Coach K will miss Duke basketball game at Wake Forest. Scheyer will lead Blue Devils
No. 8 Duke will play a key ACC game at Wake Forest Wednesday night without coach Mike Krzyzewski on the bench.
The 74-year-old Krzyzewski is suffering from a non-COVID virus and is not making the short trip to Winston-Salem for the 7 p.m. game, the school announced.
Associate head coach Jon Scheyer will handle the head coaching duties in what will serve as an early look at the arrangement already planned for next season. Krzyzewski announced last June he would retire following this season and Scheyer was named as his successor.
This is the second time in two seasons Scheyer served as head coach due to Krzyzewski’s absence. On Jan. 6, 2021, while Krzyzewski was quarantining at home after his daughter and granddaughter tested positive for COVID-19, Scheyer coached the Blue Devils to an 83-82 win over Boston College at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
On Wednesday night, Duke (12-2, 2-1 ACC) plays its first game since losing 76-74 at home to Miami on Saturday night.
Missing at least one member of its coaching staff has become a regular occurrence for the Blue Devils this season. The Miami game was the first time Duke had its full complement of coaches in the bench since a Nov. 30 loss at Ohio State.
Assistant coach Chris Carrawell missed three December nonconference games after having knee replacement surgery. Assistant coach Nolan Smith missed two December games, including the ACC-opening 76-65 win over Virginia Tech, while in COVID-19 quarantine.
Director of player development Amile Jefferson was in COVID-19 isolation when Duke beat Georgia Tech, 69-57, on Jan. 4.
In addition to Scheyer’s lone previous game in the head coach’s chair last season, the Blue Devils have played without Krzyzewski more than a few times over the last five years due to a variety of ailments.
Jeff Capel, now Pittsburgh’s head coach, coached the Blue Devils for seven games during the 2016-17 season after Krzyzewski had back surgery. Duke’s associate head coach at the time, Capel also handled a game during the 2017-18 season when Krzyzewski was ill as well as a game at Georgia Tech during the 2015-16 season when Krzyzewski underwent a battery of cardiac tests at Duke Hospital.
Including last season’s win over Boston College with Scheyer as acting head coach, the Blue Devils are 7-3 during this stretch without Krzyzewski on the bench.
Coverage from Duke’s win over Wake Forest with Scheyer leading the way:
- Duke basketball topples Wake Forest. What we learned about Blue Devils, Demon Deacons
Wake Forest turns back the clock, but Duke basketball goes back to the future
This story was originally published January 12, 2022 at 2:45 PM.