When Mike Krzyzewski Was Duke's Head Coach Priority Was To Hire Former Players! As Jon Scheyer Is Now The Head Coach Of Duke He's Doing The Same As He's Promoted Amile Jefferson To Assistant Coach
When Mike Krzyzewski was Duke’s Head Coach the priority was to hire former players!
As Jon Scheyer is now the Head Coach of Duke he’s doing the same as he’s promoted Amile Jefferson to Assistant Coach because Amile Jefferson is replacing Nolan Smith who had may roles with the Duke Men’s Basketball Program!
He was a player!
He played for Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski from 2008-2011 where he played in 121 victories in a Duke uniform to rank fifth in program history and sixth in ACC history, and his 143 games played are tied for the eighth-most in Duke annals. He served as a team captain as a senior in 2011.
During his tenure as a student-athlete, Duke went 65-2 (.970) at Cameron Indoor Stadium to set program records for both home wins and winning percentage in a four-year period.
He was aconsensus first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year in 2011, Smith helped lead Duke to three consecutive ACC championships (2009-11) and the 2010 NCAA title during his tenure as a student-athlete.
He was a two-time All-ACC selection (2010-11) and was named ACC Tournament MVP as a senior in 2011. Smith led the ACC in scoring in his final season and his 764 points that year still rank as the ninth-best total in program history.
He helped Duke propel Duke to its fourth national championship in 2010, Smith was named Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA South Regional in Houston and earned a place on the All-Final Four Team after the Blue Devils cut down the nets in Indianapolis.
But that isn’t all Nolan Smith as done at Duke as he has also been on Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching staff.
He started out as the team’s Special Assistant before his promotion to Director of Basketball Operations & Player Development in March 2018.
As the Director Of Basketball Operations,
Nolan Smith worked in conjunction with the coaching and support staff to ensure that all team-related needs are met. He oversees the student manager program, while implementing and creating the daily basketball calendar and practice schedule. Among a wide-range of duties, he coordinates all meals and food for the basketball program, while assisting with team travel. As special assistant, his duties included assisting the coaching staff in developing game strategies, breaking down game film, planning practices and contributing in staff meetings.
“according to Nolan Smith’s Biography on goduke.com
During the 2021-2022 he was an Assistant Coach for Duke for Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski who coached his final season as the Head Coach of Duke because Nate James was named the Head Coach of Austin Peay On Tuesday April 2, 2021!
“according to an article by Sam MarsDale on 247sports.com”
Though, Nolan Smith would stay in that role for just the 2021 -2022 season where Duke went 32-7 losing to North Carolina 81-77 in the National Semifinals in New Orleans because after Duke’s loss to North Carolina Nolan Smith would become Assistant Coach to new Head Coach Kenny Payne at Louisville who like Duke is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Why?
Louisville’s new Head Coach Kenny Payne, Nolan Smith’s late father Derek Smith played against each other in the offseason league that once ranged every summer at Atherton High School.
“according to Rick Bozich’s article on WDRB.com”
Recently, Nolan Smith was introduced as the Assistant Coach to Kenny Payne in an introductory press conference!
Kenny Payne had this about adding Nolan Smith to his coaching staff!
I'm thrilled to welcome home one of the brightest young stars in the college basketball world," said Payne. "Nolan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from one of the premier programs in the country, as well as having worked with and beside one of the best coaches in the game in Mike Krzyzewski. Nolan's character, love for young people and work ethic will be a major asset for our basketball program and this university. His father is looking down on us smiling, because his blood and spirit are running through this program once again."
Nolan Smith had this to say about joining Kenny Payne’s coaching staff!
They say second chances don't come around often; so the opportunity to officially say, 'I am a Cardinal,' I couldn't pass up," said Smith. "As a young boy growing up in Louisville, I was taught early the rich history of Louisville Basketball and the deep pride that comes with it. It is with that same pride that I have taken this opportunity to join Coach KP's staff. To echo what Coach KP said in his press conference, it is an opportunity to come home and do something special in a community that we hold so dear to our hearts. We will dedicate ourselves day-in and day-out to our players and the Louisville Basketball community."
“according to an article on gocards.com”
Though,
Kenny Payne, Nolan Smith weren’t the only ones to say something about Nolan Smith joining the Louisville coaching staff as Nolan Smith’s former Duke Men’s Basketball teammate now the Head Coach of Duke Jon Scheyer had this to say about Nolan Smith joining Kenny Payne’s coaching staff!
This is an incredible opportunity for Nolan to return to Louisville and continue his father’s extraordinary legacy. But for me it is bittersweet . Nolan’s contributions at Duke cannot be understated and I will treasure the memories made together as friends, teammates and coaches over the last 15 years. No matter where he is , he will always be an important member of the Brotherhood . Congratulations to Nolan , his wife Cheyna and the rest of the Smith family.
“according to https://twitter.com/DukeMBB
Jon Scheyer had this to say about promoting Amile Jefferson to Assistant Coach!
Having a front row seat for the evolution of Amile's career has been special," "His passion, knowledge, and ability to relate to our guys is second-to-none. He played a valuable role for our team this season, particularly in the development of our frontcourt, and this promotion allows him to make an even bigger impact in the years ahead. His experience in the NBA combined with being a national champion, three-time captain and four-time Academic All-ACC pick at Duke makes Amile an essential voice on our team."
Amile Jefferson had this to say about being promoted to Assistant Coach!
I'm deeply honored and excited to be here and be a part of this team that Jon Scheyer is building," said Jefferson. "I feel a special bond and connection to Durham, our fans and our entire Duke family. Being here means the world to me. I want to extend my appreciation to Coach K for the opportunity to begin my coaching career last year, and I'm grateful for Jon for allowing me continue it."
As a freshman at Duke in 2012-2013,
Amile Jefferson was a member of of the All-ACC Academic Team
• Appeared in 32 games with seven starts, averaging 4.0 points and 2.9 rebounds
• Averaged 1.3 offensive rebounds per game, second-best on the team
• Scored in double figures six times on the year
• Recorded 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in a home win over Maryland (1/26)
• Scored a season-high 14 points in a home win over Boston College (2/24)
As a sophomore at Duke in 2013-2014,
Amile Jefferson was a member of of the All-ACC Academic Team
• Played in all 39 games, making 26 starts
• Averaged 6.1 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting .631 from the floor
• Ranked 20th in the ACC in rebound average (5.8) and led Duke in rebounds nine times
• Ranked second on the team with an average of 2.3 offensive rebounds per game
• Scored in double figures 10 times on the season and recorded three double-doubles
• Averaged 2.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in the six NCAA Tournament games on Duke's run to the 2015 national title
• Netted a career-high 19 points and added seven rebounds in a win at No. 6 Louisville (1/17)
• Scored 13 points and blocked a career-high six shots in Duke's overtime home win over No. 15 North Carolina (2/18)
• Provided a defensive spark with seven rebounds and three blocks in the win over No. 3 Wisconsin in the national championship game (4/6)
As a junior at Duke in 2015-2016,
Amile Jefferson Member of the All-ACC Academic Team
• Started the first nine games of the season, averaging 11.4 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting .683 from the floor
• Missed the final 27 games of the season with a right foot fracture
• Prior to his injury, led Duke in rebounds eight times and posted three double-doubles in nine games
• Opened the season with a career high-tying 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting in a home win over Siena (11/13)
• Scored 16 points and tied his career high with 15 rebounds against No. 2 Kentucky at the Champions Classic in Chicago (11/17)
• Played a career high-tying 35 minutes in a home win over Indiana (12/2), finishing with 11 rebounds, a career-best eight assists and three blocks
As a senior in 2016-2017,
Amile Jefferson was a Senior CLASS Award finalist and a first-team Senior CLASS Award All-American
• Named to the All-ACC Tournament second team after averaging 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks to help Duke become the first team to win four games in four days to take the championship
• A Hall of Fame Tip-Off All-Tournament Team member after averaging 16.5 points and 15.0 rebounds in two games in Connecticut as Duke captured the tournament trophy
• Named ACC Player of the Week once (12/12)
• A member of the preseason watch list for the Karl Malone Award
• Started all 35 games in which he played, averaging 10.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 29.7 minutes
• For the season, ranked third in the ACC in blocks (1.9), fifth in double-doubles (9), sixth in total rebounds (8.4), eighth in defensive rebounds (6.0) and 10th in offensive rebounds (2.4)
• Averaged 8.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game in ACC play while dealing with a bruised foot
• Ranked eighth in the ACC in blocks (1.4) and 14th in rebounds (6.7) in league games
• Averaged a double-double in two NCAA Tournament games with 11.0 points and 10.5 rebounds to go along with 4.5 blocks
• Led Duke in rebounds 17 times and assists on five occasions
• Posted 21 double-figure scoring games, 12 double-figure rebound games and nine double-doubles
• Ranked 13th on Duke's single-season chart with a career-best 65 blocks
• Had 15 points, seven rebounds and five blocks in the home win over Grand Canyon (11/12)
• Scored 16 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked four shots in Duke's win over Penn State in the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off (11/19)
• Put up 17 points and 15 rebounds in the win over No. 21 Rhode Island to claim the Hall of Fame Tip-Off title (11/20)
• Tallied 15 points and 10 rebounds in the home win over William & Mary (11/23)
• Netted 17 points and 13 rebounds to help Duke beat Michigan State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge (11/29)
• Scored 20 points and handed out four assists in the home win over Maine (12/3)
• Poured in a career-high 24 points to go with 15 rebounds and four blocks as Duke defeated No. 21 Florida at Madison Square Garden as part of the Jimmy V Classic (12/6)
• Posted 14 points and seven rebounds in the home win over Georgia Tech (1/4)
• Had 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in the Blue Devils' home victory over Pittsburgh (2/4)
• Recorded 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, collected seven rebounds and swatted five shots in the home win over Wake Forest (2/18)
• Put up a double-double on Senior Night with 14 points and 11 boards in a win over No. 15 Florida State (2/28)
• Opened the ACC Tournament with a double-double in the win over Clemson (3/8), finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds
• Scored 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting, secured five rebounds and blocked three shots as Duke defeated No. 22 Notre Dame to take the ACC Tournament crown (3/11)
• Recorded 14 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high-tying six blocks against South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament
Then Amile Jefferson spent time with the NBA G-League's Iowa Wolves (2017-18), Orlando Magic (2018-20), Boston Celtics (2020) and the Turkish Basketball Super League's Galatasaray (2020-21)before returning to Duke as Director Of Player Development on Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching staff for the 2021-2022 season.