Former Duke All-American and two-time team captain Jon Scheyer was named the 20th head coach in Duke University’s storied basketball history on June 4, 2021. He succeeded Hall of Fame head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who announced in June 2021 his plan to retire following the 2021-22 season.
Scheyer, who enters his second season as head coach in 2023-24, has vast experience on the Duke bench, having served on Krzyzewski’s staff since the 2013-14 season. His previous roles with the Blue Devils include special assistant, assistant coach and the previous three years as associate head coach. Scheyer and Duke agreed to a new six-year contract in October of 2023, extending him through the 2028-29 season.
The 35-year-old Scheyer was among the youngest head coaches in Division-I men’s basketball, and the youngest at a power conference institution, at the time of his hire. He was named to The Athletic’s 40 Under 40 in college sports in 2022 and was previously touted as one of the best assistant coaches in college basketball.
Record-Setting Debut Season as Head Coach
Leading the Blue Devils to a 27-9 mark in his first season, Duke captured the ACC Tournament title and went undefeated at home as Scheyer became the first coach in the conference’s storied history to post an undefeated home record in a debut season and the first to lead a team to an ACC title as both a player (2009, 2010) and as a head coach (2023).
He is just the fourth major conference coach all-time to win 27 or more games at age 50 or younger in a debut season and the first to do so at 35 or younger. In Division I history, only seven other coaches younger than 35 years old have won more games in a debut season.
Playing its best basketball as the season progressed, Scheyer’s first squad carried a nine-game winning streak into the program’s 45th NCAA Tournament, the fourth longest winning streak entering the NCAA Tournament in program history. The Blue Devils stretched the winning streak to 10 with a dominant first-round win.
Overcoming a season plagued by injuries and with one of the nation’s youngest teams that returned just one starter from the 2022 Final Four run, Scheyer’s squad was 19-1 with its full roster available. With an emphasis on defense and rebounding, the Blue Devils ranked top-20 in nearly every rebounding statistic and were top 30 defensively.
Scheyer was named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Coach of the Year Award, presented annually to the best first-year coach in college basketball.
In his 14 seasons as player and coach at Duke, Scheyer has been part of two National Championships (2010, 2015), three Final Fours (2010, 2015, 2022), five ACC Tournament crowns (2009, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2023), while averaging 27.6 wins per season with a winning percentage of .780 (387-109).
Recruiting and Developing the Nation’s best
The Northbrook, Ill., native has been integral in the recruiting and development of several young Duke stars since joining the staff. In accepting Duke’s head-coaching position a year before taking the helm, Scheyer was able to fully recruit the nation’s No. 1-ranked freshman class for the 2022-23 campaign — highlighted by the top two-ranked players — Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead. He followed that by landing the No. 2 overall class in 2023-24 class with four top-25 signees.
Duke has finished top three in ESPN.com’s class recruiting rankings every season with Scheyer on the staff, including the No. 1 class five times (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022).
A total of 28 Duke players have been drafted, including 22 first-rounders, with Scheyer on the staff, highlighted by overall No. 1 selections Zion Williamson in 2019 and Paolo Banchero in 2022. Williamson was the consensus National Player of the Year in 2019, while Banchero was an All-American and ACC Rookie of the Year in 2022. His first draftees as a head coach — Lively and Whitehead — were each first-round picks in 2023.
Williamson and Banchero join six other Scheyer-coached Blue Devils to be named ACC Rookie of the Year, including Kyle Filipowski this past season – Scheyer’s first commitment in the 2022-23 class, who chose to wear the No. 30 in honor of his first-year head coach.
Scheyer helped mentor Tyus Jones to Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors and an NBA first-round pick in 2015. Five years later, Tyus’ brother Tre was named both the ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year after a remarkable 2020 campaign.
Tre is one of 11 to earn All-America recognition with Scheyer on staff – a list that also includes Quinn Cook, Grayson Allen, Luke Kennard, RJ Barrett, Williamson and Banchero.
Allen finished his remarkable four-year career in 2018 as the 12th-leading scorer in Duke history with 1,996 points and joined Scheyer as two of just five Blue Devils in history with 1,900 or more points, 400 or more rebounds and 400 or more assists (Grant Hill, Danny Ferry, Johnny Dawkins).
Among Duke’s Winningest Players
As a player, Scheyer was one of the most versatile and reliable Blue Devils all-time, concluding his career as the only player in school history to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 three-point field goals and 200 steals. He averaged 14.4 points per game while scoring in double figures 114 times (sixth-most in Duke history) and leading the Blue Devils to a 115-29 (.799) record.
A two-time team captain, Scheyer scored 2,077-career points and still ranks 10th on Duke’s all-time scoring list. He ranks third in Duke history in free throws made (608), fourth in free throw percentage (.861; 10th in ACC history) and three-point field goals made (297; 13th in ACC history) and sixth in free throw attempts (706). He played in 144 consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak in Duke history, while his 4,459 minutes played rank fourth in ACC history.
As a senior in 2010, Scheyer averaged 18.2 points, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game from the point guard position to spark Duke to a 35-5 record and its fourth national championship. He was a consensus second-team All-American and a first-team All-ACC pick in his final season after starting all 40 contests and scoring in double figures in all but two games on the year. His 1,470 minutes played as a senior remains the ACC single-season record.
Scheyer was named MVP of the ACC Tournament as a junior in 2009, averaging 21.7 points and 4.0 rebounds as Duke took home the title.
Before Duke
He was a McDonald’s and Parade All-American as a senior at Glenbrook North High School in 2006. Already recognized as an elite scorer, his legend grew when he scored 21 points in 75 seconds at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament as a senior. He closed his career as the fourth-leading scorer in Illinois high school basketball history with 3,034 points. He is the only player in Illinois history to rank in the state’s career top 10 in points, assists and steals.
A two-time Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year, Scheyer was named to the 100 Legends of Illinois Basketball in 2007.
Following his graduation from Duke in 2010, Scheyer played professionally with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA D League and overseas with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Gran Canaria.
Personal
Scheyer married his wife Marcelle in May 2017. The couple have three young children, a girl named Noa (born January 2018), and boys Jett (August 2019) and James (May 2022).
Taking an active role in the Durham community, he and Marcelle began the Scheyer Kid Captain program in 2022-23. The program provides a connection between the Duke Basketball program and the life-saving work performed daily at Duke Children’s – one of the nation’s leading children’s hospitals – by inviting a patient and family from Duke Children’s to spend a gameday with the team, attend practice and sit behind the bench.
JON SCHEYER FACTS
Birthdate: August 24, 1987
High School: Glenbrook North, Northbrook, Ill.
College Career: Four-year letterman, Duke, 2007-2010
College Degree: B.A., History, Duke, 2010
College Honors: Co-captain, 2009, 2010; Consensus Second Team All-America, 2010; All-NCAA Final Four Team, 2010; First Team All-ACC, 2010; NCAA Tournament All-South Region, 2010; ACC Tournament MVP, 2009; All-Preseason NIT, 2009; First Team ACC All-Tournament, 2009, 2010
Coaching Career: Special Assistant, Duke, 2013-14; Assistant Coach, Duke, 2014-18; Associate Head Coach, Duke, 2018-22; Head Coach, Duke, 2022-present
Family: Wife, Marcelle (married May 2017); Children, Noa (born January 2018), Jett (born August 2019) and James (born May 2022)
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT JON SCHEYER
“I’ve said many times that Jon Scheyer is one of the smartest coaches in the country. He showed that repeatedly as a member of our staff the past eight seasons. He is ready for this amazing opportunity and clearly recognizes the significance of the position in which he finds himself. He understands the unique culture of Duke Basketball and he and his staff will carry it forward in an ever-changing college athletics environment. Jon is a rising star in the profession and Duke could not be in better hands moving forward.”
• MIKE KRZYZEWSKI, FORMER DUKE (1980-2022) & USA BASKETBALL (2005-16) HEAD COACH
“Simply put, Jon Scheyer is Duke. As you know, he came to Duke in 2006 and enjoyed an outstanding career as a student-athlete. His blood, sweat and tears are in these hardwoods. As a player and assistant coach, Jon learned from the very best in Mike Krzyzewski. He is a teacher and mentor in his own right -– passionate about the student-athlete experience, both on and off the floor. Jon knows what it takes to achieve excellence –- he’s a national champion.”
• DUKE VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS NINA KING
“Jon is not just committed to Duke’s passion for excellence in athletics and academics, he has lived it. He has been a student-athlete, a team captain, a national championship player and coach. There is no one better prepared or more committed to carry on Coach K’s legacy, and to drive the continued eminence of our basketball program and our university than Jon Scheyer.”
• DUKE PRESIDENT VINCENT PRICE
“I love Jon. I think Jon is going to do a terrific job. He’s the next guy in line there and it should happen that way. It’s a natural progression, so I’m excited about that. I think he’s going to do a great job.”
• FORMER BLUE DEVIL, UCF COACH JOHNNY DAWKINS
“Jon brings a passion for the Duke jersey that is contagious with everyone around him. His LOVE for Duke is special as he has lived it as a multi talented player and as a member of the staff.”
• ESPN’s DICK VITALE
“Jon showed as a player that he is a champion. Now he will show it again as a head coach. This is obviously a big job, but I can’t imagine anyone being more prepared or better equipped to undertake it.”
• CBS SPORTS’ SETH DAVIS
“We all know that college sports are based around recruiting, and the great thing about Jon is that he’s been there his whole adult life. He played at Duke, he’s been on that sideline for a number of years – he’ll do a great job.”
• FORMER BLUE DEVIL, ACC NETWORK’S CARLOS BOOZER
“A lifetime decision into The Brotherhood. Jon Scheyer is prepared and ready to lead. He understands what lies ahead and will have all us standing with him.”
• FORMER BLUE DEVIL BILLY KING
“He was a coach’s player. It’s one of the things that made him a great winner. He always saw everything through the coach’s eyes –- both his own game and his teammates, and then he was able to communicate that.”
• ESPN’s CHRIS SPATOLA
“Jon Scheyer is an outstanding young coach. He’s technically skilled and I think he’s more than capable of doing this and doing it at the highest level. I’m a believer.”
• FORMER BLUE DEVIL, ESPN’S JAY BILAS
“He’s just a soulful dude. He really is. We were roommates – we spent a lot of time together. Jon cares about what’s going on with other people.”
• FORMER DUKE TEAMMATE GERALD HENDERSON
“Jon is a basketball savant. I think his abilities to draw up plays on the spot and his knowledge of the game are really next level. You combine those two, and I think you have something very special.”
• FORMER BLUE DEVIL, ESPN’S JAY WILLIAMS
“I could not be more excited for Jon and for the opportunity that he has in front of him to continue the great tradition of Duke Basketball. As a former player, I am thrilled that one of us is taking the mantle.”
• FORMER BLUE DEVIL, HARVARD COACH TOMMY AMAKER
JON SCHEYER BY THE NUMBERS (ENTERING 2023-24 SEASON)
27.6 — AVERAGE NUMBER OF VICTORIES PER SEASON WHILE AT DUKE
.780 — CAREER WINNING PERCENTAGE AS A DUKE PLAYER AND COACH
10 — TOP-3 RECRUITING CLASSES IN 10 YEARS WITH SCHEYER ON STAFF
5 — ACC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS (2009, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2023)
2 — NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (2010, 2015)
25 — ALL-ACC SELECTIONS COACHED (11 FIRST-TEAMERS)
11 — ALL-AMERICANS COACHED (5 CONSENSUS FIRST-TEAMERS)
15 — MAJOR ACC AWARD WINNERS COACHED (FOUR PLAYERS OF THE YEAR)
28 — TOTAL NBA DRAFT PICKS COACHED (TWO OVERALL NO. 1 PICKS)
(updated October 2023)
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