Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard filled the vacancies on his staff naming Dwayne Morton assistant coach and Kyle Smyth and Kevin Lynch coordinators of basketball operations. Morton comes to South Orange after serving 19 seasons as head coach at perennial PSAL power Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn where he led the Railsplitters to eight city championships and three Federation titles. Smyth and Lynch were both BIG EAST Academic All-Stars playing under Willard at The Hall.
“Dwayne, Kyle and Kevin balance our staff well as they bring a good blend of experience and knowledge to the program,” said Willard. “Dwayne was highly successful as a head coach at Lincoln where he worked with some of the top players to come out of New York City over the last two decades. Kyle and Kevin have relentless work ethics, high basketball IQs and a familiarity with our system so we are excited for them to continue with the program in this new capacity.”
Morton spent the last 20 years on the Lincoln bench, serving as an assistant in his first season when he helped guide the Railsplitters to the 1995 New York State Class A championship. He was promoted to Lincoln’s head coach the following season and went on to win the Federation title again in 2003, 2007 and 2008, while making additional championship game appearances in 2004 and 2006. Morton was tabbed PSAL Coach of the Year four times (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008), and took Brooklyn Coach of the Year honors four times as well (2002, 2003, 2008, 2009).
Morton coached Lincoln to its most recent PSAL ‘AA’ Championship in 2013, the program’s first since winning an unprecedented four straight crowns from 2006-2009 and seven over an eight year stretch (2002, 2003, 2004). During his tenure, the Railsplitters had a stronghold on the PSAL Brooklyn AA Division. Lincoln registered a perfect 16-0 league mark last season and won 31 of its 32 conference games the last two years. He amassed over 350 wins against PSAL competition and nearly 500 overall with the Railsplitters.
In his time at Lincoln, Morton coached New York City basketball stars Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson, along with Jamel Thomas who also enjoyed a lengthy NBA career. Several Railsplitters went on to earn Division I basketball scholarships under Morton, including incoming Pirate freshmen Isaiah Whitehead and Desi Rodriguez. Whitehead became the fourth player Morton coached at Lincoln to garner McDonald’s All American honors, joining Marbury, Telfair and Stephenson.
“After many years of coaching at the high school level it is a dream come true to take this next step in my career,” said Morton. “It is an honor to join Coach Willard’s staff and work alongside experienced coaches who I have built strong relationships with over the years. Seton Hall University is a very special place with great basketball tradition. I am thrilled to have this opportunity.”
An All-New York City point guard at Lincoln from 1985-88 for Bobby Hartstein, Morton helped lead the Railsplitters in their run to the 1986 PSAL Class A championship and advance to the New York State title game. He lettered two years at LIU Brooklyn from 1991-93 under long-time head coach Paul Lizzo after playing his first two collegiate seasons at Central Connecticut State University and Westchester Community College. Morton earned a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration in 1993 and master’s degree in school counseling in 1998 from LIU Brooklyn.
Smyth and Lynch will assist with the day-to-day operations of the program, which includes serving as a team liaisons for community service, aiding in the development of practice plans, as well as game day coordination.
Smyth, a native of River Edge, N.J., was recruited to Iona College by Willard where he played three seasons before transferring to Seton Hall. He played in all 33 games for the Pirates in 2012-13 in his final collegiate season. Smyth was elevated to the position after serving as a volunteer for the Pirates during the 2013-14 campaign.
The 6-foot-4 sharpshooter started 92 of 129 appearances, scoring 930 points and hitting 210 three-pointers over his collegiate career. Smyth was one of four Pirates to appear in all 33 games in 2012-13, hitting 45 threes and averaging 5.1 points per game. Smyth was an MAAC All-Rookie Team selection under Willard at Iona in 2009-10 after setting a new rookie standard with 51 threes. He had a career year in 2010-11, setting personal-bests with 10.1 points per game shooting 45.1% from the field and burying 75 triples, the third most in the MAAC.
Smyth was a four-year varsity letterwinner at Don Bosco Prep where he helped lead the program to three-straight Bergen County Championships. Smyth scored 1,133 points at Don Bosco and garnered All-North Jersey First Team status as a senior.
“It is an honor to join the Seton Hall coaching staff. I am excited for this next chapter of my basketball career and look forward to working hard to contribute to the program’s growth,” said Smyth. “I am really humbled for this opportunity to work with Coach Willard and the rest of the staff who I have tremendous respect for.”
Lynch joined the program as a walk-on for the 2013-14 campaign and appeared in four games for the Pirates. He previously spent three years as the manager of the Seton Hall women’s basketball team where he served as video coordinator and organized practice and game day operations. Lynch also has worked as a counselor at Hoop Mountain Super Week Camps.
“I am very excited and thankful for this opportunity to join Coach Willard’s staff,” said Lynch. “Seton Hall is a very special place so it is an honor to begin my career with this program.”
A native of Canton, Mass, Lynch lettered three seasons of varsity basketball at St. Sebastian’s High School and was a member of the National Honor Society. He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in sports management from Seton Hall in 2014.
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