Coach K's predecessor accepted another job before coaching Duke in the NCAA tournament. Could we see that again?
Matt Brown
March 31, 2022
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It's March 3, 1980, three days before the start of the 1980 NCAA Tournament. Former Duke coach Bill Foster has just been introduced as the head coach of the University of South Carolina. In six seasons at Duke, Foster led the Blue Devils to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, including a national runner-up finish in 1978, which was followed by two seasons in which they spent considerable time ranked No. 1 in the AP poll.
After South Carolina hired Foster, South Carolina guard Derrick Scott told reporters, "He made Duke basketball what it is today."
There's some truth to that. That three-year stretch, combined with the program's three Final Four appearances in the 1960s, would soon create some pressure for Foster's successor, some guy named Mike Krzyzewski, who went just 38-47 in his first three seasons in Durham.
Here's the thing about South Carolina hiring Foster, though. Duke's season wasn't over yet when he stood at a podium that Monday in Columbia, South Carolina.
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