

Some Questions To Ponder are starting to form in my mind...

Will Krzyzewskiville adopt a new name? Or will it always be called Krzyzewskiville? If the name does change, I would vote for "Scheyer Shire"

If Capel had chosen to turn down the Pitt job three years ago and remained on staff, would he now have been named the next coach in waiting? I always assumed he needed to leave and prove himself as a head coach before he would be considered as K's replacement, but now the opposite appears to be true and Scheyer is being rewarded for his loyalty.

If Covid had never happened, would K be retiring THIS season? According to CBS's latest podcast, K has been contemplating retirement for a while but was really unhappy with how last season went down and would not let that be the lasting memory people have of his career. Had it been a normal season and we went to, say, the sweet 16, would he then be ready to hang it up now?

[kako]

Dean Smith
Rick Pitino
Larry Brown
Thad Matta
Bob Knight


Coach K doesn't have one branch on his coaching tree who made it to a Final Four. Given the countless head coaches he's produced, that's very surprising. He does, though, have a ton of branches.


PS See that uh_oh beat me to it

It hurts to say this but IMO Dean Smith has, by far, the greatest legacy wrt a coaching tree. His tree includes:

Ol' Roy
Bill Guthridge
Larry Brown
Billy Cunningham
George Karl
Doug Moe
Eddie Fogler
Scott Cherry
Wes Miller
and a myriad of lesser successful coaches (D'oh, Lebo, Rice, Kuester, Peterson, etc.), not to mention the "offspring" of those coaches above. Larry Brown has a star-studded coaching tree himself, including Calipari, Bill Self, Mark Turgeon, etc.

It sucks, but facts are facts... It's also a fact that I hate each one of them.

Of course, if Scheyer wins 5 national championships himself, it would raise up K's tree significantly!

9F

[CDu]

Mike Brey?

Didn't make the Final Four. Came damn close, but came up short.

[Duke76]

dean smith, eddie sutton, rick pitino, larry brown

guess I am not a familiar as you are with coaching trees...who under Dean would there be in the College Coaching ranks other than Roy would there be that had demonstrable success and who would you point to under the other coaches?

thanks

Pete

[DukieTiger]

I’d wager K’s tree goes deeper and further than any other coach’s. If you’re looking for collegiate success? Maybe not (though don’t them all off completely). I know that’s primary impetus for this convo.

So yes, if we’re talking about ability to generate a successor, sure - Dean might be unmatched.

However, if we’re just ranking the trees without regard for the likelihood of producing a coach who can get you to the F4, I’d put K’s tree above anyone’s if you consider the broader scope of leaders he has shaped. We’re talking about multiple, very important roles across the NBA, USABB, in the media and in the college coaching ranks. I’d put Duke’s *network* above others, even if Dean taught his guys how to cheat with great success.

In short, I actually think K’s tree is built to influence in a way that those other trees are not.

[DoubleBlue]

I’d wager K’s tree goes deeper and further than any other coach’s. If you’re looking for collegiate success? Maybe not (though don’t them all off completely). I know that’s primary impetus for this convo.

So yes, if we’re talking about ability to generate a successor, sure - Dean might be unmatched.

However, if we’re just ranking the trees without regard for the likelihood of producing a coach who can get you to the F4, I’d put K’s tree above anyone’s if you consider the broader scope of leaders he has shaped. We’re talking about multiple, very important roles across the NBA, USABB, in the media and in the college coaching ranks. I’d put Duke’s *network* above others, even if Dean taught his guys how to cheat with great success.

In short, I actually think K’s tree is built to influence in a way that those other trees are not.

I'd wager that Coach K has coached the most successful sports announcers... Bilas, Williams, Hill, Battier, Abdelnaby, Giminski, Dennard, Spanarkel...

[TKG]

I'd wager that Coach K has coached the most successful sports announcers... Bilas, Williams, Hill, Battier, Abdelnaby, Giminski, Dennard, Spanarkel...

Small edit, he did not coach Spanarkel or Gminski - they graduated before K arrived.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Is there something in the reference guide that every discussion about K devolves into comparing his tree vs. the trees of others then nitpicking about the true definition of who is considered to be on a tree? It is an important part of his legacy but I think it has been rehashed ad nauseum. Asking for a friend.

[DoubleBlue]

Small edit, he did not coach Spanarkel or Gminski - they graduated before K arrived.

I stand corrected. There is also Seth Davis, a Duke Grad, who did not play hoops at Duke.

[weezie]

Is there something in the reference guide that every discussion about K devolves into comparing his tree vs. the trees of others then nitpicking about the true definition of who is considered to be on a tree? It is an important part of his legacy but I think it has been rehashed ad nauseum. Asking for a friend.

And in addition to trees there will now be the inevitable discussion of K vs. Wooden which will last unto eternity.

But, I already know the correct answer. Just ask me.