Duke close to hiring Kara Lawson as women’s basketball coach
Duke has targeted Kara Lawson to become its new women’s basketball coach and there’s hope a deal could be completed as soon as Friday, according to several sources with current or former ties to the university.
The sources requested anonymity because the negotiations are still ongoing. While the job has yet to be offered to Lawson, she emerged as the choice of the school’s administration this week.
Lawson, the former Tennessee and WNBA star player, is currently a Boston Celtics assistant coach. She is with the team in Orlando, isolated per NBA protocols and is set to help run practice Friday afternoon.
Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca, who also is a Duke Board of Trustees member, supports Lawson’s hiring at the school, sources said.
The 39-year-old Lawson would replace Joanne P. McCallie, who resigned on July 2 after 13 years with the Blue Devils. McCallie stepped down after athletics director Kevin White opted not to extend her contract that was set to expire in June 2021.
Lawson joined Rice coach Tina Langley, a former Maryland assistant, as finalists for the job, sources said. Drake coach Jennie Baranczyk and former Duke all-ACC player Lindsey Harding, now a player development coach with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, were also consideration.
Duke opted not to consider Gail Goestenkors for the position. Goestenkors coached Duke from 1992-2007, leading the Blue Devils to four Final Four appearances. She left Duke to become head coach at Texas from 2007-2012.
While Goestenkors expressed interest in returning to Duke, school officials decided to move on without her.
An Alexandria, Virginia native, Lawson played point guard for coach Pat Summitt at Tennessee from 1999-2003. She was a four-time, all-SEC player and led the Volunteers to three Final Fours.
Lawson played 13 WNBA seasons for Sacramento, Connecticut and Washington, helping Sacramento win the 2005 WNBA championship.
She also has international playing experience, having played on Gold medal-winning U.S. teams at the 2001 World University Games and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She’s also coached in USA Basketball’s 3-on-3 program, leading boys and girls teams to four world championships since 2017.
Lawson worked in television as a basketball analyst for ESPN as well as doing broadcast work for the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards of the NBA.
Boston hired her to join coach Brad Stevens’ staff last year.
This is a developing story and will be updated
