Back on June 11th, I reported that Daytona State was set to name Florida Gulf Coast assistant Joey Cantens as their new head men’s basketball coach (JUCO DIRT). DSC has finally made the announcement – here is the release:
Daytona State College has announced the hiring of Joey Cantens as the Falcons’ new head men’s basketball coach. Cantens brings a wealth of professional, college and international experience to the Falcons, including the last three years as assistant coach at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Cantens joins the Falcons from FGCU where he served under current Eagles head coach Michael Fly since 2018. He also spent three years as FGCU’s director of basketball operations from 2011-14, a stretch that included the Eagles’ historic run through the 2013 NCAA Tournament and winning an ESPY Award. That year saw FGCU, with its “Dunk City” moniker, win the Atlantic Sun Conference in only their second season of eligibility, defeat Georgetown and San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament and become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet Sixteen. Cantens served one more year at FGCU under current East Carolina Head Coach Joe Dooley winning their first ever regular season ASUN title in 2014.
Cantens later joined the staff of former FGCU head coach Andy Enfield at the University of Southern California and served as the Trojans’ director of scouting and video operations during the 2014-15 season. He returned to the East Coast one year later as assistant coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, helping the Division II powerhouse to a 21-8 record and the PSAC West Division title. While at IUP, Cantens recruited Jacobo Diaz, a member of the Spanish U18 National Team. Diaz later became a First Team All American and finished his career as one of IUP’s most decorated basketball players and second on the all time scoring list and is currently playing professionally in Spain.
In August 2016, Cantens moved to Germany where he spent two years in the professional ranks and helped MHP Riesen to it’s first ever Final Four appearance in the 2018 Basketball Champions League, the continent-wide tournament for Europe’s top pro teams. MHP finished the season ranked as one of the top 20 professional teams in all of Europe. His international experience also includes time with the Dominican Republic National Team between 2011-14, where he worked under hall of fame coach John Calipari and current Kentucky Assistant Orlando Antigua. The team finished third at the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship, the highest finish in program history, and later, under Antigua, qualified for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup where it established another high-water mark by reaching the round of 16 for the first time.
Cantens has also spent time with the San Antonio Spurs organization as a Guest Coach for the Spurs’ 2018 Summer LeagueTeam.
A native Floridian who was born and raised in Miami, Cantens was ranked among the top prep players in the state before beginning his college playing career at Florida International University in 2005. After transferring to Eckerd College as a sophomore, Cantens helped the Tritons twice reach the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament and was a recipient of the program’s Triton Award, presented each year to a student-athlete who reaches the highest levels of athletic achievement, scholarship and leadership.
Cantens earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Eckerd in 2009, and his Master of Science in Sports Management from Florida State University in 2011. While at Florida State, he served as a graduate manager, playing an integral role in the Seminoles’ Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2011.
Cantens is married to Mel Thomas, a former McDonald’s All American who had a stellar career at UConn. They have a 6 month old daughter, Camila.
