Duke’s Scheyer Wins 2025 John McLendon Coach of the Year Award

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Duke men’s basketball head coach Jon Scheyer has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 John McLendon National Coach of the Year award. The prestigious honor, awarded annually to the top head coach across all levels of college basketball, recognizes Scheyer’s exceptional performance during the 2024-2025 season.

In his third season as head coach, Scheyer led the Blue Devils to a remarkable 35-3 record, marking the 18th appearance in the Final Four in the program’s history. This tournament run follows a noteworthy season where Duke entered the NCAA Tournament with at least 31 victories for the first time since the 1998-99 season.

The Blue Devils achieved a milestone by sweeping both the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season and tournament titles for the first time since 2006. Their dominant performance earned them a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, establishing Duke as the top-ranked team in the nation.

“Following in the footsteps of greatness can be overwhelming for many, but Jon has quickly proven to be up to the task,” said Angela Lento, Vice President of CollegeInsider.com. “He has combined his toughness, which made him one of the great players to ever come out of Chicago, with a down-to-earth personable approach to make him one of the best coaches in college basketball. Jon is the genuine article.”

Scheyer became the first coach in ACC history to win two tournament championships within his initial three seasons. He has accumulated 89 victories during this period, surpassing the previous record set by Bill Guthridge at North Carolina, who had 80 wins from 1997 to 2000. With one more victory, Scheyer could claim the record for the most wins by any coach in their first three seasons in Division I history.

The 2025 tournament title comes on the heels of an outstanding ACC regular season for the Blue Devils, who finished at 19-1 with an impressive average margin of victory of 21.7 points per game. This accomplishment is particularly significant, as Duke last achieved a sweep of the regular season and conference tournament championships in 2006. The double has only been accomplished in the ACC ten times since 1990, with Duke claiming five of those instances.

Before taking the helm as the head coach, Scheyer was part of Mike Krzyzewski‘s coaching staff starting in the 2013-14 season, serving as a special assistant, assistant coach, and most recently as associate head coach. During his tenure as a player, Scheyer set records, becoming the only player in Duke’s history to score over 2,000 points while also securing 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 three-point field goals, and 200 steals. He averaged 14.4 points per game, consistently contributing to the Blue Devils’ success.

The John McLendon Award is named in honor of a pioneering figure in basketball coaching. McLendon was the first African American coach to win an integrated national championship, claiming the NAIA Division I Men’s Tournament title in 1957, 1958, and 1959. His legacy includes several groundbreaking achievements, such as being the first African American head coach in a major professional league with the Cleveland Pipers in 1962 and leading the Denver Rockets in the ABA.

Coach McLendon passed away on October 8, 1999, at the age of 84. His contributions have left an indelible mark on the sport.

Fans can follow Duke men’s basketball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook by searching for ‘DukeMBB’ to stay updated on the team’s journey.