
While Duke basketball is known for significant roster changes each offseason, this year the major shakeup has come within the coaching staff.
Since the regular season ended, the Blue Devils have lost two assistant coaches — Jai Lucas and Will Avery — along with director of sports performance Will Stephens, marking a notable shift behind the scenes.
Jon Scheyer faces a new kind of challenge this offseason, not just adjusting to the annual roster shifts but also integrating fresh faces into his coaching staff. With assistant coaches Jai Lucas and Will Avery departing, along with longtime strength coach Will Stephens, Scheyer has had to rebuild key parts of his staff.
To address the changes, he brought in Evan Bradds from the Utah Jazz as an assistant, added former Duke guard Tyler Thornton to replace Avery, and hired Preston Greene to take over the strength and conditioning program. This transition places added responsibility on returning staffers Chris Carrawell, Emanuel Dildy, and Justin Robinson to help maintain continuity and player development.
It’s the most turnover the coaching staff has seen since the 2023 offseason, when Amile Jefferson left and Avery, Dildy, and Robinson joined the program.

With top recruit Cayden Boozer arriving and key returners like Caleb Foster and Isaiah Evans back, establishing chemistry between the players and new staff will be critical. That bond will be tested early, as Duke faces a loaded non-conference schedule featuring games against Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Army, Texas Tech, and Michigan State.