Mike Krzyzewski has been the face of the Duke Blue Devils since taking over the job in 1980, turning the program into one of the country's elite. However, the winningest coach in college basketball history will turn 70 next year, meaning it's time to start thinking about who could possibly replace him in Durham.
It will be a strange day when we see someone other than Coach K on the sidelines for Duke, but whoever replaces him will almost certainly be a former Duke player that has had a successful coaching career. With that in mind, here are the five most likely candidates to take over for Mike Krzyzewski when he does retire.
5) Johnny Dawkins, Stanford head coach
Duke fans hold Dawkins in the highest esteem from his playing days and the decade he spent as an assistant for the Blue Devils, but he hasn't had much success away from the Blue Devils. Since taking over the Cardinal in 2008, Dawkins had led Stanford to just one NCAA Tournament appearance.
4) Jeff Capel, Duke assistant coach
Capel played at Duke from 1993-1997 and is best known for hitting this half-court shot at the buzzer against UNC, but he also has an extensive coaching career. He was the head man at VCU from 2002-2006 before taking the Oklahoma job, where he coached until 2011. Capel led the Sooners to a 30-6 record in the 2008-09 season, but was fired after OU went just 14-18 two years later. He has been an assistant on Duke's staff since then.
3) Bobby Hurley, Arizona State head coach
Hurley is one of the best college players of all time, winning two national championships at Duke, and is now one of the rising stars in the coaching world. He first became a head coach with Buffalo in 2013, leading the Bulls to a 42-20 overall record during his tenure - including two regular season MAC titles and a NCAA tournament berth in 2015. Hurley left to take on a rebuilding job at Arizona State, where he is 14-14.
2) Tommy Amaker, Harvard head coach
The most accomplished former-player-turned-coach, Amaker had mediocre stints at Seton Hall and Michigan before catching on at Harvard, where he rebuilt the Crimson into a perennial NCAA Tournament team. Harvard has won the Ivy League and made the tournament each of the last four years.
1) Steve Wojciechowski, Marquette head coach
Amaker might be the most accomplished, but the man affectionately known as Wojo probably has the brightest future as a coach. He was an assistant under Coach K from 1999-2014, then took the head coaching job at Marquette. After a 13-19 record in his first year (when the Golden Eagles were rebuilding), Wojo has led Marquette to an 18-11 record and a probable NCAA Tournament berth.
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