New head coach Joanne P. McCallie may be the most noticeable fresh face on the Blue Devils' bench, but she is not the only one. The former Michigan State coach brought assistants Al Brown and Samantha Williams with her from East Lansing.
And although Brown and Williams may be new to Duke, they are far from new to the game.
Brown, who has been coaching for 40 years, boasts something that very few coaches can: success in both the men's and women's games. In his tenure in coaching women, Brown was a part of three NCAA championship teams with Tennessee, in addition to four runners-up and eight Final Four finishers. On the men's side, Brown led Ball State to its first two NCAA tournament appearances, once as an assistant and again as head coach in 1986. He also served as a men's assistant coach for Purdue, Western Michigan, Minnesota and Tennessee.
McCallie said Brown's experience with both levels is essential to the diversity and strength of her staff.
"That was definitely part of the equation," McCallie said of Brown's range of experience. "And being a part of national championship teams is incredibly important."
The veteran assistant works on a one-on-basis with several of the Blue Devils, breaking down film and instructing them in fundamentals.
With McCallie's renewed focus on the details of the game, the players feel as if they have a lot to learn from the man who has seen the ins-and-outs of basketball for as many years as their parents are old.
"I've never talked with someone who understands the X's and O's as well as he does," junior Abby Waner said. "Just things you've never thought about that he watches over and over. He knows the exact footwork or the exact timing. I'm looking forward to picking his brain."
Despite his success at powerhouses like Tennessee, Brown said he is excited about the talent level on the current Duke squad, noting that Blue Devil post players are in a different league than those he worked with on the Spartans.
Given the ability of the Duke players, Brown has high expectations.
"I want us to win the ACC title, go on and take the [conference] tournament title and battle our way to earn the NCAA Championship," Brown said. "And with this talented group, I think we can get there."
Although Williams may appear novice in comparison to her coaching counterpart, her résumé is nothing to scoff at. Before accepting McCallie's offer to join the Michigan State staff in April, Williams was an assistant for a DePaul squad that reached the program's first Sweet Sixteen in 2006.
A former Auburn guard, Williams set the Tigers' record for three-point field goals with 161. At Duke, the coach will stay in her comfort zone, working specifically with the Blue Devil guards to improve the quality of perimeter play.
"It's nice to have someone who can relate to you," Waner said. "She's already started working on my jump shot, and I can already see the improvement."
In light of all the coaching changes, the shooting guard also emphasized the importance of maintaining a sense of continuity. Assistant coach Shannon Perry, who worked under former head coach Gail Goestenkors for three seasons, chose to remain at Duke after the coaching change.
Both Perry and Williams work predominately in recruiting and had a large hand in piecing together the class of 2008. Brown focuses more on scouting, reviewing tape to find opponents' weaknesses and ways to exploit them.
For the players, adjusting to new coaching styles is just the beginning.
"There's a new feeling and it all starts from the top down," Waner said. "We have such great people here, and we've already bonded a lot. We have a long way to go on the court, but it's nice to have that foundation of getting along off the court as well."
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