The Duke head coach shut down all rumors connecting him to the NBA, committing to the Blue Devils.
The Duke Blue Devils are getting set to begin a new season, but the offseason was very telling.
Duke saw its head coach, Jon Scheyer, being courted by the Dallas Mavericks, with rumors about him heading to the NBA swirling around. But Dallas ended up going in a different direction, leaving Scheyer at the college level.
However, this courtship of Scheyer has raised questions about whether the Blue Devils' head coach could head to the NBA at some point. But in his first press conference since the team was eliminated in the Elite Eight, Scheyer pushed back on all the rumors around him.
Scheyer said that he is staying at Duke for the long haul and that the Blue Devils are his dream job. While Scheyer can say one thing, just to turn around and do something else, these are strong comments from the Duke head coach.
Now that Scheyer is opting to remain at Duke, which is his alma mater, the pressure will be on for him to succeed. But Scheyer has seen success as the program's head coach, going 124-25 over four seasons at the helm.
Scheyer has won 70 games over the last two seasons, which is the most ever at Duke over a two-year run. The head coach is also the first coach in ACC history to win three conference titles in his first four years on the job, showing that he is cut for the job.
Under Scheyer, the Blue Devils have gone 11-4 in the NCAA Tournament, while making an appearance in the 2025 Final Four. The team hasn't been able to win the title, but Scheyer has his team ready to go each time out on the floor.
Scheyer took over for legendary Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, which put immediate pressure on him to win. But the 39-year-old has been able to manage himself well under the immense scrutiny and spotlight that come with being the leading person of the Blue Devils.
Playing for the Blue Devils as a player likely helped to prepare Scheyer for being the head coach. Scheyer saw what Krzyzewski did with the program, and he learned how to handle himself overall.
Duke will enter this coming season as the No. 3 in The Athletic’s latest top-25 preseason rankings, giving them another chance to win a title. There will be pressure on this program to win this season, and with his commitment to the program, all eyes will be on Scheyer moving forward.
