Coach K pokes fun at Duke HC Jon Scheyer over "White Mike" days growing up in Chicago
Jon Scheyer played under Coach K at Duke, before working as an assistant under him, and finally succeeding him as head coach. The two appear to share a good relationship, and this was again evident after the former Blue Devils coach made a joke about his successor.
Speaking on this week's episode of "Basketball and Beyond" on the SiriusXM podcast, Mike Krzyzewski, nicknamed Coach K, responded to a joke from the show’s co-host, tagging Scheyer as the “White Mike.”
“He could still play,” Coach K said, referring to Scheyer’s basketball ability.
This prompted the co-host to tag him as the “White Mike.”
"I thought I was the White Mike growing up in Chicago but I guess I never hit that status,” Coach K said, referencing his basketball playing ability.
However, he proceeded to declare his love for the current Duke coach, while revealing that they still have a relationship behind the scenes.
“I really love Jon,” he said. “Behind the scenes, I have tried to be as supportive as possible.”
Scheyer played under Coach K at Duke from 2006, winning the NCAA title in 2010. He returned to the program in 2013 as a special assistant under him, following the resignation of assistant coach Chris Collins.
He had a steady rise since then, taking opportunities that came his way, progressing to a full assistant coach in 2014, co-associate head coach in 2018, before becoming the head coach in 2022 following Coach K’s retirement.
Scheyer has done well for himself in that role, winning the ACC tournament in his first season. This season, he has led the team to the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles for the first time since 2006.
He also has them as a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they are currently in the Final Four.
Jon Scheyer named coach of the year
Scheyer continues to have a great year. On Thursday, he was named the 2025 John McLendon National Coach of the Year. This is an annual award presented to the top head coach in college basketball across all divisions.
Scheyer has already broken the record of 80 ACC wins in the first three seasons as coach, set by North Carolina's Bill Guthridge between 1997 and 2000. He has recorded 89 wins in his first three seasons and is on course to set a new national record.