Head coach Mike Krzyzewski still has a passion for coaching and has no plans to leave the sideline anytime soon, but when he does retire, he will not appoint his own successor, Krzyzewski said Tuesday at his annual summer press conference.
Although the University will name a replacement upon his retirement, Krzyzewski said he will eventually advocate for a candidate with a connection to his program.
"Yeah, I would [want the job to stay in the Duke family]," Krzyzewski said in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle Tuesday. "I don't think it should just be my decision. That's not being a team player, although I would hope that I have some serious input.
"If we didn't have anyone in our family who was worthy enough to do it, I'd say you go out of it. But we will have people, and we'll have more than one."
Speculation about Krzyzewski's future retirement and succession plan arose again in April when former associate head coach Johnny Dawkins was introduced as Stanford's head coach. Bob Bowlsby, Stanford's athletic director, shared parts of a conversation he had had with Krzyzewski, 61, before Dawkins was hired.
"Coach Krzyzewski said that Johnny was a likely successor to him," Bowlsby said at Dawkins' introductory press conference.
Dawkins will almost certainly be a candidate, given his high-profile coaching job, his 10 years as a Duke coach and his legendary career as a Blue Devil. But after Bowlsby's comments, Krzyzewski was emphatic in denying any sort of official succession plan.
"I don't think [Dawkins] needed to [go to Stanford] to be considered. That doesn't mean he was going to be the coach," Krzyzewski told The Chronicle. "When [former athletic director Tom] Butters hired me 28 years ago, I had been a head coach at Army for five years. That helped me, but I had to learn how to coach on this level. There's a learning curve.
"Say [Steve Wojciechowski] and Chris [Collins]... the knowledge of what it takes to do it here, is pretty important, especially if we can keep it going. If we don't stay at a high level, then guys shouldn't be considered. But if we're able to stay at a very high level and compete..."
Other prominent coaches with significant Duke ties include Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker, Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey and Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel.
Many basketball powerhouses have given the position to an alumnus or member of the head coach's coaching tree. Bill Guthridge, Matt Doherty and Roy Williams-the three coaches who have followed Dean Smith at North Carolina-all had Tar Heel ties before taking the helm.
"That's a decision a university makes, and a university should only make it," said Krzyzewski, beginning his 29th year at Duke next season. "No one should be able to name their own successor. Maybe if you own your company, or whatever...but I should not have the right. It's not even the right. It's not a position I should be in."
Changes in Blue-White game
Instead of hosting the Blue-White intrasquad scrimmage almost two weeks after the official start of practice, Duke will move the annual game to Oct. 18, the day after practice begins and the Saturday of Homecoming. The team's first public showing will complement a home football game against Miami.
The Blue-White game replaced a Midnight Madness-type event in 2004. Last year, it took place Oct. 27, even though practice opened Oct. 12.
"We're always open to change," Krzyzewski told The Chronicle. "We used to have [Midnight Madness] on TV and things like that. We had it on TV once, and that's why we did it. They don't do that anymore. They've changed when you can start practice.... So we're going to do Blue-White right after [the football game] and see how that is, just to see how it will go."
The Blue Devils will also change their exhibition game routine and host a Division-II opponent over Parents' and Family Weekend, the last weekend in October.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.