Good News: Duke basketball adds popular former player as assistant coach to complete staff

Duke Basketball Brings Back Former Player Tyler Thornton as Assistant Coach

Duke basketball is welcoming back a familiar face, as former Blue Devil Tyler Thornton is joining head coach Jon Scheyer’s staff as an assistant coach for the upcoming season.

Under Mike Krzyzewski, Duke’s coaching staff typically stayed within the program’s famed “Brotherhood,” often hiring former players. However, Jon Scheyer has taken a different approach since becoming head coach, expanding his staff by adding coaches from outside the Duke circle. In recent years, Scheyer hired Emanuel Dildy, Jai Lucas, and Evan Bradds — all of whom had no previous ties to Duke. Now, Scheyer is balancing things out by bringing in a former player to round out his bench.

Thornton will take over the assistant coaching role vacated by Jai Lucas, who left after the end of the regular season to become the head coach at the University of Miami. News of Thornton’s addition was first reported by the Duke Basketball Roundup Podcast.

With this move, Thornton becomes the fifth former Blue Devil player that Scheyer has brought onto his staff. He joins Amile Jefferson, Mike Schrage, Will Avery, and Justin Robinson as staff members with Duke roots. Of those, only Jefferson has since left the program — he accepted an assistant coaching role with the Boston Celtics.

Thornton played four seasons at Duke, beginning as a freshman in 2010 — just months after Scheyer finished his college career with a national championship. The Washington, D.C. native carved out a valuable role as a dependable bench contributor during his time in Durham. After college, he had a brief stint playing professionally overseas before turning to coaching.

Since 2019, Thornton has served as an assistant coach at Howard University, helping lead the program’s development over several seasons. His addition marks the second coaching hire of the offseason for Scheyer, following the earlier appointment of Evan Bradds, who joined Duke from the NBA’s Utah Jazz.

The Blue Devils are entering the upcoming season with high expectations and one of the most talented rosters in college basketball. The team is headlined by top recruit Cameron Boozer — son of Duke legend Carlos Boozer — and his twin brother Cayden Boozer, who also signed with the program.

In addition to the Boozer twins, Duke returns standout guard Caleb Foster and a promising sophomore trio that includes Isaiah Evans, Darren Harris, and Patrick Ngongba. With the staff now complete and a deep roster in place, Duke appears well-positioned for another strong run this season.