In the wake of East Region No. 1 seed Duke’s 73-72 loss to No. 2 seed UConn on a late 3-pointer from Braylon Mullins, there were a number of voices wondering about Duke head coach Jon Scheyer’s future.
The Blue Devils led the Huskies by 19 points at one time, only to see the lead slip away. Last season, in the Final Four, Duke led Houston by 14 points before losing. It was a sense of déjà vu all over again for the Blue Devils.
Will Duke Head Coach Jon Scheyer Be Fired After NCAA Tournament Loss?
Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, wondered in a post on X if it was time for the Blue Devils to give Scheyer his pink slip.
Is it too early to say you got to fire Jon Scheyer? 2 years in a row!!! Worst collapses in the history of the sport! Duke is filled with losers now! Choke artists! Guys who can’t win! Loserville! Bums! Choke Artists! SOFT!
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) March 29, 2026
Portnoy posted on X, “Is it too early to say you got to fire Jon Scheyer? 2 years in a row!!! Worst collapses in the history of the sport! Duke is filled with losers now! Choke artists! Guys who can’t win! Loserville! Bums! Choke Artists! SOFT!”
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John, who has a profile on X with the words “chop wood carry water” on it, thinks it might be time to look for another head coach at Duke. He even mentions what happened to former North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis in his comments.
Hubert Davis got fired by unc for blowing a 19 pt lead during March madness this year It might be time for Duke to fire Jon scheyer for the 19 pt blown lead today
— John (@iam_johnw) March 29, 2026
Grant Hughes, who works on the National News Desk for 247Sports, offered some historical perspective on Duke’s time in the NCAA Men’s Tournament.
Hughes posted on X, “It’s now been 11 years since #Duke has played in a championship game. Implosion. The Devils have signed 36 five-stars in that span, more than any program. Wild to think a Duke freshman was in 2nd grade last time Duke played for a title.”
It’s now been 11 years since #Duke has played in a championship game. Implosion. The Devils have signed 36 five-stars in that span, more than any program. Wild to think a Duke freshman was in 2nd grade last time Duke played for a title.
— Grant Hughes (@GrantHughesNC) March 29, 2026
Dan Dakich, who hosts a sports talk show on OutKick, also had some words about Scheyer after watching Duke lose on Sunday. Dakich posted on X, “Scheyer blows 19 point lead … Scheyer lied about staff member ‘punched’ at UNC … Scheyer fired Hubert Davis style?”
Scheyer blows 19 point lead Scheyer lied about staff member “punched” at UNC Scheyer fired Hubert Davis style?
— Dan Dakich (@dandakich) March 29, 2026
Matt Fortuna, who writes for The Inside Zone, is another person who put what Scheyer has done at Duke in comparison to what Davis did at North Carolina. Fortuna posted these comments on X: “My hot take that’s not really a hot take: Jon Scheyer has underachieved more at Duke than Hubert Davis did at North Carolina.”
Dan Wolken, senior writer at Yahoo Sports who covers college sports, reflected on what Duke has been unable to accomplish in the past two NCAA Men’s Tournaments. Wolken wrote and posted on X, “I’m sure Jon Scheyer is eventually going to win a championship at Duke but the last two season-ending meltdowns are about as bad as it gets.”
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Anthony Dabbundo, who is a writer and podcaster for The Ringer, wasn’t a fan of how Scheyer handled the game for Duke on Sunday. Dabbundo posted on X, “Jon Scheyer is a graduate of the Hubert Davis school of game management.”
Jon Scheyer is a graduate of the Hubert Davis school of game management
— Anthony Dabbundo (@AnthonyDabbundo) March 29, 2026
Great Day Tar Heel’s account on X put together quite a list of Duke players who have not been able to bring a national championship to the school in recent years.
Duke has ZERO NCAA Titles (or Title game appearances) since 2015-16 despite having: Brandon Ingram Luke Kennard Jayson Tatum Frank Jackson Marvin Bagley III Gary Trent Jr. Trevon Duval Wendell Carter Jr. Zion Williamson RJ Barrett Cam Reddish Tre Jones Vernon Carey Jr. Jalen…
— Great Day Tar Heel (@GreatDayTarHeel) March 29, 2026
Now, the college basketball and sports world will keep their eyes on what might happen to Scheyer at Duke. Whatever happens, though, the Blue Devils will have to think about this tough loss in the offseason.
