Duke basketball assistant coach circulates in head coaching openings

A Duke basketball assistant coach could be on the move this offseason. 

There is always roster turnover in a college basketball offseason. It is just a part of the game. But there could be a big shakeup within the Duke basketball program this offseason, unrelated to player movement.

The biggest question surrounding the Blue Devils every offseason is the status of head coach Mike Krzyzewski and how much longer the 74-year-old will roam the sidelines in Durham.

Assistants under Krzyzewski are always speculated to become his replacement at Duke, but those same coaches always seem to be tied to other head coaching openings around the country.

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March 15 was ‘Black Monday’ in college basketball with the firings of Indiana’s Archie Miller, Minnesota’s Richard Pitino, and DePaul’s Dave Leitao.

Duke associate head coach Jon Scheyer is being linked to the job openings, which has been normal for the two-time National Champion, as a player and assistant coach, in recent years.

More specifically, Brian Hamilton of The Athletic said that the Blue Devil is a name to watch for in the DePaul opening as the Blue Demons look to emerge from the basement of the Big East Conference, finishing in last place for five straight seasons.

Duke basketball assistant coach makes sense to land at DePaul

The favorite by many to be hired by DePaul is Loyola-Chicago coach Porter Moser due to his success in the area and ability to reach the NCAA Tournament on a consistent basis.

However, if Moser does not want to make the jump to a power conference team, Scheyer certainly would be a hire that is very noticeable and impactful for a program that has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2004.

Despite spending most of his basketball life in Durham, North Carolina, Jon Scheyer is a Northbrook, Illinois native, which is approximately 30 minutes north of Chicago.

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Scheyer also got his first chance at being a head coach this season when Mike Krzyzewski was sidelined for a game due to COVID-19 contact tracing protocols, resulting in a victory over Boston College for the Blue Devils.

The 33-year-old coach has found himself on various lists ranking the top, young assistant coaches in college basketball, and some peg Scheyer as the favorite to replace Krzyzewski.

However, head coaching experience would likely be preferred.

Losing Jon Scheyer would be a big hit to the Duke basketball program, but it might be necessary in order for him to return to Durham as the head coach of the Blue Devils.