Bryant men’s basketball head coach Jamion Christian announced the additions of Harley Fuller, Brian Merritt, Bruce Shingler and Derrick Wall to the Bulldog coaching staff.
“I am extremely excited about working with this group of men as all of our passions are aligned in building Bryant basketball into one of the most dominant teams in the America East,” Christian said. “I love the experience from this group, which will allow us to chart a new path while continuing upon the excellent history here at Bryant.”
The quartet brings 36 years of combined collegiate coaching to the sidelines in Smithfield. Fuller will serve as associate head coach, Merritt will serve as GM/Recruiting Coordinator in addition to his coaching duties, Shingler will serve as an assistant and Wall will be an assistant coach/director of player development.
Fuller joins Christian’s staff for the third time in his career and comes to Smithfield after four incredible seasons as the head coach of Mohawk Valley Community College (Utica, N.Y.). Most recently, Fuller led the Hawks to an NJCAA National Championship this March. It marked the first national title in program history. Fuller posted a 109-30 record in his four seasons at MVCC.
“Harley is someone who I have had so much success with in the past and I believe is exactly the right person to walk beside me as we chart this new path,” Christian said. “His energy and knowing me are combinations which will be vital for us being our best right away.”
Prior to his stint at MV, Fuller spent three years as an assistant coach at Siena College, helping the Saints win a pair of MAAC Regular Season titles and a MAAC Tournament Championship. Fuller started his collegiate coaching career in 2017-18 as the director of scouting and analytics for Jamion Christian at Mount St. Mary’s. He also coached locally in the Albany, N.Y., area with Albany City Rocks AAU and Mayfield High School.
“I couldn’t be more excited to begin this journey at Bryant University,” Fuller said. “The energy, pride, and passion surrounding Bryant Basketball—and this university as a whole—are truly special and inspiring. I’m fired up and grateful for the opportunity to reunite with Coach Christian and join this outstanding staff as we work to build a new era of championship success.”
Merritt brings 12 years of collegiate coaching experience, spanning the country, to Smithfield. His most recent post was at New Mexico State, while his coaching journey also includes stops at Morgan State, LSU, Arizona State, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Hampton and Louisville.
“Brian knows where to look and who to talk to at all times,” Christian said. “When you talk about someone being a hustler in recruiting and being connected, Brian’s name will always come up. As we are looking to expand upon the recruiting footprint of the previous staff, I believe that Brian will consistently keep us relevant in different circles which is extremely important during this time.”
He began his coaching career as the director of operations on Rick Pitino’s staff at Louisville before spending a year at Hampton. Merritt helped Corpus Christi post back-to-back winning seasons before spending the next five years as the Director of Scouting/Recruiting at John Lucas Enterprises. He returned to the college ranks in 2015-16 as a member of Bobby Hurley’s staff at Arizona State. Merritt has since coached at LSU, Morgan State and New Mexico State.
“I am so happy to get the opportunity to come to Bryant and work for coach Christian,” Merritt said. “The trajectory of the program on the rise and coach Christian’s style of play is a perfect match. I have heard nothing but great things about the community from former players and coaches who have been there before, so I am excited about what we are going to be able to do at Bryant.”
Shingler is a Prince George’s County (Md.) native that has assistant coaching stops at Maryland, South Carolina, Towson, Morgan State and Kansas State. He spent five years at South Carolina as a member of Frank Martin’s staff, helping the Gamecocks reach the Final Four in 2017.
Bruce comes to Bryant with an incredible resume for recruiting,” Christian said. “He is well known in the DMV but also around the country for how well he connects with players. Bruce has worked with some of the most successful coaches, helping them establish a winning culture with talented individuals. We look forward to him opening recruiting doors for us as we look to unlock the true potential of Bryant to the rest of the country.”
Prior to his time at South Carolina, he spent four years at Towson, helping the Tigers set the NCAA Division I record for largest single-season turnaround, going from one win in 2011-12 to 18 in 2012-13. The Tigers went on to post 25 wins in 13-14 and 20 in 15-16.
Shingler has deep roots in the DMV as he coached at his alma mater, Bladensburg High School, leading them to an 18-5 record in his lone season. He also coached AAU for the DC Assault 17U team, sending over 40 members to Division I institutions in his tenure, including McDonald’s All-Americans Michael Beasley, Wally Judge and Quinn Cook.
“I’m truly excited and thankful for the opportunity to join the Bryant Basketball program,” Shingler said. “Working alongside Coach Jamion Christian—a proven leader, winner and exceptional basketball mind —is an honor. The culture here is strong, and I’m bringing every ounce of experience, passion, and energy I have to help take it to another level. I can’t wait to lock in with our guys, build something special, and make this community proud.”
Wall has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Hampton University, helping the Pirates go from 0-24 record in his first year to a 17-16 mark this winter.
“Derrick has worked his way up the ladder to be an outstanding assistant coach,” Christian said. “We first meet several years ago when I was amazed at his talent on his AAU team. All great kids who had great college careers. He later got connected and ran Team Loaded North Carolina, where he coached some of the top players in the country.”
Prior to his time at Hampton, Wall spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Catawba. During his four-year tenure at Catawba, the Chiefs posted an overall record of 65-45 (.590). They won the 2019 South Atlantic Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament while posting a 25-8 (.758) record. Catawba recorded a 20-10 record and advanced to the NCAA Championships again in 2019-20. Wall began his coaching career as the associate head coach at Woodside High in Newport News, Va., helping lead the Wolverines to the No. 3 ranking in Class 6A as well as winning the district and regional championships. Simultaneously, he coached Team Loaded North Carolina in the prestigious Adidas Gauntlet Shoe Circuit.The team won 88 percent of their games and were ranked in the AAU Top 10 in the nation.
Wall has tapped into his international contact to assist players fulfill their dream of playing professional basketball overseas. He has coached and mentored more than 40 players who have gone on to play Division I basketball as well play professionally in the NBA Euro League, Euro Cup, Adriatic League and other FIBA leagues.
“I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to join the Bryant community and Coach Christian’s staff,” Wall said. “I’m looking forward to help carry on the winning tradition and helping these student-athletes on and off the court.”
https://bryantbulldogs.com/news/2025/4/9/mens-basketball-christian-announces-coaching-staff.aspx
