Duke Is Going To Be Searching For A New Head Coach Because David Cutcliffe, Nina King Have Parted Ways After 14 Seasons After Three Seasons Which Duke Has Struggled To Win Games On The Gridiron
David Cutcliffe came to Duke in 2007 from Tennessee to be their Head Coach!
The last three seasons though haven’t been great on the gridiron for Duke under the direction of David Cutcliffe.
In 2019 Duke finished with a of 5-7 3-5 in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference!
In 2020 Duke finished record of 2-9 1-9 in the Coastal Division Of The Atlantic Coast Conference!
This season Duke finished with a record of 3-9 0-8 in the Coastal Division Of The Atlantic Coast Conference!
Because of Duke struggling on the gridiron the last three seasons Duke, David Cutcliffe, Nina King have parted ways after fourteen seasons!
David Cutcliffe had this to say about his discussion with Nina King!
After some detailed and amiable discussions with Nina King, we've mutually decided that it is the right time for change in the leadership of Duke Football," Cutcliffe said. "Karen and I have loved our time in Durham. Duke University will always hold a special place in our hearts. To our current and former players please know how much joy you've brought to our lives. To all of our coaches and staff, many who have been with us for 14 years, you will always have our love and respect. I want to thank Dick Brodhead for the opportunity to come here. I'm very thankful for Kevin White and Nina and their leadership. I can't say enough about all the faithful alumni and friends that gave us an opportunity to build and win here. I'm not sure just yet what the future will look like, but I am looking forward to some family time to reflect a bit on the past and see what the future holds."
Nina King had this to say about David Cutcliffe!
We are extremely grateful for David's leadership over the past 14 seasons," King said. "He lifted our program to unprecedented heights, both on and off the field, while maintaining the core values of the University and we could not be more appreciative of his mentorship of every student-athlete who played for Duke during his tenure. David and Karen have been tremendous ambassadors of Duke University and the Durham community and we wish them, along with their family, all the best going forward."
With David Cutcliffe, Duke parting ways a national search for Duke’s next head coach is going to get underway immediately.
While the head coaching search gets underway Trooper Taylor Duke’s Associate Head Coach will serve interim Head Coach!
Trooper Taylor joined the Duke staff in January of 2019 and serves as the program’s Associate Head Coach while mentoring the Blue Devil cornerbacks. Taylor spent his first two seasons (2019-20) coaching the wide receivers.
In 2020, Taylor mentored six Blue Devils to at least 150-plus receiving yards, including two with over 300-plus yards. His wideout group accounted for 74 percent of Duke’s receiving yards and earned seven of the 11 receiving touchdowns on the year. Junior Jake Bobo led the team in receiving yards with 358 on 32 catches with one touchdown, while sophomore Jalon Calhoun registered a team-high 39 receptions for 349 yards and two scores. Both earned six games with 30-plus receiving yards to headline the wide receivers group.
Taylor also mentored Jarett Garner, Eli Pancol, Dennis Smith and Darrell Harding Jr., to over 150-plus receiving yards. Garner, Pancol, and Smith recorded 274, 241 and 235 receiving yards, respectively, while Harding Jr. accumulated 160 yards during his second season. Pancol tied with tight end Jake Marwede for a season-long 55-yard reception, while Garner added a 52-yard touchdown reception.
In his first season at Duke, Taylor mentored Calhoun and Pancol to Freshman All-America honors by Pro Football Focus. Calhoun led all ACC freshmen in pass receptions with 46, a mark that placed him third among Power 5 rookie wide receivers. As one of just two true freshmen to start in all 12 games, Calhoun registered a team-best 420 receiving yards with four touchdowns. He had 10 games where he recorded at least two receptions, and compiled his lone 100-yard receiving game (105) and only multi-touchdown game (2) during Duke’s victory over North Carolina A&T. The Greenville, S.C., native had Duke’s longest receiving touchdown with a 49-yard reception in Duke’s regular season finale against Miami.
Pancol finished with six catches for 91 yards (15.17) and three touchdowns during his rookie season. He compiled at least 10-plus receiving yards on three different occasions and had two catches for over 20-plus yards, both for touchdowns. The Pendleton, Ind., native also notched three rushes for 20 yards (6.7), including a nine-yard touchdown against Georgia Tech. He finished fifth on the team with 24 points accumulated from four total scores.
Taylor also guided Aaron Young, Scott Bracey, Harding Jr., and Bobo to over 100-yards receiving during his first season. Young and Bracey compiled 367 and 270 yards on 29 and 21 catches, respectively, while Harding Jr. and Bobo finished with 130 yards (eight receptions) and 122 yards (10 receptions) a piece.
“according to Trooper Taylor’s biography on goduke.com”