Some things to start the day…

• It sounds like new UMass Lowell head coach Pat Duquette has settled on his staff. According to multiple sources, the assistant coaches will be Biko Paris, Mike Harding, and Nick Leonardelli. Paris played at Boston College when Duquette was an assistant there. Harding is the former head coach at St. Michael’s (VT) and a former assistant at Stonehill (MA). Leonaredlli was most recently an administrative guy at Bucknell and had also worked at St. Mike’s, St. Lawrence, and Rutgers-Newark. The official announcement is expected shortly.

• I have heard that Matthew Healing is leaving the DBO position at NJIT to become an assistant coach at Pace (NY) under New Head Coach Pat Kennedy. Prior to his stint at NJIT, Healing was an assistant at Vassar (NY) and Centenary (NJ).

• I can confirm that Jared Czech has been named as a graduate assistant at the University of Denver. He was most recently a student assistant at Manhattanville college and has also been an assistant coach with the NYC Gauchos (AAU).

• I have heard that Valdosta State (GA) assistant Nick Gast has departed to become the head coach at Parkview HS (Atlanta). He will be replaced by Herman Burge who was most recently the head women’s coach at St. Gregory’s (OK). Burge played at Valdosta St. for head coach Mike Helfer. He also has been a women’s assistant at Florida Gulf Coast, Stetson, and Mercer.

• From a great source…Wayne State (NE) head coach Paul Combs has been offered the Carroll University (WI) job. I have heard that he has until tomorrow to accept it. Here’s a previous blog on the Carroll contenders: http://hoopdirt.com/blog/513a636e/carroll-u-wi-rumors/…