Stanford hires Dawkins

Apr 27, 2008 - 1:20 AM PALO ALTO, California (Ticker) -- Stanford named Duke associate coach Johnny Dawkins as its new coach on Saturday.

Dawkins replaces Trent Johnson, who bolted for Louisiana State after guiding the Cardinal to the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament this past season.

One of the most decorated players in Duke basketball history, Dawkins served under coach Mike Krzyzewski at his alma mater for the past 11 seasons. He is also in charge of player development for the United States Olympic team, which is also coached by Krzyzewski.

"We are thrilled to welcome Johnny and his family to Stanford," director of athletics Bob Bowlsby said in a statement. "His credentials as a player, combined with his coaching experience gained mentoring under a Hall of Fame coach at a university such as Duke, made him a perfect fit for Stanford.

"The philosophies of the two programs both on the court and in the classroom are very similar. I am confident Johnny's leadership skills, coaching ability and commitment to attract top-flight student-athletes will be a driving force in continuing Stanford's tradition of basketball excellence."

During Dawkins' 11 years as a coach at Duke, the Blue Devils won one national championship in 2001, six Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championships and seven conference tournament titles.

"In my 28 years at Duke, no one did more to build our program as a player, coach or a person than Johnny Dawkins," Krzyzewski said in a statement. "He is as responsible as anyone for the success we've had for more than two decades. Johnny is certainly ready to become a head coach at a high level, and that is exactly the opportunity he's been presented.

"He will identify completely with what Stanford does - both in the classroom and on the court - and will maintain its strong basketball tradition. This is a great fit for both Stanford and Johnny."

At Stanford, Dawkins will inherit a team that will lose twin brothers Brook and Robin Lopez, who both declared for the NBA draft. The Cardinal does have experience on their roster with key returnees Mitch Johnson, Lawrence Hill and Anthony Goods.