Last week, I mentioned that Nick Doyle was the leader at D3 Shenandoah (Daily Dirt). It’s now official – he has been named as the Hornets head coach. Here’s the official statement from Shenandoah:
Shenandoah University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Bridget Lyons announced Monday the appointment of Nick Doyle as the Hornets new head men’s basketball coach.
Doyle, a 2016 graduate of ODAC rival Virginia Wesleyan, comes to SU after four seasons as the top assistant at his alma mater. In that time, he mentored seven All-ODAC honorees with two players earning the accolade on multiple occasions.
Doyle is the fourth full-time head coach in program history.
VWU won 57 games during that four-year stint including a 23-5 campaign in 2019-20 and an 18-10 slate in 2021-22. In both of those seasons, the Marlins made an appearance in the ODAC Tournament championship contest.
Doyle also assisted the department in various capacities including game management and academic monitoring.
The Franklin, Virginia native got his coaching career started as a graduate assistant at Lynchburg before spending one year at Wilkes (Pa.) University. In that season, Doyle helped the Colonels to their best season in 17 years.
“We were very fortunate to have an excellent pool of candidates and Nick stood out in every interaction we had with him,” Dr. Lyons stated. “His enthusiasm for the job was infectious and our student-athletes were drawn to his vision for the program. They overwhelmingly felt he was the best candidate for the position.
“I look forward to working with Nick as he builds our program into a consistent contender in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.”
In addition to his experience at Lynchburg, Wilkes, and Virginia Wesleyan, Doyle also worked in player development for a private business for one summer. In this role, he led player workouts for a 2000-member organization.
As a player, Doyle helped VWU to a 45-15 record in his two seasons in Virginia Beach and was the team captain of the 2015-16 squad that finished 27-6 and made an appearance in the NCAA Division III Final Four. He started his undergraduate career at DI Delaware State before transferring to VWU.
“I want to thank Dr. Lyons and the committee for this opportunity,” Doyle said. “I am very excited to be associated with such a strong institution and can’t wait to get started.
“I also want to thank my former head coach, Dave Macedo, for all of his support. He has been a great mentor and has taught me what it takes to be successful in the ODAC and at the national level. It is going to be a pleasure to compete against him each year as conference opponents.”
Doyle and his wife, Kenya, are the parents of a son, Mason. He starts his full-time duties on May 2.
