Duke head coach Kerstin Kimel was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer last month and underwent surgery, Duke Athletics announced via press release Thursday evening.
According to the release, Kimel is now in the treatment stage of her recovery and her prognosis is good. The five-time ACC Coach of the Year is expected to continue guiding the Blue Devils.
Duke knocked off Elon in its season opener 17-8 Feb. 7 and will host Richmond Friday and Navy Sunday in its first two home contests of the season. The Blue Devils are currently ranked eighth in the country.
A statement from Kimel was included in the press release:
“First, I am extremely blessed to have an amazing group of doctors and medical staff here at Duke. I don’t think I could ever thank them enough for their efforts through this process. Second, I am grateful for the outstanding support from our administration, my assistant coaches, co-workers, alumni and Duke Lacrosse families. Most importantly, the young women in our program have handled this sensitive situation just as I had hoped—with class and integrity—and I am so appreciative and proud of each and every one of them. This group has worked incredibly hard this year, both on and off the field, in preparation to be the best team we can be, and compete for the ACC and NCAA Championships. I look forward to continuing that journey with them this season. Jack, our children, our extended family members and I are so fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful, caring people in the Duke University community. We are thankful for and truly appreciate all of the support.”
The program asked that media respect the privacy of Kimel and her players moving forward.
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