At the school known far and wide for “Coach K,” another “Coach K” is joining the ranks in Durham.
OFFICIAL.
Welcome to Duke, Kara Lawson! pic.twitter.com/0IIV5WprPD
— Duke Women’s Basketball (@DukeWBB) July 11, 2020
Following a stint under Brad Stevens as assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, Kara Lawson will travel south on I-95 (and a bit west on I-40) and take the reins as head coach at the women’s basketball program at Duke.
She is the first Black head coach in the program’s history and takes over for Joanne P. McCallie who announced she would not return for a 13th season at the helm for Duke.
Lawson is a former 2005 WNBA champion with the Sacramento Monarchs and also has done television work – including as an analyst for ESPN as well as Washington Wizards games for NBC Sports Washington.
This is a dream come true for me. I’ve wanted to be a coach since I was a kid. I took a circuitous route, but I’m here now. I’m so excited about the opportunity to shape young women, grow their games and their personalities throughout their collegiate career. When I look at Duke University, I see how special of a place it is.
–Kara Lawson, Duke women’s basketball coach
I couldn’t be walking into any situation better as a first-time head coach with those two men (Mike Krzyzewski and David Cutcliffe) as mentors and I’m really looking forward to learning from them and enjoying being part of the Duke Athletics department.
–Kara Lawson, Duke women’s basketball coach
