Duke men's basketball to hire Chris Carrawell as assistant coach

<p>After losing Jeff Capel to Pittsburgh earlier this week, Duke has officially brought another one of its former players back to join the coaching staff.</p>

After losing Jeff Capel to Pittsburgh earlier this week, Duke has officially brought another one of its former players back to join the coaching staff.

Duke will once again remain in the family to fill its assistant coaching vacancy.

The Blue Devils will hire Chris Carrawell to fill the void left by Jeff Capel’s departure for Pittsburgh last Tuesday. ESPN’s Jeff Goodman first reported the hire last Wednesday night, and the team then officially announced the hire Friday afternoon, making Carrawell an assistant coach, with returning assistants Jon Scheyer and Nate James promoted to associate head coaches. 

Carrawell has spent the last four years as an assistant at Marquette under former Duke teammate Steve Wojciechowski. He will join the Blue Devil staff, which has also promoted Nolan Smith to director of basketball operations and shifted David Bradley from that role to the team’s creative director.

“We are ecstatic, and honored, to have Chris return to Duke Basketball,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a press release. “Chris is an excellent coach who understands what it takes to compete and win at the highest level. He will be an outstanding role model for our current and future players. We are excited that Chris has chosen to become a part of our coaching staff.”

Carrawell was the 2000 ACC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American as a senior with the Blue Devils before getting picked 41st overall in the 2000 NBA Draft. He never played in the NBA, but played from 2000-07 overseas.

After his playing career he returned to Duke for four years in various roles and then spent three years as an NBA Development League assistant for the Springfield Armor.

“What an amazing opportunity,” Carrawell said in the release. “I never imagined I’d have another chance to work for Coach K, who is the best coach of all-time and like a father figure to me. I am thrilled to be a part of this world-class university and basketball program again, and look forward to working with our staff, the administration, and most importantly, the student-athletes who we have the opportunity to coach, lead and mentor every day. I cannot wait to get back to Durham and get to work.”

This story was updated at 2:20 p.m. Friday to include official announcement from the program along with Krzyzewski and Carrawell's statements.

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