Duke basketball: Rumors surrounding Mike Krzyzewski’s return silenced

Rumors surrounding the retirement of Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski have ended. 

As soon as the buzzer ended on the 2021-22 Duke basketball season, speculation started on if Mike Krzyzewski would return for another season.

Would Coach K really end his career with a loss to North Carolina in his final home game and in the Final Four?

It felt like a serious and honest question at the time, but perhaps everyone was just caught up in the moment with the disappointing end of the season.

The speculation was never based on any concrete fact, but Jeff Goodman, who broke the story last spring on K’s retirement, and Jay Williams, a former player under the Hall of Famer, did not dismiss the notion.

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However, the most recent episode of Basketball and Beyond with Coach K on Sirius XM ended any speculation about the head coach’s return.

“I’m done with the coaching part of it,” Krzyzewski replied on if he would pull a “Tom Brady” and unretire after previously announcing it.

“I’ve been so lucky to be in it for 47 years. Almost five decades of coaching at either West Point or Duke and then 11 years with [USA Basketball],” Krzyzewski continued.

“How lucky can you be?”

Duke basketball program looking for smooth transition

Jon Scheyer was named as the head coach-in-waiting of the Blue Devils when Mike Krzyzewski announced his retirement, and the 34-year old also joined the radio show this week.

“I think the way we have done this succession plan and this transition, it is set up for amazing success. It’s built for success,” Scheyer said.

“And I believe in myself.”

Scheyer already has to get to work on filling out the rest of his coaching staff after Nolan Smith, who has been on the Duke coaching staff since 2016, left Durham for an associate head coaching opportunity with the Louisville Cardinals.

There are two open vacancies on the Blue Devil staff while one is expected to be filled by Amile Jefferson, who was the director of basketball operations for Duke last season.