'He's ready': Time right for Dru Joyce III to be Duquesne coach, dad and Keith Dambrot say

Dru Joyce III slept with a basketball as a kid growing up in Akron and began on-court workouts in seventh grade under the guidance of Keith Dambrot.

Joyce's lifelong hoops journey is among the reasons his father, Dru Joyce II, and Dambrot are confident he's prepared to take the reins at Duquesne University, where he worked as one of Dambrot's assistants the past two seasons. The school formally named the 39-year-old Joyce its new men's basketball coach Thursday and will introduce him Monday during a news conference.

“This has been his dream,” longtime St. Vincent-St. Mary High School boys basketball coach Dru Joyce II told the Beacon Journal by phone after Duquesne promoted his oldest son. “First, it was to play Division I college basketball when no one thought that he would even play there, then to go on and have a long career overseas.

“The growth that he's attained playing in all those different situations and under different coaches and throughout his time in Europe and different countries, you just know that he's ready. He's put in the time, and he's going to be good at it. I think that Keith recognizing that also is important.”

At age 13, Joyce began receiving basketball lessons from Dambrot at the Jerry Shaw Jewish Community Center of Akron on White Pond Drive. Joyce played point guard for Dambrot and his dad at STVM and Dambrot again at the University of Akron. When Dambrot recently finalized his decision to retire from coaching, he made it known he wanted Joyce to become his successor at Duquesne.

“That was the reason that we brought him [to Duquesne], so, yeah, it's satisfying,” Dambrot said Thursday by phone while discussing Joyce's latest career move with the Beacon Journal.

“He's ready. He's got good help, too, [from the Duquesne assistants]. Rick McFadden and Coach [Terry] Weigand have been with me a long time, so he's more than ready.”

Keith Dambrot says coach Dru Joyce III will hold Duquesne basketball 'to the same standards that he held himself' as a player

Joyce will be a rookie head coach. Before joining Dambrot's staff in May 2022, Joyce spent three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Cleveland State. He launched a coaching career after playing professional basketball abroad for 12 years.

Dambrot, 65, can envision how Joyce will operate at the helm of Duquesne.

“He's going to hold them to the same standards that he held himself,” Dambrot said. “I think he'll have good relationships with the guys. He's got a good mix of being tough, but also loving. I think the good thing about him is his upside is really high, so he'll get better and better and better as he goes.

“It's a hard league. That's the one thing about [the Atlantic 10 Conference] is you've got guys that have been in the Final Four. You've got loads of money being poured into men's basketball 'cause there's very little football. So it's really hard from that perspective, but it's a great place for him to start. Most guys don't get the opportunity to start at this league, so it'll be a good starting point for him.”

The truth about Joyce's readiness is the people who know him best thought he was equipped to fill Cleveland State's head coaching vacancy two years ago.

“When [my son] didn't get that job at Cleveland State, Keith kind of took it a little personal,” Dru Joyce II, who has led STVM to seven state titles, said with a laugh.

The elder Joyce spotted a future coach long ago. Dambrot did, too.

“He's always had a big brain and really had great toughness and belief in himself,” Dambrot said. “He was just cut out to be a coach. He was always a coach, even when he played.”

In a Duquesne news release announcing his hire, Joyce said he has aspired to become an NCAA Division I head coach since age 14.

“I'm looking forward to expanding on the legacy that Keith Dambrot has built the last seven years,” Joyce said in the release, “and I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue to make an impact with the student-athletes, coaches and staff to make our program one that Duquesne and the surrounding region can be proud of."

More on the Dru Joyce III hire: Akron native takes torch from Keith Dambrot as new Duquesne basketball coach

After Keith Dambrot announced his retirement from coaching, Duquesne captured its first NCAA Tournament win in 55 years

Dambrot ended his seven-season tenure at Duquesne by coaching the Dukes to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1977 and their first March Madness victory since 1969. The 11th-seeded Dukes upset No. 6 Brigham Young 71-67 on March 21 before losing 89-63 to No. 3 Illinois on Saturday.

“I was happy to be able to get a win for our guys more than anything,” said Dambrot, a graduate of Firestone High School and the University of Akron. “But I really never really thought much about winning an NCAA Tournament game. I just wanted to do the best I could every single night, really.”

Meanwhile, Joyce's close friend and former STVM teammate LeBron James openly cheered for Duquesne on social media amid March Madness. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar also commented on Joyce's job news by tweeting, “So damn happy and proud of you my brother!!!”

This has been a special week for the Joyce family. Not only did Duquesne make the choice Dambrot had hoped it would, but Joyce's 35-year-old brother, Cam, coached St. Ignatius High School to the Division I state championship on Sunday.

Dru Joyce II is thrilled for both of his sons.

“I've had a lot of success,” he said, “but they're going to be much better at this than me.”

Look back at LeBron James era at STVM: Mom Gloria James, former coaches, Dru Joyce III and other ex-teammates reflect

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Dru Joyce III ready to lead Duquesne basketball, Keith Dambrot says