Now that another Duke assistant coach has moved on to head coach -- longtime assistant Steve Wojciechowski -- the question of who will take over the Duke Basketball program once K leaves only gets more interesting. Of course, that day is at least five years away, according to Kryzewski's latest statements.
Probably, Duke will favor someone with ties to the program, for the university has had its own way of doing things for some time now. Wojciechowski, 37, not only played for the Blue Devils, but he's been their assistant for the last 15 years -- so long that Coach K considered him a head coach long before he took the Marquette post. Though he's viewed as one of the strongest candidates for the job, many have also said that it would be unlikely for Duke's next head coach to be a career assistant. Thus, moving away from Durham might be his best chance at one day moving back.
A lot can happen in five years. For one, Coach K could still be coaching. Wojciechowski could fail, and find out he was always better suited as an assistant. He also may simply lose out to better candidates. Other former Duke players/assistants now in prominent head coaching roles are current Harvard coach Tommy Amaker, who's led the Crimson to three straight tournament appearances and a few upsets, and Johnny Dawkins, who most recently led Stanford to the Elite Eight. Last year, Duke assistant Chris Collins took the head job at Northwestern.
It can take a coach time to establish himself and his program. Amaker had minimally successful stints at Seton Hall and Michigan before finding his rhythm at Harvard. Dawkins' teams have fared well, but none have had top-25 regular seasons. Half a decade from now, they'll likely only be better at what they do while Wojo might be still learning the ropes.
I heard another possible name for the job today on the Scott Van Pelt show: Jay Bilas. A four-year starter in the same class as Dawkins, Bilas served as Coach K's assistant from 1990-1992 (while also earning his JD from the university's law school). Though he's been broadcasting since 1995, he's really come into his own recently. His sudden transformation might have been spurred by comically exaggerating statements regarding wingspan he made at the NBA draft a few years ago. Since then, he's seemed to rededicate himself to the profession. Bilas would probably have to gain some head coaching experience beforehand, but maybe not if he simply wows Duke during interviews and the other candidates don't.
