DAILY DIRT – 4/9/24

Story: Adam Nelson (@HD_DirtKing)


Congrats to Dan Hurley and UConn – blew everyone out in the tourney this year to capture their second straight title. Ridiculously impressive. Here are a few things that I’ve heard…


New St. Louis head coach Josh Schertz is bringing Antone Gray and Rob Gardiner with him from Indiana State. Gray joined the ISU staff as an assistant last spring after a stint as an assistant at Niagara. Gardiner was the Special Assistant to the Head Coach with the Sycamores, and also worked for Schertz at D2 Lincoln Memorial. Schertz will also add George Washington assistant Zak Boisvert as an assistant. Boisvert was on Schertz’s staff in 2021 at Indiana State, and also worked at Army West Point, Maine, Fairleigh Dickinson and Iona. Also, according to The Field of 68, Merrimack assistant Phil Gaetano will also be added to the staff. Other staff moves coming depending on what happens at ISU (ie if Matthew Graves gets the job).


Speaking of Indiana State…I have heard from a bunch of people that CSA has this search, and that it’s flying. Sounds like Zoom’s are already underway, and that current ISU interim head coach Matthew Graves is in the mix. Graves has been at Indiana State since 2021 as the associate head coach, and also spent five seasons as the head coach at South Alabama (2013-18). Working on other names now – sounds like it’s a pretty small group.


I have heard that Julian Boatner is in the mix to join Paul Corsaro’s new staff at IUPUI (soon to be IU Indianapolis). Boatner has been an assistant at his alma mater William and Mary since 2018. He is an Indiana native who spent time as a graduate manager at the University of Indiana.


I have heard from multiple sources that Darren Vo will be named as the next head coach at D2 Eastern New Mexico. The UC Colorado Springs associate head coach had spent three years as an assistant at ENMU prior to joining the UCCS staff last spring. He would replace his former boss Brent Owen who departed for Lenoir-Rhyne last week. Official announcement is expected shortly.


Names that I’ve heard surrounding the search at D2 Alabama Huntsville include Belmont assistant Sean Rutigliano (a former UAH assistant), a veteran D2 head coach, and a D3 head coach from the south. More on this one as I hear it.


I have heard that the final group at NJCAA D1 Richard Bland College (VA) is down to 3 or 4. Names that are making the rounds include Penn State Director of Recruiting Brandon Rozzell (played at VCU), Penn State Harrisburg assistant Will Cabrera, and a current NJCAA D1 head coach. Sounds like this one could be wrapped up shortly.


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.


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