With the departure of Chris Collins to take the head coaching job at Northwestern, the Duke Blue Devils will promote Nate James to assistant coach on the Duke staff, head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced in a statement. One of two formal statements that Chicago media have spent all day waiting to arrive in their inboxes.
“This will be a seamless transition for the Duke Basketball program,” Coach K is quoted. “Having served in an assistant coaching role previously, Nate is the perfect choice for this position. He has been a valuable member of our program since his playing days and he has certainly earned this opportunity.”
James has been with the Duke Blue Devils basketball staff for six seasons, serving as an asst strength and conditioning coach during the 2007-08 season and an assistant coach from 2008-11. Collins will coach Duke till the end of the 2012-13 postseason. Which might come Friday versus Michigan State (game preview here)
A two-time team captain with the Duke Blue Devils from 1996-2001, James helped lead the Duke Blue Devils to the 2001 NCAA Championship. During his first stint as an assistant coach with the Duke Blue Devils they won the 2010 NCAA Championship knocking off Butler at the buzzer in Indianapolis.
Paul M. Banks is founder of The Sports Bank.net. He also contributes regularly to MSN, Fox Sports , Chicago Now, Walter Football.com and Yardbarker Also An author, Banks has appeared on the History Channel, as well as Clear Channel, ESPN and CBS radio all over the world. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@PaulMBanks)