Wilkes University head men’s basketball coach Izzi Metz has announced the hiring of Nick Doyle as the Colonels new assistant coach. In addition to his coaching duties Doyle will also serve as the intramural director at Wilkes, replacing Stefan Thompson who returned to his alma mater Hobart College as an assistant coach.
“We are excited to welcome Nick to the Wilkes basketball family,” said Metz. “Nick is a proven winner as both a coach and player in one of the best Division III basketball conferences in America, the ODAC.
Our players and program will benefit greatly from someone of Nick’s pedigree. His energy, knowledge and championship experience will be invaluable to our program.”
Doyle comes to Wilkes after a one year stint as an assistant coach at Lynchburg College. At Lynchburg Doyle served under head coach Hillary Scott helping lead the Hornets to a 16-10 overall mark last season going 10-6 in the prestigious Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) reaching the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. Doyle organized and planned practices, led player development and provided scouting reports as well as serving as the head coach of the junior varsity team at Lynchburg.
“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to join the Wilkes University Family and to learn under Coach Metz,” explained Doyle. “I hope to create strong relationships among the players and throughout the Wilkes community. Coach Metz is a great coach and an even better person and I look forward to helping him continue to build his culture and the success of the Wilkes men’s basketball program. My goal is to help teach our players how to be successful on and off the court and prepare them as young men for the future,” Doyle added.
A native of Franklin, Virginia, Doyle spent his playing career at Virginia Wesleyan College where he was a starter and significant contributor to a final four team in 2015. As a junior in 2015, Doyle played in all 33 games for VWC on way to the final four earning starts in the final seven games of the season. He averaged 7.3 points and 2.1rebounds while shooting over 48 percent from three-point range. He started the first 13 games of his senior season averaging 10.9 points before suffering a season-ending injury. Doyle played for Wilkes alum Dave Macedo ’96 while at Virginia Wesleyan.
Doyle began his playing career at Delaware State University playing two years at the Division I institution before transferring to VWC. As a prep star Doyle was named second team All-Virginia once, a three-time first team All-District honoree as well as a two-time all-region first team selection.
Doyle has also worked numerous basketball camps serving as the Director of Digital Media/Assistant Director of Skills at The Hoop Group in the Poconos and a camp counselor at the Will Wade Basketball Camp at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
Wilkes is coming off a 12-13 record in 2016-17. The Colonels went 6-8 in MAC Freedom play narrowly missing the postseason tournament after advancing to the championship game in 2015-16. Wilkes returns 11 letterwinners from last season, including six that started 15 or more games.
