Dawkins, after 11 years as Mike Krzyzewski's right-hand man and associate head coach, accepted the head coaching job at Stanford University, the school announced on Saturday.

Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby will introduce Dawkins to the Stanford community during a media conference on Monday.

Dawkins, 44, replaces Trent Johnson, who accepted the Louisiana State job on April 9. This is Dawkins' first head coaching job.

Dawkins could not be reached for comment on Saturday. A family member said he was in Washington, attending an an event at Mackin High School, his alma mater.

"We are thrilled to welcome Johnny and his family to Stanford," Bowlsby said in a release. "His credentials as a player, combined with his coaching experience gained mentoring under a Hall of Fame coach at a university such as Duke, made him a perfect fit for Stanford."

Bowlsby said he was confident that Dawkins' experience as Krzyzewski's consigliere would fit Stanford perfectly. Krzyzewski said he will miss Dawkins, who many believe could eventually succeed the 61-year-old coach at Duke.

Krzyzewski thinks Dawkins is ready to be a head coach.

"In my 28 years at Duke, no one did more to build our program as a player, coach or a person than Johnny Dawkins," Krzyzewski said in a release. "He is as responsible as anyone for the success we've had for more than two decades. This is a great fit for both Stanford and Johnny."

Taking the Stanford job will be a major change for Dawkins. He was not heavily involved in the traveling side of recruiting at Duke, although he was instrumental in bringing current Blue Devils guards Gerald Henderson and Nolan Smith into the program.

Also, Durham is home. Dawkins and his wife Tracy, who now live in Bahama, kept a home in the Durham area throughout Dawkins' nine-year NBA career. Their four children were raised here.

It won't be an unfamiliar challenge for Dawkins to take over a program at a private university. He is familiar with the challenges of recruiting to a school with high admissions criteria and academic standards.

Dawkins also knows a thing or two about high expectations. He realizes Stanford wants him to hit the ground running after Johnson went 80-48 in four seasons with NCAA Tournament berths in 2005, 2007, and 2008. Johnson also guided Stanford to the NCAA regional semifinals and was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 2008.

Dawkins takes over a Stanford team that went 28-8 this past season. But the Cardinal lost big men, and twin brothers, Brook and Robin Lopez to the NBA Draft. The sophomores declared for the draft in early April.

Coaches directing major Division I programs have to be able to prepare their athletes for possible NBA careers and Dawkins knows how to navigate the NBA and nurture that kind of talent.

A 1986 first-round NBA Draft pick of the San Antonio Spurs, Dawkins has strengthened his NBA ties while serving as the player personnel director for the U.S. men's senior national team since 2006.

Dawkins also has directed Duke's player development work during his time there.

Dawkins most recently had been working one-on-one with senior DeMarcus Nelson, who is preparing for the Orlando predraft camp in early June and the NBA Draft on June 26.