Following-up on my report from earlier today (D2 DIRT)…Belmont Abbey head coach Dan Ficke has officially taken over at MSU Denver. Here’s the release from the school:
MSU Denver Director of Athletics Todd Thurman announced Thursday the hiring of Dan Ficke as the Roadrunners’ next head coach for men’s basketball.
A Denver native, Ficke has spent the past three seasons as the head coach at Division II Belmont Abbey (N.C.), directing the Crusaders to a 61-25 record and three appearances in the national tournament. Belmont Abbey played in three straight Conference Carolinas Tournament championship games, winning the last two.
“I’m excited to introduce one of the top young coaches in America as our new head coach for men’s basketball,” Thurman said. “Everything that Dan stands for as a head coach aligns with our values at MSU Denver. As a Denver native, he understands our culture and what MSU Denver basketball is all about, and we know that he will re-energize our program and our fan base with an exciting brand of basketball. We can’t wait for a new era of Roadrunners basketball to begin.”
Ficke, a Regis Jesuit High School alum, played college basketball at Division I Loyola (Md.) before embarking on his coaching career. Prior to his successful run at Belmont Abbey, Ficke spent four seasons (2015-16 through 2018-19) as an assistant at Division I Denver. Among the highlights during his time at DU was helping the Pioneers lead the Summit League in scoring while finishing second in 3-point percentage during the 2017-18 season.
“I’m thrilled to be coming home to Denver and to be able to have the opportunity to coach one of NCAA Division II’s elite programs,” Ficke said. “Our goal is to restore MSU Denver to regional and national relevance, and we’re going to do everything the right way to get there. We’re going to make a difference in our community, and we’re going to have an impact on our campus socially and academically. We’re going to play an uptempo, unselfish, unrelenting style of basketball that our fans will enjoy.”
Prior to his experience at Denver, Ficke spent two seasons, 2013-14 through 2014-15, as an assistant coach at his alma mater. Before that, Ficke was on the staff at Wake Forest, where he was was promoted to special assistant to the head coach/director of scouting and recruiting in 2012-13 after two seasons as the program’s assistant director of operations.
Ficke’s first coaching job came in 2009-10, when he was the junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant at Boy’s Latin School of Maryland.
At Loyola, Ficke was a part of some of the most successful Division I teams in program history. The Greyhounds won 64 games over those seasons, including the 2007-08 team that won a then-school record 19. He graduated in 2009 with his bachelor’s degree in business administration and earned his master’s of business administration in 2010.
As a high school player, Ficke served as team captain during his junior and senior seasons, and averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds as a senior, earning all-state second team and all-conference honors.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DAN FICKE:
“Nobody will give more of their heart and soul to MSU Denver basketball than Dan Ficke. He is the perfect coach at this time to lead MSU Denver back to national prominence. Basketball in the state of Colorado just got better today with the hiring of Dan Ficke.”
–Tad Boyle, head coach, Colorado
“Dan is one of the best young and up-and-coming coaches in America. He knows what it takes to win games and will have MSU Denver back in the conversation as one of the elite programs in the country sooner rather than later.”
–Jeff Linder, head coach, Wyoming
“When he decided to coach, I tried to share everything I was taught with him. I was living in Charlotte when Dan took the Abbey job and was fortunate enough to watch his teams play. I truly believe he’s one of the brightest young coaches around. He loves to teach, which I saw every time I visited his practice. He cares about kids and he constantly challenges them to do their very best. MSU Denver has the potential to recruit the very best student-athletes, and Dan will be a big reason kids will want to play there.”
—Larry Brown, coaching legend
