Mike Krzyzewski Sends Clear Message to Jon Scheyer Ahead of Final Four
With the Final Four now set, legendary Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who handed the keys to current head coach Jon Scheyer in 2022, chimed in on the upcoming games during his SiriusXM podcast, ” Basketball & Beyond with Coach K,” on Tuesday.
Krzyzewski discussed the challenges of reaching the Final Four—something he made look somewhat easier than it truly is during his illustrious coaching career.
He also revealed that he had spoken with Scheyer about the significance of reaching his first Final Four, emphasizing with a clear message just how difficult that accomplishment truly is.
“Obviously, I’m very close with Jon [Scheyer], and I’ve talked to him about that and congratulated him on crossing the bridge,” Krzyzewski said. “You know, you crossed the bridge to your first Final Four.”
“I think the very first thing is that Jon is really good and was ready to do it,” Krzyzewski added when asked about Scheyer taking over the job in 2022. “He’s an outstanding coach and he’s his own man. I just wanted to make sure that whoever it was that they were gonna choose would be with me during that last season that I coached and would then have the ability to learn what it was to coach at Duke. He fit the bill… I’m proud of him. But the key factor is that Jon is really good. I really love Jon and behind the scenes have tried to be as supportive as possible, and this group is worthy of winning a national championship.”
Jon Scheyer had big shoes to fill when taking over for a coach like Krzyzewski. Not only was Krzyzewski at Duke for 42 seasons, but he also won five national championships, made 13 Final Fours, and became the all-time winningest coach in men’s Division I history.
Despite the immense pressure, Scheyer has lived up to the hype. He has coached the Blue Devils to a tremendous season and is now just two wins away from securing a national title. A win would mark the first of his coaching career and the first for the Duke program since 2015.
