Steadfast and Compassionate: Marcelle Provencial and the Family at the Heart of Duke Basketball

Basic Information

Early Life and Education

Marcelle Provencial grew up in Florida, where family and service took root early. Profiles have highlighted that caregiving runs in her family, and the spark to serve others guided her path to healthcare. She later moved to North Carolina to pursue graduate training, completing a Master of Science in Nursing at Duke University in 2016. That milestone—earned amid long clinical hours and the steep ascent of advanced practice training—set the foundation for a career focused on families, children, and acute care.

Her educational trajectory also frames her public role today: a clinician comfortable in high-intensity settings who still meets people one-on-one with calm, practical compassion. The transition from student to practitioner at Duke coincided with the rhythms of a growing family and the public rise of a historic basketball program, weaving personal and professional lives into a single tapestry.

Nursing Career and Care Philosophy

As a family nurse practitioner with ICU and acute-care experience, Marcelle’s professional life mirrors the best qualities of the role: precise under pressure, steady during uncertainty, and attentive to detail. Healthcare is a team sport, and her training equips her to collaborate with physicians, therapists, and care coordinators across settings. Colleagues often describe this kind of clinician as the hinge on which care turns—the person who bridges the bedside and the broader system.

That bridge-building shows up beyond the clinic. Marcelle has been active in initiatives linked to Duke Children’s, helping translate complex medical journeys into moments of joy for young patients. Whether supporting parents in hospital corridors or welcoming families to game day, she blends medical insight with a neighborly presence.

Partner to a Program: Marriage and Family

Marcelle and Jon’s story is anchored at Duke. They are reported to have met while both were connected to the university, with a proposal in 2015 and a wedding on May 6, 2017. Their growing family became a hallmark of Jon’s coaching era: daughter Noa Marie arrived on January 29, 2018; son Jett James was born on August 24, 2019—sharing a birthday with his father; and a third child, James (often listed as James Russell), joined the family in May 2022.

The public often sees Marcelle in the stands or on the concourse at Cameron Indoor Stadium—kids in tow, schedule in hand—embodying the blend of family life and team life. It’s a familiar cadence for any sports family, but the details are distinct: three young children, a new head coach stepping into one of college basketball’s most scrutinized roles, and a mother who keeps the household humming while sustaining her own professional identity.

The Scheyer Family Kid Captain Program

Among the family’s most visible contributions is the Scheyer Family Kid Captain program, which invites children from Duke Children’s to be honored at home games. On paper, it’s a pregame recognition. In practice, it’s a rite of joy—an introduction to a roaring crowd, a courtside wave, a reminder that the community extends far beyond the bench.

For families navigating diagnoses and long hospital weeks, the Kid Captain moment becomes a keepsake, a bright line in the timeline of care. For the team and fans, it’s a lesson woven into the ritual of sport: resilience wears many faces, some of them very small. Marcelle’s presence at the heart of this program underscores her gift for taking clinical empathy and making it communal.

Family Roots and Values

Public features have reported that Marcelle’s parents are Russell and Alberta, and that she has two sisters, Michele and Noelle. Together, these details sketch the contours of a close-knit Florida upbringing—siblings, strong parental influence, and a family culture that esteems both education and service. Those roots show in the way Marcelle navigates her world today: she leads with steadiness, finds joy in everyday rituals, and keeps family as the compass point.

Recent Highlights (2023–2025)

In late 2023, a widely viewed broadcast interview spotlighted Marcelle’s community work and her role around the program. In 2025, national lifestyle features introduced her to broader audiences, framing her as a “mom of the team” who brings warmth to a pressure-cooker environment. Season after season, she remains visible on game days and behind the scenes—organizing, cheering, comforting, and celebrating—while the Kid Captain experience continues to grow.

Timeline at a Glance

The Rhythm of Two Callings

Marcelle’s days are metronomes of motion: clinic shifts and carpools, patient consults and pregame routines. The dual calling—to medicine and to family—can feel like standing astride two rivers. Yet she navigates them with a sturdy gait, moving from hospital corridors to Cameron’s blue-lit bowl with the same poise. In an environment where headlines chase wins, her impact is measured in quieter metrics: a child’s grin on the court, a mother’s sigh of relief, a team’s renewed sense of purpose.

FAQ

Who is Marcelle Provencial?

She is a Duke-trained nurse practitioner and the spouse of Duke men’s basketball head coach Jon Scheyer.

What does she do for a living?

She works in advanced nursing practice, with experience in family, acute care, and ICU settings.

When did she marry Jon Scheyer?

They were married on May 6, 2017.

How many children do they have?

They have three children: Noa (2018), Jett (2019), and James/James Russell (2022).

What is the Scheyer Family Kid Captain program?

It honors pediatric patients from Duke Children’s during home games, creating celebratory game-day experiences.

Where is she based?

She is publicly associated with the Durham, North Carolina area.

Is her financial information public?

Her personal financial details have not been publicly disclosed.

Does she use social media?

She has minimal public activity; most family updates are seen through program events and public appearances.