Nolan Smith is already leaving his mark as a full-time assistant coach
Mike Krzyzewski chooses his words carefully. He also rarely leaves any question as to how he feels about a particular topic.
So when he released a statement in April about elevating Nolan Smith to a full-time assistant, one five word sentence summed up his feelings for the youngest member of the Duke bench staff.
“Nolan is a rising star.”
Simple and straight to the point. Some questioned the bold statement. Others nodded with complete understanding of it.
Many want to take a wait and see approach. After all, Smith has not had a chance to prove himself as a coach yet. At least not in a public manner. Krzyzewski and other Duke staffers, however, have seen him at work. They have seen the work he puts in. How he interacts and connects with players.
The sum of all that leads to the assertion: “Nolan is a rising star.”
There is no doubt Smith has the personality, the knowledge and tools to fulfill that expectation. And not many people have a better understanding of that than his former teammate, close friend, fellow assistant coach, and future head coach Jon Scheyer.
“He has natural instincts for the game,” Scheyer said. “The fact he was a great player recently, he’s able to relate to our guys in a much different way. He’s been terrific and he adds a lot of value to our program.”
To be sure, Smith was already adding value to the program. Scheyer and the rest of the staff certainly do not gloss over that fact. After all, he was promoted based on that value.
“He tells you what needs to be said in a moment. I think that’s the mark of a really good coach. He’s not afraid to coach guys hard. Not afraid to get after them, and not afraid to celebrate with them when they do something really well.” - Jon Scheyer on Nolan Smith
What is already shining through after five short months, however, is Smith’s importance on the court, and his increased ability to interact with players.
“Nolan has always been super involved with us,” senior Joey Baker said. “Just talking about the game, helping us out. But having him on the court - he has a lot more time on the court with us - he’s able to show us different things. He’s such a competitor and that carries over to us.
“I’ve loved having Nolan around. He’s such a good energy. He’s such a good guy. He knows his basketball. He had an incredible career here, so having someone like that to mentor us and guide us and help us along this season - it’s incredible. We love Nolan.”
The connection Baker describes appears to be universal throughout the team. To a man, the players lit up when asked about Smith. They all echoed those same sentiments.
It was like a wave of sincere, simple and unfiltered appreciation for who Smith is as a person.
“He’s really phenomenal,” Wendell Moore said. “He’s like a big brother to me. We’re always in the gym everyday just getting better. So having him around has been great.”
“He’s from my hometown, so it’s huge for me,” Jeremy Roach added. “He gives me a lot of confidence. He’s been huge for us, and I’m excited to have him coaching us.”
Freshman Trevor Keels also chimed in: “He’s probably one of the main reasons I came here, just knowing I can learn a lot from him as a guard. I’m just happy he’s on the staff.”
His status as a rising star is not just about how he connects with players, though. Smith finally has the opportunity to be hands on with the players, and work directly with them on the court.
Smith’s addition in that regard is already paying dividends according to the players. But make no mistake about it, that personal connection he has built with players does not prevent him from being open and honest, or demanding and intense. In fact, it affords him a level of respect that yields results.
“I think he’s just a guy that - he keeps it real,” Scheyer said. “He tells you what needs to be said in a moment. I think that’s the mark of a really good coach. He’s not afraid to coach guys hard. Not afraid to get after them, and not afraid to celebrate with them when they do something really well.”
Keels was quick to verify Scheyer’s comments.
“He’s going to get on us,” he said. “He’s not going to just look at us like he’s only a couple years older than us. He’s still going to get on us. But our bond on the court is great. Any questions we’ve got for him he’ll answer.”
“We love Nolan.” - Joey Baker
Baker, who has been around Smith longer than any other current player, says it’s all about balance. Though he was a young kid when Smith played for Duke, he has a strong grasp of who he was as a player.
And as far as Baker can tell, there’s nothing different about how he approaches his role as an assistant.
“He’s intense. He’s fiery. But he also has fun with it. So there’s a perfect balance of that. When it’s time to work and get serious, then there’s no games or messing around. We’re full throttle, we’re going after it. But there is fun involved with it. It’s what we love to do, so having that balance has been incredible. He’s been amazing.”
For Smith, the biggest change is “mostly from a teaching standpoint” and being on the court and more hands on.
What has not changed, though, is where his fulfillment comes from and what drives him on a day-to-day basis.
“That I get to work with these guys and make sure they are going after their dream every single day, that’s the most fulfilling part for me.”
Glad you all enjoyed it, and appreciate the comments. The great thing about all of this, is I didn't even talk about his impact on recruiting. Some of you mentioned it ... but all of the characteristics that will make him a great coach are the same ones that make him an exceptional recruiter!
Brian McLawhorn is a fantastic writer. I wanna be able to write like him when I grow up.