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Duke promotes Nina King to succeed Kevin White as athletics director

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Duke is promoting Nina King to succeed retiring athletics director Kevin White on Sept. 1, the school announced Wednesday.

King, who is currently the school's senior deputy director of athletics for administration and legal affairs as well as its chief of staff, will also be promoted to vice president.

She will be the first Black woman to be named Duke's athletics director.

"First, I am extremely grateful to president (Vincent) Price for providing me with this incredible opportunity to lead the very best athletics department in the country," King said in a statement. "Additionally, I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to Rick Wagoner, Valerie Ashby, and the search committee for their belief in me and generous support.

"I am deeply committed to continuing the strong tradition of academic and athletic excellence at our world-class institution. My priority will be to ensure that the experience is truly elite for our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and the entire Duke family. This is a tremendous honor, and I look forward to ushering Duke Athletics into the next chapter."

King has been with the Blue Devils since 2008. She was selected to Sports Business Journal's Forty Under 40 list in 2018 and also made the Leaders Under 40 Class that same year.

White announced in January he would retire in August after serving as Duke's athletics director since 2008. He and King previously worked together at Notre Dame, where White served as athletics director and King worked as director of rules education from 2005-08.

Longtime Blue Devils men's basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski commended the decision to tab King to lead the athletics department.

"This hire is an important step for the continuity of the outstanding culture that exists within Duke Athletics," Krzyzewski said. "Serving as one of Kevin White's most trusted advisors for his entire time at Duke, Nina King has served our University well in whatever roles have been assigned to her.

"She has represented the Duke Department of Athletics with distinction both internally and externally, including many roles on the national stage. That national presence is important in our school's leadership position in an ever-changing college sports environment. Personally, I have enjoyed working with Nina and look forward to working with her even more in the future."

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