Jon Scheyer reveals what his job would be if he wasn't coaching basketball

Jon Scheyer is entering his third season as the Duke head coach and everyone in Durham is thankful to have him at the helm. The 2024-2025 season is setting up to be his best one yet, with a lot of high expectations surrounding the program. True freshman Cooper Flagg carries a lot of them after what was a busy offseason of roster building for Scheyer.

In a theoretical world, what if Scheyer was not the Duke head coach? Or even working as a coach in college basketball?

ESPN’s Jay Bilas wondered exactly that, asking Scheyer what his job would be instead. Scheyer would still be around the younger generation but teaching them in the classroom instead.

“I think I would be a high school history teacher,” Scheyer said. “I’ve always loved history, any kind of history.”

At one point in his life, Scheyer did expect to be a high school teacher. The goal was to have a long NBA career after his time at Duke. Unfortunately, Scheyer was undrafted after four seasons with the Blue Devils and never made an NBA roster. There was some time spent overseas but his playing tenure ended in 2013.

“I thought I was going to be playing in the NBA until I was 38,” Scheyer said. “Retire and just teach and coach at a high school. That age, college age — it’s always something I’ve been passionate about.”

Scheyer was then asked the job he would like to work the least, saying there were “a lot” of options. Eventually, he piggybacked an answer Bilas gave — working in a hospital. Despite Scheyer’s wife working at one in the past, he seems content with being a basketball coach or history teacher.

Maybe the opportunity to be a history teacher will be there down the road. For now, Scheyer is worried about delivering another national championship while at Duke. Taking over for Coach K is no easy task, especially after being on his staff for many years.

On3’s James Fletcher ranks Duke as the No. 5 team in his way-too-early top 25 rankings, the highest in the ACC.

“The No. 1 recruiting class belongs to Duke and Jon Scheyer,” Fletcher said. “Top-ranked recruit Cooper Flagg is joined by a talented group on the way in, plus a clear transfer portal plan to build out with veterans and potential wing options. Rice transfer Cameron Sheffield is the latest depth piece.”