Veteran coach Kyle Griffin has been elevated to the role of associate head coach for the FGCU men’s basketball team, head coach Pat Chambers announced.
Griffin enters his second season with the Eagles in 2023-24 after four years at La Salle – including two years as associate head coach on the Explorers sideline.
“Kyle is loyal, hard-working and passionate about our program and players,” Chambers said. “He carries a tremendous basketball IQ and is a relentless recruiter. We are fortunate to have a coach of his caliber on the FGCU staff, and his future is very bright in the game.”
The Eagles finished 17-15 in 2022-23 – the first year for Chambers and his staff – an effort that included the program’s first Gulf Coast Showcase title and the best non-conference winning percentage 76.9 percent, 10-3) in program history. FGCU also earned a program-record 13 straight wins at Alico Arena, a stretch that began in the 2021-22 season, and snared key non-conference victories at USC and St. Bonaventure.
Defense was a hallmark of the attitude-driven FGCU squad all season, as the Green & Blue held opponents to 61 points or less in 12 games (going 10-2 in those games). Second-half adjustments were also a hallmark of Chambers’ first FGCU squad, as the Eagles improved their shooting percentage in the second of 22 of 32 games.
In addition to his stint at La Salle, Griffin has been a member of the staffs at Lehigh (2013-16) and Robert Morris (2016-18). He started as an assistant coach with the Explorers in 2018-19 before being elevated to associate head coach in 2020-21.
In his two seasons with head coach Andy Toole at Robert Morris, Griffin was a key member of a staff that recruited 10 new student-athletes to RMU prior to the 2017-18 season. Despite the roster turnover, Griffin helped develop the Colonials into a contender in the Northeast Conference, advancing the team to the NEC Tournament semifinals in back-to-back years.
Prior to his time in Pittsburgh, Griffin served three years as an assistant coach under Dr. Brett Reed at Lehigh. During his three seasons at Lehigh, he helped guide the Mountain Hawks to the 2016 Patriot League Tournament championship game and was instrumental in the development of Tim Kempton and Kahron Ross, who were named 2015 Patriot League Player of the Year and 2015 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, respectively.
Before working in the collegiate ranks, Griffin served as Director of Team Events for the Hoop Group managing high school showcases and AAU events. He assisted in the recruitment and organization of the largest event offered by the Hoop Group in the Pittsburgh Jam Fest. Also while with Hoop Group, Griffin was the Director of Operations and Director of the Philly Hoop Group Classic, a Division I tournament that included Pittsburgh, Penn, La Salle, Rider, Robert Morris and James Madison.
A native of Allentown, Pa., Griffin was a standout prep player at Germantown Academy, where he was named Inter-AC Player of the Year and Second Team All-Philadelphia as a senior. A 6-foot-3 guard, he began his collegiate career at La Salle in 2007-08 where he played in 15 games before transferring to Siena.
Griffin earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from Siena in 2011. He is married to the former Tiffany Haralson, and the couple have a newborn daughter Avalon.
