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One more year? ESPN analyst, former Duke player gives Coach K ‘legit chance’ to return
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There’s a chance that Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell tour was not actually a farewell tour, after all. ESPN analyst and former Duke basketball player Jay Williams believes the college basketball legend could return.
During his show Keyshawn, JWill and Max on ESPN, Williams said he believes Coach K could come out of retirement in the very new future. The reason? The departure of assistant coach Nolan Smith, who took a job at Louisville.
Williams believes Coach K could return to Duke to help keep the team’s No. 1 recruiting class intact.
“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.”
Although there were some bumps along the way, Krzyzewski had about as strong of a going-away season as anyone could ask. He led Duke to an ACC regular season title and a berth in the Final Four. Replicating that would be incredibly difficult.
There’s been no mention of a return from Coach K himself, but Williams believes it’s a real possibility.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB