BasketballBig 12HiringMissouri Valley

West Virginia hires Darian DeVries as head men’s basketball coach

Darian DeVries was officially announced as the new head coach at West Virginia on Sunday evening. DeVries has been the head coach at Drake for the last six years, leading the Bulldogs to three of the last four NCAA Tournaments.

“Coach DeVries is a phenomenal basketball coach and an even better person and possesses all the qualities we desired in the next leader of our men’s basketball program,” AD WrenBaker said. “His teams play hard and smart and are efficient on both ends of the floor. He has proven to be a strong recruiter and developer of players but even more importantly, a leader with integrity who develops character in the young men he coaches. I know that he and his wife, Ashley, and their children, Tucker and Tatum, will love and embrace West Virginians and West Virginians will love and embrace them. On behalf of the Mountaineer family, I want to welcome the DeVries family to Morgantown.”

Hired in 2018, DeVries has done a fantastic job with the Drake program with an overall record of 150-55 and a postseason berth in every season. The Iowa native previously spent twenty seasons on staff at Creighton, working under both Greg McDermott and Dana Altman.

“I’m honored to lead this historic program which has an outstanding tradition and passionate fanbase,” DeVries said. “Gamedays in the WVU Coliseum are legendary, and the incredible support for Mountaineer Basketball is known nationwide. I look forward to building on the success of the program. I would like to thank President Gee and Wren Baker for extending me this wonderful opportunity. My family and I are honored and thrilled to be a part of Mountaineer Nation. We have heard so many great things about West Virginia and its people, and we can’t wait to get there.”

DeVries, 48, replaces interim head coach Josh Eilert, who was thrust into the job last summer after long-time mentor Bob Huggins resigned. Eilert had been on the WVU staff for 16 years after getting his start with Huggins at Kansas State, his alma mater. The Mountaineers went just 9-23 on the year and will look to move into a new era under DeVries.

His son, Tucker DeVries, has been the Missouri Valley POY in each of the last two seasons and is likely to follow dad to Morgantown and play his final collegiate season at WVU.

 

credit to West Virginia Athletics for the image