Days after staff shakeup, Duke’s Jon Scheyer poaches coach from ACC rival

Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils moved quickly to fill the void left by the retiring strength coach Will Stephens. The Blue Devils hired Preston Greene as their new Director of Sports Performance on Wednesday, poaching him from ACC rival Clemson.

The Blue Devils announced the news on X, posting Greene's achievements. Greene, who graduated from Clemson in 1999, worked as the Florida Gators' strength and conditioning coach from 2009 to 2022 before returning to his alma mater in 2023 to serve as the Tigers' director of strength and conditioning.

Greene released a statement, thanking Scheyer for allowing him to work with the Blue Devils.

"I'm truly grateful to Coach Scheyer for the opportunity to join the Duke men's basketball family,” Greene said. “It's an incredible honor to be part of a program that not only competes for national championships, but also holds itself to the highest standards in everything it does."

"Duke represents a rare combination of excellence, tradition and integrity — qualities I deeply value. This is a dream opportunity, and I'm excited to bring my experience to help support the continued growth and success of the program."

Jon Scheyer also released a statement, welcoming Preston Greene to the team.

“Preston is a transformational addition to our program,” Scheyer said. “His reputation speaks for itself — elite experience, an incredible track record of success and a deep understanding of how to develop athletes both physically and mentally."

"Our team will benefit tremendously from his leadership, knowledge and presence.”

Jon Scheyer bids farewell to longtime Duke strength coach Will Stephens

An opening emerged in Duke's coaching staff after the Blue Devils announced Will Stephens' retirement on Saturday. He worked at Duke for 27 seasons, serving under legend Mike Krzyzewski and current coach Jon Scheyer.

Duke Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer during a practice session for the Final Four. Photo: Imagn

Stephens played a crucial role as Duke's Executive Director of Sports Performance, helping the Blue Devils reach the Final Four seven times and win the NCAA title three times. During his tenure, Duke sent 55 of its players to the NBA, 39 of whom got selected in the draft.

Scheyer paid tribute to Stephens on the Blue Devils' Instagram page, saying:

"He's impacted their program in more ways than you'd ever know unless you're on the inside every single day."

Scheyer added that Stephens has been,

"An example of consistency and hard work."