PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was a choice that was two years in the making, although Duquesne said it looked at all of its options before hiring Dru Joyce as the next men’s basketball coach.
A player for Keith Dambrot in high school and again at the University of Akron, Joyce was identified as the successor while an assistant at Cleveland State. He was brought to Duquesne as an associate head coach with the likelihood he would take over for Dambrot, who unlike other peers, had no desire to coach into his 70s.
It was an opportunity for each to get to know each other better. Duquesne President Ken Gormley remembered the first time he had dinner with Joyce and leaving that night more impressed with him than when he was hired.
“From the start, Keith made clear that Dru represented the type of talent, leadership skills, ability to connect with players and quiet tenacity that would ensure continuity for our program in the long haul,” Gormley said. “Dru impressed me as a gentlemanly colleague and as a true family man. They have been a perfect fit with the Duquesne family since the day he arrived. This was an easy decision.”
Duquesne Vice President of Athletics Dave Harper said when he was first starting his career, he learned at the University of Dayton what to look for in coaches. He said he saw it in Joyce and remembers a specific time when Joyce had convinced Dambrot to switch defenses when Rhode Island was making a run at them. It was not only the right decision, but it showed to Harper his knowledge of the game and how to handle the situation.
Joyce said he initially came to Pittsburgh at the urging of Dambrot to help him with the team culture. Duquesne was coming off a 6-24 season.
“I could have run from the situation,” Joyce said Monday. “He was coming off the worst season of his career. I knew he only had a couple more years left. I didn’t know what that looked like for my family.”
Joyce hasthree young children and had a good job not far from home.
“It was a risk, but it was worth the risk to not only help up, but learn from him,” Joyce said. “I know who he is and what he represents and I just wanted to bring whatever value I had to make him successful.”
“In doing so, I think we accomplished something pretty good.”
That made it what Gormley called ‘an easy decision’.
“Don’t get me wrong, Dave Harper did a thorough national search,” Gormley said. “Thankfully I can tell you because this team has been in the national spotlight and won 25 games this season, we had a lot of interest in this position from highly talented coaches across the country.”
“At the end of the day, Dru was the best person. The perfect person to continue the upward trajectory of this basketball program.”
“No doubt that the Dambrot era will now be equaled and soon surpassed by the Dru Joyce era with many years of excitement and world-class basketball ahead.”
Joyce is promoted not with the built-in excuses of being a first-time head coach, rather he, as the Duquesne President stated, would keep the ball rolling and even elevate their situation.
“It’s embracing the challenge that now lies ahead,” Harper said. “It’s very different. Getting there is one thing. Getting there again is even more difficult. Getting there again will require another level of recruiting, player development.”
“We are going to keep pushing for postseason. That’s why we are here. Once you get a little taste of it, unfortunately you get a little greedy. I would like to do that again.”
“My preparation has equipped me and I have a confident belief in myself,” Joyce said. “Through hard work and being dedicated to the sport and what I believe our young men need, I have a confidence and belief I am more than capable of doing this job.”