Jon Scheyer played for the Blue Devils just over a decade and a half ago. Then, he became an assistant for legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Now, Scheyer is the head coach of Duke and has already taken his team to the top of the nation.
With an increasingly brutal non-conference schedule ahead of them, Scheyer and the Blue Devils will have a special match-up before ever facing an ACC opponent.
On Oct. 21, the Blue Devils will host the UCF Knights in an exhibition game. While the opponent doesn't necessarily pique massive interest, the head coach of the Knights should.
Johnny Dawkins, who became UCF's head coach in 2016, is a fellow Blue Devil. Dawkins played for Duke from 1982 through 1986 before becoming the No. 10 pick in the NBA Draft. After his playing career, he took a role as a Duke assistant coach, becoming the associate head coach in 2008.
Simply put, Dawkins walked the path that Scheyer currently is (minus the NBA career), but he never became the Blue Devils' head coach. Now, the two former Blue Devil players will clash on the sidelines as Scheyer leads Duke and Dawkins leads UCF in the "Brotherhood Run" exhibition game.
Jon Scheyer and Johnny Dawkins will square off as head coaches in a Brotherhood Run exhibition game Oct. 21, when @DukeMBB takes on UCF in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
— Duke Basketball (@dukebasketball) July 17, 2025
Dawkins was a legend while on Duke's roster. Not only was he a two-time consensus All-American and a two-time First-Team All-ACC member, but he was the 1986 Naismith Player of the Year. He was the ACC Tournament MVP during his final season with the Blue Devils, and Duke has since retired his No. 24 jersey.
Scheyer doesn't have quite as impressive a CV as Dawkins. However, the current Duke head coach did win a National Championship (2010) with the Blue Devils, something the UCF head coach was never able to accomplish.
The two former Blue Devils do share a few accolades; Scheyer was a one-time All-ACC member (2010) and the ACC Tournament MVP (2009).