Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Countdown to Craziness on October 3, 2025 at 7 p.m.
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7 p.m.
Men's Basketball
vs Countdown to Craziness
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Men's Basketball
Smith, Nolan
Nolan Smith
- Title:
- Special Assistant
- Email:
- lahoward@duke.edu
- Phone:
- (919) 613-7500
Former Duke All-American Nolan Smith joined the Blue Devils’ men’s basketball staff in February 2016. He spent two seasons as the team’s special assistant before his promotion to director of basketball operations & player development in March 2018. Smith was promoted again in April 2021 to assistant coach.
"The game of basketball has been a blessing in my life, and so has Coach K and Duke University," said Smith following his promotion to assistant coach. "Duke Basketball has meant the world to my family and me and I'm honored and humbled to be named an assistant coach. So many coaches, including Coach K, have meant so much to me and made such a positive impact on my life. I can't wait to help teach and develop the young Brotherhood stars and hopefully have a similar impact on them. I look forward to working with and learning from the great staff that we have at Duke with Jon (Scheyer) and Chris (Carrawell) and I can't wait to get started."
In his first season on the coaching staff, Smith helped the Blue Devils claim the ACC regular season title outright with a 16-4 mark in conference play. After advancing to the championship game of the ACC Tournament, Duke won four straight games in the NCAA Tournament to punch its ticket to the Final Four for the 17th time in program history.
A consensus first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year in 2011, Smith helped lead Duke to three consecutive ACC championships (2009-11) and the 2010 NCAA title during his tenure as a student-athlete.
He was a two-time All-ACC selection (2010-11) and was named ACC Tournament MVP as a senior in 2011. Smith led the ACC in scoring in his final season and his 764 points that year still rank as the ninth-best total in program history.
In helping propel Duke to its fourth national championship in 2010, Smith was named Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA South Regional in Houston and earned a place on the All-Final Four Team after the Blue Devils cut down the nets in Indianapolis.
The Upper Marlboro, Md., native currently ranks 17th on Duke’s career scoring chart, having amassed 1,911 points from 2008-11. He played in 121 victories in a Duke uniform to rank fifth in program history and sixth in ACC history, and his 143 games played are tied for the eighth-most in Duke annals. He served as a team captain as a senior in 2011.
During his tenure as a student-athlete, Duke went 65-2 (.970) at Cameron Indoor Stadium to set program records for both home wins and winning percentage in a four-year period.
Smith won an international gold medal with the U.S. at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, averaging 9.0 points and 3.5 assists per game.
Following his graduation, Smith was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 21st overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
In the summer of 2016, Smith was named the North Carolina state ambassador for Teen Cancer America. TCA is an organization designed to help bridge the gap between pediatric and adult oncology care. Smith serves as an ambassador alongside celebrities such as The Band Perry, Eddie Vedder and Joan Jett for the organization that was founded by rock icons Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who.
In addition to his work with TCA, Smith continues to use his platform in basketball for the benefit of others. Active for quite some time in the Durham community in raising awareness of social justice issues, Smith was named a George H.W. Bush Points of Light Inspiration honoree in the summer of 2020. He was also recognized as the Tar Heel of Month in October 2020 by the Raleigh News & Observer, awarded to a citizen that has made significant contributions to North Carolina and the region.
In July 2018, Smith was one of 11 from Division I basketball named to the Teamworks Basketball Leadership Committee. The committee, comprised of the most forward-thinking Teamworks’ partners from around the country, will converge to help shape the future of athlete engagement and drive the development of best practices throughout the athletics industry.
Smith and his wife Cheyna have a young daughter, Camryn, and a young son, Derek.
(updated 3/27/2022)
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