Mike Krzyzewski to Miss Duke's Game at Florida State

Coach K didn't make the trip after he was exposed to someone with COVID-19

Duke already knew it would be facing Florida State on Saturday night without leading freshman Jalen Johnson, who is still recovering from a foot injury and not yet practicing with the team. On Friday, the Blue Devils found out they’d also be without their head coach.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will miss the Duke-Florida State men’s basketball game Saturday night to observe standard quarantine protocol after being exposed to an individual not in the travel party who tested positive for COVID-19. Krzyzewski did not travel with the team, which arrived in Tallahassee Friday evening.

Krzyzewski spoke out earlier this season, questioning whether the NCAA should continue playing as COVID cases increased around the country, earning criticism on social media and from some fellow coaches for making the comments.

Duke associate head coach Jon Scheyer will serve as acting head coach for Saturday’s game.

This will be the first game Krzyzewski has missed since the 2017-18 season, when Jeff Capel filled in for a win at Wake Forest when Coach K was suffering from an illness. It’s the 10th he’s missed since back problems forced him to miss most of the 1994-95 season. Capel also served as interim coach for seven games the previous year when Krzyzewski had back surgery. Illness forced Krzyzewski to miss a game against Georgia Tech in the 2015-16 season.

Johnson is out indefinitely with a foot injury, and sophomore Wendell Moore Jr. said Thursday that he was not yet back at practice for the Blue Devils.

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