The date was June 2, 2021. It was a kind of “the place had been you when…” days for hoop followers throughout the globe. On that Wednesday, the world not solely discovered that the winningest coach within the historical past of school basketball was stepping away from the sport for good after the next season, but in addition who can be taking up as Duke’s subsequent males’s basketball head coach—the primary time in over 40 seasons that this system would have somebody not named Mike Krzyzewski on the helm.
For years, hypothesis round who would substitute Coach Okay ran rampant. There have been 2,000-word assume items that broke down the listing of suitors and aimed to foretell this historic passing of the torch second.
However when the day lastly got here, it was Jon Scheyer who was anointed because the chosen one. The previous Duke guard, who was a McDonald’s All- American in 2006 earlier than serving to lead Duke to a nationwide championship in 2010 (a season wherein he led the Blue Devils in scoring with 18.2 factors per sport), has spent the previous eight seasons as an assistant or affiliate head coach in Durham. He’s been part of two of Duke’s 5 nationwide titles—other than the one he earned as a participant, he additionally gained a chip in 2015 as a coach.
In early October, we caught up with the brand new face of this system to debate expectations, getting settled into his new position, hooping with alumni, tennis matches with the workers and a lot extra.
SLAM: Being head coach at Duke should be a surreal expertise. When did it begin to really feel actual for you, and what was that “that is actually occurring” second like?
Jon Scheyer: I believe again to once I bought the cellphone name from [VP, Director of Athletics] Nina King telling me I used to be going to be the following Duke head males’s basketball coach. It was an unbelievable feeling, however I believe the primary time that it actually felt actual was the press convention that I had. Coach Okay had a press convention the day earlier than, speaking about his retirement and his plans. After which the following day, I had a press convention to announce I used to be going to be the following head coach. I walked out right here and simply seeing the gang, seeing all of the folks that had been there, it was fairly surreal, fairly particular feeling, however that’s when it actually felt actual, like, that is occurring.
SLAM: What was Day 1 on the job like for you? What was the order of duties for that first day?
JS: Day 1, you’re attempting to determine, in the beginning, who you’ve gotten coming again on the workforce, which for us this previous yr wasn’t many guys. So, hitting the bottom recruiting-wise, but in addition determining who was coming again, as a result of we had a number of gamers who had choices to make, whether or not they had been going to the NBA draft or whether or not they had been coming again. And the second piece, which is occurring concurrently, is you’re determining your workers, and we’re actually lucky to have some nice hires this offseason. There have been discussions being had and timing, so each of these issues had been most necessary for me [on Day 1]. I all the time begin with “who” earlier than you consider “what,” and so getting the proper individuals was actually the most important and most necessary factor that first day, and actually for the primary few months on the job.
SLAM: What’s the greatest piece of recommendation Coach Okay has given you throughout this transition interval?
JS: The very best recommendation he’s given me is similar when he coached me once I was a participant, however actually on Day 1 once I discovered I used to be getting the job, he simply pulled me apart and stated, Be your self—know that I help you it doesn’t matter what you do, the way you deal with your self, what choices you make, as a result of he’s properly conscious that I’m not him, and if I attempt to be him, I wouldn’t be very profitable. There’s just one Coach Okay, simply as there’s one Jon Scheyer. So, for me, the flexibility to be myself as a participant right here, it’s actually been the identical factor as a head coach—simply to observe my instincts. I’ve been ready for this, being alongside Coach Okay for a very long time. I’ve labored for this. Actually simply belief your self and belief your instincts. That’s one thing I promised myself I’d do from Day 1 and I’ll all the time do this so long as I’m the pinnacle coach right here.
SLAM: Trying again in your taking part in days, what was your favourite second or sport whereas carrying a uniform at Duke?
JS: In all probability the second I’m most pleased with is after we beat Baylor to go to the Remaining 4. We performed a Baylor workforce that was actually good—LaceDarius Dunn, Tweety Carter, Ekpe Udoh, Quincy Acy—that they had a entrance line of 7-0, 6-10, 6-8. They had been actually, actually good, and we beat them in Houston. It went down the stretch. We felt like as soon as we gained that sport—you already know, it took us three-and-a-half years to get to that time; we misplaced within the first spherical, we misplaced within the second spherical, we misplaced within the Candy 16. So, for us, we had been climbing a mountain. As soon as we beat them, I believe all of the stress went away and we may simply play. And we beat a extremely good West Virginia workforce within the Remaining 4, and we beat Butler in an unbelievable championship sport. However for me, beating Baylor was a big-time win that I’ll always remember.
SLAM: You had been generally known as the “Jewish Jordan” again in highschool—are there attributes that earned you that nickname again within the day that you simply hope now you can use as a head coach?
JS: The factor that I’m most pleased with once I performed, [and] hopefully now it’s not going to vary as a head coach, however for me I’d say the willpower to get again up. I misplaced many video games, however every time I misplaced, I felt like I used to be getting again as much as win the following one. I by no means felt defeated, I by no means felt like we had been going right into a sport we couldn’t win. Whether or not that was in highschool and we had been taking part in Mike Conley and Greg Oden’s workforce or we had been taking part in Kevin Durant in AAU, or no matter it was, I felt like we had been going to win. That’s one thing I really feel now as a head coach. We’re going to play in some powerful video games, however I consider we’re presupposed to win whatever the consequence of the final sport or no matter who we’re going to play the following sport…I believe the success I had in highschool will present you that and in addition the trail I took once I was a participant right here—pleased with the flexibility to rise up and struggle and pursue championships, actually.
SLAM: Have your gamers seen a few of your highschool or school highlights? Are they conscious of how good you had been?
JS: I believe they know. I’m not so positive in the event that they know a number of the stats. I do attempt to hit them with, I scored over 3,000 factors in highschool, simply so you already know. I believe I bought most of our gamers in that stat. [The] 52 factors in a sport. They find yourself YouTubeing me and so they see the 21 factors in 75 seconds, and so they’ll normally speak to me about that, though it’s humorous to me that that sport is introduced up greater than another sport I’ve performed, as a result of we misplaced. I used to be heartbroken after that sport. So, when it’s introduced as much as me, I form of chuckle and snigger as a result of I actually was a wreck after that sport. However that’s normally the one they create up and I’ll take it. A minimum of I’ve YouTube. I might be like a number of the different guys on the workers, and none of their highlights are on YouTube—I’m not gonna title names, however that’s true [laughs].
SLAM: Whereas Coach Okay was a lot older, you’re nonetheless in your mid-30s. Do you get on the court docket with the blokes and attempt to college them?
JS: Effectively, I don’t wish to title names, however a few of our NBA guys got here again this summer time. And I bought on the market and performed some ones. I did win. It’s on digital camera. I’m not going to call names, however I beat three of our guys. In the event that they ever say something dangerous about me, I’m going to place it out within the universe. However till then, I’ve to maintain it a secret. I confirmed the movie to our workforce. I believe they had been fairly impressed general. However I could retire after these wins versus [the] NBA guys.
SLAM: So, these had been one-on-one video games with NBA gamers?
JS: One-on-one. Recreation to 5. From the elbow. I’m simply going to say, a few them are…you’ll know them. Let’s put it that manner. You’d know these guys.
SLAM: Attention-grabbing. How comparable or totally different can we anticipate th—
JS: Jayson Tatum [cough cough]. Sorry, what? Go forward [laughs].
DUKE REP BEHIND THE CAMERA: Ask him another time and he’ll positively present you the footage!
SLAM: We positively will after this interview.
JS: [laughs]
SLAM: How comparable or totally different can we anticipate the fashion of play to be this upcoming season compared to the way it was below Coach Okay?
JS: It’s arduous to say precisely what’s going to be totally different with the fashion of play. I believe now we have a distinct workforce, so now we have to play in a different way. We don’t essentially have a workforce the place we’re throwing the ball within the put up. We now have some guards that may actually play in pick-and-roll. We now have an athletic workforce the place we are able to get out in transition, however we positively do wish to play quick. Being a frontrunner on the defensive finish and pressuring the ball is necessary, but in addition defending our basket. I can’t inform you precisely what the similarities are, and variations can be as a result of there are some values I’ll all the time maintain true to me that I discovered right here once I was a participant. However, additionally, now we have to proceed to evolve and play to the strengths of our workforce. I believe now we have a really totally different group this yr the place we’ll play in a different way.
SLAM: We noticed you had been taking part in tennis after we arrived on campus. You had been telling us you picked it up for the primary time this summer time.
JS: I’ve performed tennis this offseason. I picked it up and the tennis coaches are good sufficient to let me get on the market. Now that the season is beginning, that’s going to occur much less and fewer. I’m unsure if I’ll even play in the course of the season. For me, I’m huge on getting outdoors, and thankfully we dwell in North Carolina and never in Chicago, the place you possibly can really get outdoors in November and January and February. For me, taking part in tennis, going for walks, every so often I’ll play a pick-up sport—basketball—however these days are numbered for me. It’s principally about getting outdoors, getting some recent air, simply getting my thoughts off of issues. That’s been necessary for me to do. I’ll get outdoors right here and there to make it occur.
SLAM: Do you play doubles or singles?
JS: I play doubles. We now have some workers video games that we play. Jai Lucas is fairly good. Amile Jefferson is alright. I’m in all probability the second greatest on the workers subsequent to Jai. We now have some nice competitions. Me and Jai are neck and neck, however he’s simply barely above me—now we have some battles.
SLAM: Who’s normally your teammate?
JS: My teammate was Amile, however we trip. I’ve by no means performed with Jai as a result of me and him are proper there. Nevertheless it’s Amile, Zach Marcus on our workers, Mike Schrage—these are a number of the guys which have performed with us.
SLAM: Who would you say is your tennis participant comparability?
JS: For me, I mannequin my sport after Rafael Nadal. That’s how I mannequin my sport [laughs]. I can’t even say that critically. I do, although, I do. Yeah, Rafa for me. How he by no means provides up on a play. The video games don’t go on lengthy sufficient for me to rally backwards and forwards, however I all the time attempt to get the purpose. I respect Rafa. He’s perhaps the GOAT. Him and Roger [Federer] are my two favorites.
SLAM: Some say Coach Okay is the GOAT. How are you coping with all of the expectations? Following him isn’t any simple job.
JS: I’ve discovered within the brief time I’ve been head coach that it’s necessary to deal with your self, to have issues that make you personally completely satisfied, the place you get exercises, your thoughts is recent, as a result of how you might be in a day by day foundation together with your workforce, the individual you [are], they will tackle.
So far as expectations go, no one has increased expectations for this program than I do. I’m arduous on myself. I all the time consider each single day what I may have performed higher, what I have to do to get higher for the following day. And that can by no means change for me. I believe if you end up that option to your self, it means that you can coach others truthfully and with transparency, [with] toughness and with love. And that’s one thing we plan on doing. We all know it’s not going to be easy crusing. We all know there’s going to be setbacks, however simply staying laser centered at getting higher, attacking every day and being current. I actually assume the expectations or the success we wish to have will deal with itself.
Pictures by Matthew Coughlin.
