The Future of the Duke-UNC rivalry?

Wojo vs. Wes

The future of the Duke-UNC rivalry?

 

I’ve been asking myself and others the question for years, who are the next coaches of the Duke and Carolina men’s basketball teams going to be?  From my point of view, the answer could finally be taking shape.  Steve Wojciechowski and Wes Miller.  Wojo vs. Wes.  Has a good ring to it, doesn’t it?

Both are currently proving their worthiness.  Wojo has had his Marquette team ranked top 10 in the country this season, and Wes’s UNCG team is having another good season after nearly upsetting Gonzaga in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament.  These two young coaches are the only ones who look even remotely prepared to take on such a huge coaching opportunity, and while I’m not saying either one will go on to be legendary, I am saying this is the first possibility I can truly picture taking over for the Mike Krzyzewski vs. Roy Williams rivalry.

What Wes Miller has done at UNCG in such a short time is really impressive.  Making the tournament, nearly beating Gonzaga, becoming the all-time winningest coach there, and even more than that, just the way his team plays.  They play extremely hard, tough, and with an edge that mirrors the competitive intensity of their coach.  Because of this mentality they’re able to be competitive against far more talented teams, so imagine what Miller’s team could look like with the talent a school like UNC can bring in?  He’s got the kind of drive and work ethic required to be great, and coaching at North Carolina will provide him with the tools he needs to get there.

Wojo has his Marquette team in a tight race to win the regular season conference title for the first time in his tenure, quite an improvement from going 13-19 in his first year as head coach.  Wojo is such a legendary figure for Duke.  Anyone interested in this rivalry certainly remembers him from his time as a player, and your view of him likely depends on which side you’re on.  Either way, you probably remember how hard he played.

I, for one, am rooting for this scenario to play out.  As a longtime Tar Heel I can’t wait for Coach K to hang it up, and while it will be next to impossible for anyone to have the success Krzyzewski has had, I have a feeling Wojo won’t even come close.  While I’m sure the two current coaching legends will have a huge say in who the next coaches will be, if the future does end up being Wojo vs. Wes, I love UNC’s chances to take a solid advantage in this matchup in the decades to come.