Georgia Tech might lure Capel from Duke

DURHAM, N.C. — The game that just may have vaulted Jeff Capel to the top of the list of Mike Krzyzewski’s possible replacements may, at the same time, draw him away from Duke.

Back on Feb. 2, with Krzyzewski back at Duke Hospital undergoing tests in the cardiac wing, Capel took over as Duke’s interim head coach.

The Blue Devils beat Georgia Tech, 80-71, that night at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, dealing the Yellow Jackets yet another disappointing loss.

Too many of those losses are why Brian Gregory is no longer Georgia Tech’s head coach.

That particular Duke win, though, showed how important Capel has become to Duke’s program since joining Krzyzewski’s staff as an assistant coach in 2011. In some circles, it made Capel the leading candidate to take over when the 69-year-old Krzyzewski retires.

The problem with that plan, though, is Capel’s excellent work that night at McCamish Pavilion caught the attention of the Yellow Jackets’ brass. Now that Georgia Tech officials are looking for a coach, they’re interested in having Capel take the job.

The 41-year-old Capel, Duke’s associate head coach, has interest in the Yellow Jackets as well.