Scheyer’s Youth: Plus Or Minus?

We’re going to hear a lot about Jon Scheyer’s move to the head coaching job at Duke over the next, well, year or so, but a lot between now and when next season heats up. Depending on how people perceive his performance, that may go on longer.

One of the sub-themes that is starting to emerge is youth, and we’re not referring to just Scheyer.

Mike Krzyzewski retired at 75 and as a singular figure. He kept himself at the very top of the game for decades because he’s studious, adaptable and willing to change.

If you look at older coaches in general, that’s really not the case. As great as he was, Dean Smith was set in his ways and Roy Williams was arguably worse, if only because the changes came so much faster in the last few years.

It may be one of the reasons that coaches tend to fade away at the end of their careers. Most people are just not that interested in changing things substantially.

One of the things that Coach K said recently that was interesting is that the NCAA needs to listen more closely to young coaches because they’re the ones who are figuring things out on the ground.

And that’s a really smart point.

And it’ll hit home at Duke too because obviously, Scheyer is part of a generational change. As we’ve said before, the coaches who figure out the portal and NIL advantages are likely to move to the head of the class.

Fortunately, he had a great mentor when it comes to being adaptable.