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Duke coach Jon Scheyer has made his first assistant hire since taking over for head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Former Blue Devil and national champion Amile Jefferson is being promoted after just one year as director of player development role to assistant coach, the team announced on Tuesday. He replaces fellow former Blue Devil Nolan Smith, who left to become the new associate head coach for Louisville, where his father was part of the 1980 national title team.
While the 2021-22 season was Smith’s first as an assistant, he had been with the Blue Devils for six seasons, serving as the team’s special assistant for two years and director of basketball operations and player development for three.
“This is an incredible opportunity for Nolan to return to Louisville and continue his father’s extraordinary legacy,” Scheyer said in a statement Monday. “But for me it’s bittersweet. Nolan’s contributions at Duke cannot be understated, and I will treasure the memories we have made together as friends, teammates, and coaches over the last 15 years.”
Jefferson, who played in a program-record 150 games, was a three-year captain for Duke and helped the team to a national championship title in 2015. Scheyer was on the Blue Devils’ coaching staff for all but one of Jefferson’s five seasons as a player.
“Having a front-row seat for the evolution of Amile’s career has been special,” Scheyer said in a statement. “His passion, knowledge, and ability to relate to our guys is second-to-none.