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Duke football: Worst head coach hires in program history

By Josh Yourish

Oct 14, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko runs out before the first half of the game against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko runs out before the first half of the game against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 30, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke helmet of Duke Blue Devils cornerback Chandler Rivers (0) with its slogan during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke helmet of Duke Blue Devils cornerback Chandler Rivers (0) with its slogan during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /

Barry Wilson only ever got one shot as the head coach of a major college football program and it didn’t go well. Duke needed to nail the head coaching hire after Steve Spurrier left Durham after the 1989 season, but instead completely whiffed.

Spurrier led the team to 8-4 in his final year and won a share of the ACC title. Then with Wilson at the helm, Duke fell to 4-7 in 1990 with just one conference win. Wilson continued to tear the program down and over his four-year tenure posted a record of 13-30-1. In Spurrier’s three seasons, Duke won 20 games.

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