It's official, Duke's coaching staff has a new member.
Roughly three weeks after head coach Mike Krzyzewski said on a June 30 podcast that Amile Jefferson would join the program as director of player development, the program made it official Wednesday morning. Krzyzewski was a guest on The Steam Room with EJ and Chuck, a podcast hosted by Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley of Inside the NBA, when he made the announcement.
"This is an honor to be back at Duke and I'm so grateful to Coach Krzyzewski for considering me for this opportunity," Jefferson said in a Duke release. "I'd also like to thank Coach Scheyer for his help through the process and look forward to his leadership in the future. Duke has been a part of my story and my life and it's a privilege to give back to the program and the University that has meant so much. I can't wait to work with these guys—helping them develop, grow and learn—and be a small part of something bigger than myself."
Jefferson was in Durham from 2012-17 and started 26 games during the Blue Devils' 2015 national championship run. Jefferson spent the 2018-19 campaign and part of the 2019-20 season with the Orlando Magic and then had a turbulent 2020. The Magic released him in February 2020 and then after being picked up by the Boston Celtics, he was waived by them in December. His last professional affiliation was with the Galatasaray S.K. of the Turkish Super League.
"It is a thrill to have Amile back in our program," Krzyzewski said. "Amile is truly one of the best representatives of Duke Basketball as a fierce competitor who never took a day off—whether it was in a game, on the practice court, and more importantly in the classroom. This position serves such an important role in helping our players develop personally, socially and athletically. I'm so proud of the man he has become, and know there are few better to take on this opportunity."
Furthermore, the program also made RJ Hunter's promotion to director of operations official, along with Zach Marcus and Trevor Marcus being elevated to director of scouting and analytics and video assistant, respectively.
This is a developing story. Please check back here for more updates.
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Jake Piazza is a Trinity senior and was sports editor of The Chronicle's 117th volume.