Per Duke Sports Information:
DURHAM, N.C. — Duke University men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski announced the hiring of former Blue Devil Chris Carrawell as an assistant coach. Earlier this week, Krzyzewski promoted Nate James and Jon Scheyer to associate head coaches after Jeff Capel was named the head coach at Pittsburgh.
To complete his restructured staff, Coach K has also announced that Nolan Smith has been promoted to Director of Basketball Operations, while David Bradley has been named Creative Director for the program.
Carrawell returns to Durham after a four-year stint as an assistant coach at Marquette University under his Duke teammate Steve Wojciechowski. The 2000 ACC Player of the Year and a first team All-America selection, Carrawell played for the Blue Devils from 1996 to 2000. He was a senior captain.
“We are ecstatic, and honored, to have Chris return to Duke Basketball,” said Krzyzewski. “Chris is an excellent coach who understands what it takes to compete and win at the highest level. He will be an outstanding role model for our current and future players. We are excited that Chris has chosen to become a part of our coaching staff.”
As a player at Duke, Carrawell was a two-time All-ACC selection. He is tied for 32nd on the all-time scoring list at Duke with 1,455 career points and also ranks 15th in school history with 0.8 blocks per game and tied for eighth with 116 overall wins. Duke dominated the ACC during Carrawell’s career, as his 66 conference victories are the second-most by a Blue Devil.
“What an amazing opportunity,” said Carrawell. “I never imagined I’d have another chance to work for Coach K, who is the best coach of all-time and like a father figure to me. I am thrilled to be a part of this world-class university and basketball program again, and look forward to working with our staff, the administration, and most importantly, the student-athletes who we have the opportunity to coach, lead and mentor every day. I cannot wait to get back to Durham and get to work.”
With Carrawell on the squad, Duke won a pair of ACC Tournament titles and reached the 1999 Final Four by tying a school record for wins (37-2).
The native of St. Louis, Mo., Carrawell arrived at Marquette after serving three years as an assistant coach with the Springfield Armor, an affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, of the NBA Development League. He worked under Bob MacKinnon the first two seasons before Doug Overton took over the squad in 2013-14.
Prior to working with the Armor, Carrawell served in a variety of roles at his alma mater. He was the Assistant Video Coordinator/Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach in 2010-11 and Graduate Assistant/Head Team Manager from 2008-10, after being hired in 2007-08 as the Duke Athletics Outreach Coordinator. He also briefly worked with the Duke women’s basketball team before his departure to pro coaching.
A second round draft pick by the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, Carrawell played overseas after graduating from Duke. He last played in Holland in 2007 where his team finished second after losing in the championship finals.
Carrawell is married to his wife Keisha and is the father of two boys, Caleb and Christian.
Smith, who completed his third season on Duke’s staff, has been promoted to Director of Basketball Operations. A consensus first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year in 2011 for the Blue Devils, Smith will work in conjunction with the coaching and support staff to ensure that all team-related needs are met. He will oversee the student manager program, while implementing and creating the daily basketball calendar, and practice schedule. Among a wide-range of duties, he will coordinate all meals and food for the basketball program, while assisting with team travel.
Bradley has been involved with Duke’s branding and recruiting efforts for more than 15 years, helping Duke Basketball become the most-followed program in college athletics. With Bradley in this newly-created position, the Blue Devils will continue to remain at the forefront of social media strategy, recruiting, messaging, branding and former player involvement. Bradley graduated from Duke in 2004 with a Sociology degree and worked for Duke Basketball his entire career, including three years as an undergraduate.
