Former Duke player Jay Williams thinks there is a possibility that coach Mike Krzyzewski could return to the program next year despite making it well-known this season would be his last as head coach.
Williams, on his ESPN show Keyshawn, JWill and Max, said the biggest reason he thinks Coach K could come out of retirement would be because of the threat of losing the No. 1 recruiting class.
This concern was sparked by the recent move of Duke assistant Nolan Smith to Louisville to work as an assistant for the ACC program. Smith stayed in the conference, and now he is in a spot to potentially recruit against Duke for the Cardinals.
“Here’s why I give it [Coach K returning] a legit chance, because if you’re Nolan Smith, and you have a great relationship with all these players, you’re in the conference, man. You’re at Louisville,” Williams said. “It turns into recruiting battles, man, and it weakens your hold on the number one class. So, if you’re Coach K, how do you strengthen that hold? By coming back.”
Duke holds the No. 1 recruiting ranked recruiting class for 2022, according to SI All-American. Williams thinks this ranking could be changed if some, or any, of the six commits decide to change their mind.
But with this success so far, it looks like Coach K’s successor Jon Scheyer is doing a fine job of keeping recruits despite the legendary coach’s retirement. Only time will tell if Coach K decides to come out of retirement, but nothing he has said has sparked those rumors.
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