Metro East Sun

NBA veteran Chris Duhon has been added to the Illinois State coaching staff as an assistant coach.

Duhon, who played 13 NBA seasons, four of them with the Bulls, announced his retirement in 2013. He’s spent the last four seasons as an assistant at Marshall.

Even as a player, Duhon said he realized he might have a career on the sidelines.

"It was kind of a progressive thing," he told the Belleville News-Democrat. "In Chicago with (Coach Scott) Skiles, I was impressed with the job he did. It intrigued me. Coach (Mike) D'Antoni in New York, it started building and building. Then being under Stan Van Gundy in Orlando, I thought this is something I (might want to do)."

Duhon said he and Redbirds’ coach Dan Muller make a strong team.

"He did his due diligence," he said. "We had multiple conversations and felt like it was something that could work. (Illinois State) has a great tradition. It's a basketball town. They play at a high level. This is a place that we can win. We can make some noise and make a run at winning a national champion."

Illinois State returns top scorers and all-Missouri Valley Conference forwards Phil Fayne (15.6 points per game) and Milik Yarbrough (16.6 points per game) next season, along with 3-point marksman Keyshawn Evans (41.9 percent).

Meanwhile, Duhon has hit the ground running. He’s already searching for a new home around Normal for his wife and four young children, and has already met and worked out with the players. 

"Things have been great," he said. "The guys are good. They underachieved last year record-wise. At the end of (the) year, they were able to get it together a little more but they're hungrier. We have veteran leadership there. It's important for our seniors to lead them and guide them."

Duhon knows a lot about second chances and is thankful to feel that he is now the benefit of such good fortune.

He left Marshall following a January 2017 arrest for driving on a license that had been revoked for driving under the influence in 2015, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

"I'm very thankful and I appreciate getting another chance," he told the News-Democrat. "I've learned from mistakes I've made and I'm moving on and starting this next chapter. I think that's the thing, you've got to get past that. You can't worry about what others think. You've got to worry about what's in front of you."

At Marshall, Duhon is credited with helping to build a program that had a nine-win turnaround in three seasons. In last season’s NCAA Tournament, Marshall pulled off one of the biggest first-round upsets by ousting Wichita State.

"I love the game. I'm a student of the game," Duhon said. "(I enjoy) developing players and developing their talent."

Duhon starred on the 2001 national championship at Duke, ending his career as the school’s all-time leader in steals (300) and minutes (4,813) and finished second in career assists (819).