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There’s nothing easy about replacing a legend. No matter what industry it takes place in, being the next person in line who has to follow the footsteps of someone who created an unmatched legacy can simply be too much for the heir apparent. For Duke’s Jon Scheyer, he has met that challenge with incredible precision. For all intents and purposes, he’s surpassed any expectations that may have been placed on him when he was hired in June 2021 to supplant Mike Krzyzewski and the 42 illustrious years he had as the head coach in Durham.
Earlier this week, Scheyer and his No. 2 Blue Devils toppled Wake Forest, 93-60, to complete yet another undefeated season at Cameron Indoor Stadium. This 17-0 run at home marks the second time in Scheyer’s first three years that his squad has stayed perfect for an entire season in its friendly confines. The win also was his 81st, moving him to 81-21 since being hired. That is the most wins through the first three seasons that any ACC coach has ever had. He also has a .794 winning percentage that puts him in a rare air with the likes of Gonzaga’s Mark Few (.830) for the top coaches at the D-1 level. For comparison, Coach K’s career winning percentage was .765 at that level and .785 at Duke.
At this point, the props are likely not enough for what Scheyer has done thus far in his young coaching career.Duke: Real Shot to Win it all this Season
Anyone who has paid any attention to college hoops this season has seen what’s going on with the Blue Devils. Not only do they have the nation’s top pick and the consensus No. 1 pick in this June’s NBA Draft in Cooper Flagg, who last year led Montverde (Fla.) to the FAB 50 national title, but Scheyer’s squad also boasts a handful of other likely first round picks in its lineup. Yet, just because the third-year coach has all of these high level recruits at his disposal, it doesn’t mean that all of his winning should be overlooked. As we’ve seen with a team like Rutgers, talent doesn’t result in guaranteed wins.
What Scheyer has done is orchestrate a team that stands at 27-3 (18-1) and has knocked off current No. 1 in Auburn. Barring an unforeseen collapse in the ACC tournament, the Blue Devils will enter March Madness as one of the No. 1 seeds. Scheyer’s first team bagged a No. 5 seed in his inaugural run, followed by a No. 4 last year that ended with an Elite Eight trip. If the trend continues, there’s reason to believe Duke has a legit shot to win a national title in a few weeks.
Who Expected Scheyer to Be This Good, This Quick?
While Scheyer was known for his offensive prowess during his playing days under Coach K, what he’s been able to emphasize as a coach on the defensive end has been impressive. Duke finds itself as one of the top defensive units in the country with the sixth best opponent scoring (61.1) and the fourth best opponent shooting percentage (38.2%), all while the Blue Devils put up 83.5 points per game on the offensive end.
Let’s flashback to the introductory press conference. That was where then Duke president, Vincent Price, took the podium and said that “no one [is] better prepared or more committed to carry on Coach K’s legacy” than Scheyer. That same introductory lead-in also mentioned many people believing that the successor to Coach K would be “absolutely impossible to replace.” That was a belief many shared and for good reason.
Through three seasons, there’s no denying that Scheyer has established his mark on the program. All he’s done is win on and off the court, delivering the Duke a pair of No. 1 recruiting classes since taking over along with the No. 2 class in 2023.
Krzyzewski is on the Mount Rushmore of collegiate coaches. There’s no other way around that. That’s why seeing Scheyer emerge so quickly from his shadow is so inspiring.
Not Easy Replacing A Legend
Take a look at some of the most notable college coaches and how it went for the successor. Texas Tech went 18-26 in the first season-plus under Pat Knight after Bob Knight retired. Adrian Autry has two years under his belt since replacing the legendary Jim Boeheim at Syracuse. He’s gone 32-30 in that timespan and will finish well below .500 this season.
There recently has been coaches who have taken over iconic programs and found early success, such as Kevin Ollie replacing UCONN’s Jim Calhoun and Hubert Davis stepping in at North Carolina for Roy Williams. None, though, were able to do what Scheyer has done in terms of winning and recruiting.
He’s also shown vast improvement in big games, going 4-4 against ranked teams as a rookie head coach and going 9-3 in those games since. Adding a national title to the mantle to conclude his third year would put him in the upper echelon of the game’s current young coaches.
