West Virginia Basketball: Get to know Head Coach Darian DeVries 

On March 24th, the West Virginia men’s basketball program announced the hire of Darian DeVries, who has become the 23rd head coach in program history. 

As the dust continues to settle, let’s get to know the new WVU men’s basketball coach. Where does DeVries come from? Who is he bringing with him? Why should Mountaineer fans be excited to begin this new era?

Darian DeVries just celebrated his 49th birthday on April 7th. DeVries spent each of the last six seasons as the Head Coach at Drake where he led the Bulldogs to six 20+ win seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2024, the Drake Bulldogs earned a 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament, falling to the Washington State Cougars in the opening round. The Bulldogs finished the season with a record of 28-7, including an undefeated 16-0 record at home. 

Unique in the coaching world, DeVries has had the opportunity to coach his son, Tucker DeVries in each of the last 3 seasons. With Coach DeVries coming over to Morgantown, Mountaineer fans have been happy to find out that Tucker will be joining the basketball program as a player during the 2024-25 season.

Tucker DeVries has been the definition of a star in the Missouri Valley Conference. In 3 seasons, he has earned All-Conference honors 3 times and is a 2-time player of the year in the conference. In the 2023-24 season, DeVries averaged 21.6 points per game, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Tucker DeVries will look to continue the success of his collegiate career as a part of the Big 12 Conference during his senior season. 

In addition to Tucker DeVries, two other key contributors for the Drake Bulldogs are still considering WVU as a top destination. Rising Senior, Atin Wright and rising Sophomore, Kevin Overton may just join the DeVries family in Morgantown as well. 

Atin Wright (2023-24 season)

14.1 points per game | 2.3 rebounds per game | 1.9 assists per game | 40.6% 3-pt shooting

Kevin Overton (2023-24 season)

11.3 points per game | 3.3 rebounds per game | 34.6% 3-pt shooting 

The West Virginia men’s basketball program will certainly be doing some roster reconstruction, as several Mountaineers from the 2023-24 campaign are either out of eligibility or have already entered the transfer portal. Kerr Kriisa, Josiah Harris, Patrick Suemnick, and Seth Wilson have all entered the NCAA transfer portal. 

Regardless, Mountaineer fans should be excited with the hire of Darian DeVries. DeVries is a proven winner who will look to continue to win games at a high clip while leading the WVU men’s basketball program. In this era of college basketball, the Mountaineers certainly are not the only ones with questions as to who will be on their basketball roster in the coming season. However, Mountaineer fans can be hopeful that AD Wren Baker now has the man that he wants leading the men’s basketball program in Darian DeVries.