Jay Williams Suggests Mike Krzyzewski Could Return to Duke, Delay Retirement

Mike Krzyzewski ended his final season at Duke with bitter losses to North Carolina in his final home game and in the Final Four.

Jay Williams said Tuesday that he believes Coach K could return to Duke for a different reason, to make sure the school doesn't lose its No. 1 recruiting class in the country.

"Here's why I give it a legit chance. ... If you're [former Duke and current Louisville assistant] Nolan Smith, and you have a great relationship with all these players, you're in the conference, man. You're at Louisville. You're picking up the phone and you're saying, 'Yo Dariq [Whitehead], it's time. We're here. This is what we're doing here. We're putting together a different team. Be coached by somebody [else].' It turns into recruiting battles, and it weakens your hold on the No. 1 class. So if you're Coach K, how do you strengthen that hold? 'I'm coming back.'"

While Coach K would want to leave the Duke program in good hands, it would be hard for him to back out after two tough defeats against UNC.

Michael Lee @MrMichaelLee

A national title would’ve been sweet but Hubert Davis & his boys gave UNC fans something they’ll cherish: two wins over Coach K & eternal smack-talking material with Duke fans. The better team won Monday but those guys shouldn’t ever have to pay for a meal or drink in Chapel Hill

Duke's incoming freshmen were not surprised by the sudden retirement. Coach K announced in June that he would be leaving in June of 2020 and gave his approval to the hiring of the new coach.

He is clearly ready for this opportunity and has shown it repeatedly throughout his playing career and as a coach on our staff the past eight seasons.

All of the top five recruits in the country have known since June that Coach K wouldn't.

The question is how much of a role Smith played in securing such a great recruiting class. If he was the reason for players like Lively and Filipowski to come to Duke, would his return convince them not to follow Smith to Louisville?

If Coach K doesn't actually have any plans to return, or if those players are steadfast in their commitment to Duke regardless of Smith's departure, this is all meaningless. The situation will most likely be an occasional talking point until the 2022-23 season.