DeVries checks all the boxes on Baker's list
West Virginia Athletic Director Wren Baker had a checklist for qualities that he wanted to find in the next head coach of the men’s basketball program.
New head coach Darian DeVries certainly checks those boxes.
The former Drake head coach displayed a demonstrated track record of success going 150-55 over his six seasons with the Bulldogs winning at least 20 games in each of those seasons. He was named Missouri Valley Coach of the Year twice and led his team to three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Outside of those three trips, the Bulldogs have only been to the Big Dance four other times.
DeVries won 70-percent of his conference games, too and has built the type of championship program and culture that the Mountaineers wanted to bring to Morgantown.
The Iowa native has certainly demonstrated the knowledge and plan to navigate the ever-changing current college landscape in building his Drake program which is another major benefit. Understanding how to deal with both roster building and retention in the time of the transfer portal is critical and clearly DeVries has shown that ability during his time with the Bulldogs.
Known as a tactician on the sideline, DeVries has shown the ability to adjust over his career which will be critical in a league as challenging as the Big 12. Baker wanted an emphasis on the defensive end of the floor as it’s been shown to be a key catalyst for success in the Big 12 and his teams at Drake have been strong on that end of the floor ranking No. 72 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency while also sitting at No. 41 in adjusted offensive efficiency.
DeVries spent 17 years as an assistant at Creighton and learned under both Dana Altman and Greg McDermott before having the chance to run his own program. Those are the only two places that he has been at in his coaching career as he served as a graduate manager before moving to an assistant role with the Bluejays spending two decades at the school.
Being at Drake, DeVries has embraced being the face of the basketball program which makes him a good fit for what he will find at West Virginia. DeVries played collegiately at Northern Iowa and while the two states aren’t necessarily the same they both share many of the same qualities.
DeVries will understand the values, determination and resiliency that defines West Virginians.
It’s impossible to know how things will eventually turn out with any new coaching hire but when it comes to the blueprint Baker outlined, DeVries certainly hits the mark.
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan
