Coach K denied Tommy Amaker of offer for Duke job?

Jon Scheyer is set to be Mike Krzyzewski’s successor as Duke head coach. However, it appears Scheyer wasn’t the school’s first choice.

According to the New York Post’s Ian O’Connor, Duke offered the men’s basketball head coach job to alum Tommy Amaker before Coach K stepped in and named Scheyer his replacement.

Detailed in O’Connor’s new book “Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski,” Coach K chose Scheyer over Amaker in part to maintain control of the basketball program, something he felt he wouldn’t be able to do with Amaker in charge.

The 75-year old Krzyzewski is retiring at the end of this season. He delivered the news to Amaker through Zoom. Amaker was described as being “heartbroken.”

“Mike had to explain to Tommy why he couldn’t be the guy,” a Duke source told O’Connor. “He can be Don Corleone when he needs to be.”

Amaker is a Fairfax, Virginia native. He starred at W.T. Woodson High School before attending Duke and playing for Coach K. 

Amaker went into coaching in 1988 after four years at Duke, playing point guard. He was a Duke assistant from 1988-1997. He then became head coach of Seton Hall where he served from 1997-2001 before taking over the head coach job at Michigan from 2001-2007.

Amaker has been the head coach at Harvard since 2007. He’s guided the Crimson to seven Ivy League regular season titles and four NCAA tournament appearances.

Scheyer also played at Duke, joining Coach K’s coaching staff in 2014. He’ll take over as the Blue Devils head coach before his 35th birthday. However, sounds like Coach K will still have his say in the program in retirement.