Jon Scheyer isn’t going anywhere, and he made that much clear while talking through the NBA buzz that followed him all offseason.
The Duke coach was connected to the Dallas Mavericks as a possible replacement for Jason Kidd, but that job ended up going to former Michigan coach Dusty May. Scheyer addressed the chatter on the Glue Guys Podcast on Monday, Sept. 14, and his message was blunt: Duke is where he wants to be.
"If anybody that knows me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself not seeing this thing through, that's just the bottom line," Scheyer said. "I'm at a one-of-one place where (it's) not often you get your dream job when you’re 33, and that's what happened to me."
Scheyer has been in charge since 2022, when he replaced Mike Krzyzewski after nine seasons on Krzyzewski’s staff. A former Duke national champion and two-time captain, he’s now heading into his fifth season as the Blue Devils’ head coach. The early results have been strong: a 124-25 record, the most wins by any Division I head coach in his first four seasons, plus three ACC Tournament titles, three NCAA Elite Eight trips and one Final Four.
"I'm really proud of the start we've gotten off to and the continuation of what has been built here," Scheyer said. "But I think we got so much left to do.
I just think we have so much left to accomplish. We talked about my family earlier, this is where my family is.
This is home for me."
Duke is coming off a 35-3 season in 2025-26 that ended with an Elite Eight loss to UConn. The Blue Devils will play exhibitions against Belmont on Oct.
8, Tennessee on Oct. 20 and Kansas on Oct. 25 before opening the 2026-27 season at home against Army on Nov. 2.
"The NBA is obviously the highest level of whatever you can do, but in my own world, I know this is where I'm supposed to be right now, doing what I'm doing with our guys," Scheyer said.
In Other News...
Manny Diaz Has Duke Looking Like More Than An Early Surprise
A season that began with modest outside expectations has already started to feel different around Duke football. The Blue Devils are 2-0, and the opening two weeks brought a pair of encouraging wins over Tulane and Illinois, two teams that had gotten the better of them a year ago. Under Manny Diaz, Duke has looked sharper on both sides of the ball, with the defense showing real progress and the offense finding helpful contributions from players such as Nate Sheppard.
What makes the start matter is not just the record, but how quickly it has come together after the roster churn of the offseason. Duke lost key players to the Transfer Portal and still walked into September looking more complete than expected, which is a credit to the coaching staff and the way the group has adapted. Walker Eget has also become part of the offensive conversation as the Blue Devils try to turn an early surprise into something sturdier, and the next stretch will say plenty about whether this opening surge is a snapshot or the beginning of a bigger climb. [Read more 🡒]
Nate Sheppard Is Giving Duke Fans A Reason To Believe
Dukes 31-27 win over Illinois pushed the Blue Devils to 2-0 and gave the early part of the season a performance worth circling on the calendar. Nate Sheppard was at the center of it, turning in a game that forced the Illini to reckon with more than just a loss, as Duke found enough balance and burst to hang on in a tight finish.
Afterward, Illinois coach Bret Bielema pointed straight to tackling as the difference, saying his defense needed to do a better job of finishing plays. For Duke, that only adds to the intrigue around Sheppard and an offense that already has one road win and a growing sense that this start may be more than a fast opening burst. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Scheyer Revealed What Duke's Best Players Need Most
Jon Scheyer spent part of a recent podcast appearance talking less about schemes and more about the people who tend to thrive at Duke. The Blue Devils coach said the traits he values in his best players go beyond talent, with a strong support system and a real sense of independence standing out when the pressure rises and mistakes start to pile up. It was the kind of window into how he thinks about building a program, especially with a roster that already has a mix of newcomers, transfers and key returners readying for another run.
That depth is part of what makes Duke such a watchable team heading into the season opener against Army on Nov. 2, because Scheyer appears to have a group that can be shaped in a lot of different ways. He has already put together a deep roster for the upcoming year, and the challenge now is not simply finding enough talent but figuring out which players can handle the responsibility that comes with it. Scheyers comments suggested the Blue Devils are looking for more than production, and the real test may come in how that balance holds once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]