Story: Adam Nelson (@HD_DirtKing)
Just a few quick things as the best Thursday of the year (sorry Thanksgiving) is finally here!
I mentioned the search at SIU in yesterday’s DAILY DIRT. I’ve now been told that Morehead State head coach Preston Spradlin has to be added to this list. His squad captured the OVC Championship (26-8) this season, and will face Illinois in the NCAA Tournament today. In his 8 seasons at MSU, Spradlin is 142-115 (.553), and he has won 22+ games in four seasons in a row.
Also in yesterday’s DD I talked about the search at Loyola Maryland – I’m now adding Cincinnati assistant Josh Loeffler to the list. Loeffler joined Wes Miller’s staff at Cincinnati last spring after going 114-27 (.809) in five seasons as the head coach at Johns Hopkins. He also served as an assistant at Loyola (2013-17), and has also worked at Rutgers and Lafayette.
I teased this one on Twitter (X?) yesterday…I’ve heard for a few days now that D3 Rosemont has opened. While I’ve been getting the run-around from some sources, the men’s basketball position on Rosemont’s website now lists the head coach as “to be determined.” No official announcement has been made, but Bob Hughes has been there for the last 11 seasons where he has put together a 134-154 (.465) record. He is the all-time wins leader at the school. More on this one once it becomes official.
Following-up on another Twitter tease from yesterday…I can now confirm that Andrew Lacey is no longer the head basketball coach at NJCAA D1 Richard Bland College. Lacey, who also served as the assistant AD at the school, had been there for the past five seasons. This past season, RBC went 13-18 (7-9). Prior to his time with the Statesmen, Lacey went 109-46 as the head coach at Varina HS (VA), and captured the 2018 VHSL Class 5 State Championship.
Former Providence standout and Lakers second round pick Marcus Douthit is no longer the head coach at NJCAA D3 Community College of Rhode Island. Douthit had spent the past two seasons as the Knights head coach where he went 27-33.
Heard another D1 JUCO has opened – this one in the midwest. Working to confirm and hope to run with it shortly.
Andy Hedrick is no longer the head coach at UCSAA Penn State Fayette. He had been the head coach there since 2021, where he put together a 35-47 record. Prior to his time at Fayette, Hedrick was a long-time HS coach in the area.
You can check out the 2024 Coaching Changes Tracker presented by D1.relocation HERE. It contains all of the head coaching changes so far at the NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO levels.
