At Countdown to Craziness, Duke’s preseason fan event held last Friday, Jon Scheyer shocked fans by bringing out a special, unannounced guest: Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who suited up for the Blue Devils during the 2016-17 season.
But more interesting than Tatum’s appearance was Scheyer’s subtle claim that the six-time NBA All-Star “will be helping us this year.”
Duke made that official on Tuesday, announcing it has named Tatum the program’s — and college basketball’s — first chief basketball officer. In the newly-created role, Tatum will “volunteer his time as a special advisor to Scheyer and the Duke program, bringing championship-level insight and professional basketball experience to player development, leadership, and life as an elite athlete,” the school said in a release.
“This program means so much to me, and I had an unbelievable time here. I already watch every game, come back whenever I can, and connect with Coach Scheyer often,” Tatum said in a statement. “To have the chance to formalize my relationship with the program and broaden my ability to impact the players and culture means the world to me. As former players, we all share the responsibility of supporting the next generation of Duke basketball.”
Tatum joining the Duke staff tracks with a larger trend in college basketball of high-profile alumni giving back to their schools. Trae Young and Steph Curry, for example, have been named the assistant general managers at Oklahoma and Davidson, respectively, and are involved in revenue generation and roster construction.
But according to Duke’s release, Tatum’s responsibilities will go even further. The four-time All-NBA selection will meet in person with Duke’s players to discuss their development and team culture, while also offering career advice and tips on building a personal brand. Furthermore, he will conduct regular virtual sessions with Duke’s staff throughout the season to offer feedback and advise Scheyer on offseason roster construction — through an NBA lens, of course.
Scheyer already counts several NBA head coaches among his inner circle, including Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, but Tatum’s feedback will be invaluable.
“This program has always been about pushing the game forward. Jayson has been incredibly loyal to Duke since the day he committed, and this evolution represents the next step in how we connect The Brotherhood to the future of our players,” Scheyer said in a statement. “Jayson is the ultimate professional. His ability to inspire, motivate, and guide our student-athletes is unmatched, and I could not be more excited to see the impact he will have on our team and our culture.”
During Tatum’s lone season in Durham, which led to him becoming the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. And while Tatum’s team failed to advance to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, being upset by South Carolina, he quickly emerged as one of the program’s foremost ambassadors at the next level.
Tatum’s strong relationship with Scheyer — who served as an assistant coach to Mike Krzyzewski on that 2016-17 team — has been highlighted even more since Scheyer became Duke’s head coach in the spring of 2022. Tatum has frequently returned to campus, including during Scheyer’s first offseason, to work out individually and meet with Duke’s players. His appearance at Countdown to Craziness was more than just teasing his new role, too; it certainly didn’t hurt Duke’s recruiting efforts over the weekend, with the Blue Devils hosting the No. 2 player in the 2026 class, Jordan Smith.
Now, while Tatum continues recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered in May during the NBA playoffs, his influence on the program will be even more pronounced. Tatum is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 NBA season while rehabilitating his injury, and it’s unclear how his role at Duke will change when he returns to the Celtics full-time.
