Big day today, as the DIII’s finally start practice. A few things that I’ve heard…

• Ball State assistant Brian Thornton has departed for a job in enforcement with the NCAA. Thornton, who played at Vanderbilt and Xavier, had been at BSU for the past four seasons. He has also been the DBO at Xavier and an assistant at Winthrop and Furman.

• Jimmy Patsos, who resigned as the head coach at Siena this past spring, has found a new gig. He will be  working in studio on Washington Wizards broadcasts. Patsos, a former Maryland assistant, spent nine seasons as the head coach at Loyola (MD) and five years at Siena.

• It sounds like DIII Lesley University has finally hired a new coach. I have heard from multiple sources that the final two were both LU alums – current MIT assistant John Sanchez and 2017 grad Devon Mayo. It sounds like Sanchez turned the job down, and it was then offered to Mayo. More on this when it becomes official.

• Daryn Freedman has been named as an assistant coach at NAIA Point Park (PA). Freedman is the former head coach at the Kiski School (PA), and is the founder of Basketball Stars of America. He has also been an assistant at Duquesne and Northeastern. The official announcement is expected shortly.

• We reported a while ago that Andy Ward would be named as the head coach at Northwest College (WY). That apparently took a sharp left when Ward instead decided to accept the AD position at Treasure Valley CC. With this move, Northwest has now named Dawud Abdur-Rahkman as the interim head coach for this season. Abdur-Rahkman had most recently been the head coach at Lehigh Carbon Community College. More on this hiring HERE.