The trend of former Duke guards making the jump to coaching continued Friday afternoon.
Former assistant coach and current Marquette head coach Steve Wojciechowski announced via Twitter that former Duke point guard Tyler Thornton will join the Golden Eagles staff for the coming year.
The job will be Thornton's first foray into the field of coaching. He will join the staff as a graduate manager, as he will enter Marquette's graduate school for a two-year program to earn his Master's in Communications.
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski has gone on record backing Thornton's future in coaching, making some think he would be on the list to replace Wojciechowski at Duke.
But Wojciechowski beat his former head coach and mentor to the punch, making the move to hire the former feisty point guard—much like himself—within his first month on the job.
"It was probably a month or so after he got the job and a week or so before graduation we got in contact and he asked me if I'd be interested in the position," Thornton said. "I flew up there the day after graduation and met with him. Since that day, we've been making the proper steps necessary so I could be part of the staff."
Thornton had previously expressed an interest in playing professionally. But when the offer from Wojciechowski came in, Thornton didn't hesitate.
"At that point, I hadn't got in contact with any agents," he said. "My main focus was trying to finish up school. The opportunity definitely overrode the opportunity for me to go play somewhere for a couple years. I felt like I couldn't pass up on this chance."
Marquette's staff also includes former Blue Devil Chris Carrawell, who coached Thornton in his freshman campaign before departing to be an assistant coach for the then-New Jersey Nets' D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor. He has since joined the Golden Eagles' staff as an assistant coach. Thornton pointed to the relationship with the two as part of the reason the job was such an easy one to accept.
"I had a great relationship with Coach Wojo," Thornton said. "He was the main recruiter for me when I was coming out of high school. Also, Coach Carawell, I have a really good relationship with him. He was on the staff my freshman year before he left and was coaching in the NBA and D-League."
The position will be the first step towards Thornton's dream of one day making the jump to being a head coach. With his path already mimicking that of Wojciechowski's, it would seem as though he has set himself up in the best possible position.
"It's a great opportunity, a great basketball program to be a part of," Thornton said. "And for my career, moving forward I want to become a coach, so this is my first step in that direction... At this point, [I'm] taking it day-by-day, soaking as much up as I can each day. When I get to that point, I know that Wojo will help me with those steps after that."
Throughout his four years at Duke, the Silver Spring, Md. native started 53 games. In his senior campaign, he averaged 3.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in addition to be one of team captains. Although never the focal point of the offense, Thornton was a fan-favorite for his hustle and hardwork on the floor.
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