Duke basketball: Coach K reunites with perfect prize for final season

Fact: Amile Jefferson excels at being what Duke basketball needs him to be.

One would think Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski thought of several former players during his search for a new director of player development — aka the fourth assistant position.

A few former Blue Devils quickly come to mind: William Avery, Quinn Cook, etc.

But Coach K instead went with an undeniably perfect final piece to his 42nd and final championship chase in Durham. Now, with 28-year-old Amile Jefferson on board, his staff includes a big man. Altogether, the group oozes versatility plus loads of experience compiling trophies for the program:

• Head coach-in-waiting Jon Scheyer (won a national title as a point guard in 2010 and as an assistant in 2015, also won two ACC Tournament titles as a player and two more as an assistant)
• Associate head coach Chris Carrawell (won two ACC Tournament titles as a small forward who could also play the point, was the 2000 ACC Player of the Year, played in the 1999 championship game)
• Assistant coach Nolan Smith (won a national title as a shooting guard in 2010, won three ACC Tournament titles, was the 2011 ACC Player of the Year)
• Director of player development Amile Jefferson (won a national title as a power forward in 2015, won an ACC Tournament title)

Jefferson now appears in line to be a full-fledged assistant by this time next year. Presumably, each current staff member will simply move up a notch following Krzyzewski’s retirement in the spring, at which point Scheyer would need to find the program’s next “fourth assistant” (see: Avery, Cook, etc.).

The spot was open since Nate James became head coach at Austin Peay with Smith receiving a promotion after serving as the director of player development last season.

Why Amile Jefferson makes for an ideal 2021-22 Duke basketball developer

Before his two-year NBA career, Jefferson epitomized exceptional growth as Duke’s consistent, leadership-infused, 6-foot-9, 215-pound, fully bought-in paint presence.

Clearly, the Philadelphia native’s loud voice next season in practice and on the bench should only enhance what looks to be one of the nation’s premier starting frontcourts in sophomore 7-footer Mark Williams and five-star freshman power forward Paolo Banchero.

A loud and proud Blue Devil, nobody has ever played in more Duke basketball games than Jefferson (149).

Perhaps no one ever will. After all, Jefferson was a durable regular contributor in Durham from the get-go; pair that with the fact his appearances spanned five seasons (2012-13 through 2016-17) due to a medical redshirt after seeing the floor only nine times in his first senior campaign.

Omen-wise, let’s close with this reminder: Amile Jefferson never lost to rival UNC at home or in the ACC Tournament.