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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -In Johnny Dawkins, Stanford found a respected coach from another storied program - certainly a favorable mix in the eyes of athletic director Bob Bowlsby.
Dawkins, a longtime assistant coach at Duke under Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski, has been hired as the Cardinal's new coach. He replaces Pac-10 Coach of the Year Trent Johnson, who left for LSU earlier this month.
Stanford said Saturday that Dawkins will be formally introduced in a news conference on campus Monday.
"We are thrilled to welcome Johnny and his family to Stanford," 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 topflight student-athletes will be a driving force in continuing Stanford's tradition of basketball excellence."
Dawkins has no prior head coaching experience. He most recently was the Blue Devils' top assistant, responsible for player development among other duties.
The 44-year-old Dawkins was an All-American at Duke and has been on the coaching staff there since the 1997-98 season - the last nine as associate head coach.
"I am deeply sorry to lose him as our associate head coach," Krzyzewski said in a statement issued by Duke. "That said, I am very happy for Johnny, Tracy and his four children. The Dawkins family will be embraced by the Stanford community, just as they were here in Durham. They're a wonderful family.
"In my 28 years at Duke, no one did more to build our program as a player, coach or a person than Johnny Dawkins."
Stanford reached the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001, losing to Texas. The Cardinal, who went 28-8 and finished second in the talented Pac-10, face the departures of twin 7-foot sophomores Brook and Robin Lopez. Both declared themselves eligible for the NBA draft.
With Dawkins leaving Duke, it breaks apart the longest continuous serving coaching staff in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a tight-knit group of former Blue Devils players under Krzyzewski.
Dawkins finished his playing career at Duke as the school's career scoring leader with 2,556 points - a mark that was broken in 2006 by J.J. Redick. In his 11 seasons as Coach K's right-hand man, he helped guide the Blue Devils to six ACC regular-season titles, seven conference tournament crowns and the storied program's third and most recent national championship in 2001.
Dawkins was the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 1986 NBA draft by San Antonio, and played nine NBA seasons with the Spurs, 76ers and Pistons.
When Johnson left Stanford, it was somewhat of a surprise despite the fact he was waiting for a contract extension. He met with LSU officials at the Final Four in San Antonio and a deal came together quickly.
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AP Sports Writer Joedy McCreary in Raleigh, N.C., contributed to this story.
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