Will Mike Krzyzewski Pull a Tom Brady and Unretire?

Longtime Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski is leaving on a high note, as his team made it all the way to the Final Four this season before falling to North Carolina.

But, will Krzyzewski change his mind and go at it for one more season? One analyst thinks so. Read on for the scoop. Personally, I love Krzyzewski, and seeing him courtside brings back fond memories of his games against Tom Izzo when the Spartans became national champions in 2000. I truly believe Krzyzewski is a solid guy and one of the best college basketball coaches ever!

• Who thinks Coach K is coming back?

  Former Duke star Jay Williams, who scored an NCAA national championship with the team in 2001, says he thinks Krzyzewski could return to Duke to help solidify its 2022 recruiting class.

• Why the change of heart?

  The news comes after reports that Duke assistant coach Nolan Smith is leaving for Louisville. It’s possible that major change in the coaching staff could be enough to convince Coach K that the team needs him one more year.

• Former Duke star Jay Williams on Duke assistant coach Nolan Smith is leaving for Louisville and what it means for Coach K

  “It leaves a huge gap at Duke,” Williams said on ESPN’s “Keyshawn, JWill & Max Show.” “And the question is, who fills that void from a recruiting perspective? And it leads me to think, which I’ve been thinking a lot about since I heard this news (Monday), does Coach K come back for another season? One more final season.”

• What Williams meant to Duke

  Williams said Smith leaving might result in some recruits de-committing or going to other schools.

  “They were recruited and have close relationships with Nolan Smith. It’s like, if I recruit (NFL star Keyshawn Johnson), and I’m one of the main reasons he’s coming to my school, and now I’m leaving the school — even though the school has a great footprint — that creates a different dynamic between all these players,” Williams said.

  Williams added, “If you’re Dereck Lively II, who’s a top-three rated player in the class, if you’re Tarik Whitehead, who’s the No. 1-rated player in the class as a guard — do you want to come to a first-year head coach where the relatability you had with the assistant is no longer there?”

• That could bring Coach K back

  “If you’re Nolan Smith, and you have a great relationship with all these players, you’re in the (same) conference. You’re at Louisville. You’re picking up the phone and (recruiting the stars from Duke),” Williams said. “It turns into recruiting battles. It weakens the hold of Duke. If you’re Coach K, how do you strengthen that hold? You’re coming back.”

• Speculation

  Of course, this is all speculation. I will personally be surprised if Coach K comes back. He’s going out on top, and he seems solid in his choice to retire. I admit that I shed a tear when Duke lost during the Final Four. Just seeing Coach K in action brings back such good memories from watching Tom Izzo and the Spartans in ’99 and 2000.