On Sunday, March 23, West Virginia University announced they had hired former Drake men’s basketball head coach Darian DeVries. After agreeing to a five-year contract with an average annual salary of $3 million, DeVries was officially introduced as their new head coach in a press conference on Thursday, March 28.
“I understand the responsibility of being the men’s basketball coach here at West Virginia,” DeVries said. “We will do everything we can to make you proud.”
In his opening statement, DeVries thanked Drake University for their support during his time as head coach for the Bulldogs.
“I want to thank Drake University, President [Marty] Martin, the Director of Athletics Brian Hardin, all my former players and the community of Des Moines for their incredible support of myself, my family and my staff over the six years that I was there,” DeVries said. “Drake will always be a part of my family and something we’ll be forever grateful for.”
Drake first hired DeVries to be the head coach for the men’s basketball team in 2018. After three successful seasons, which included DeVries winning MVC Coach of the Year two times, he agreed to an eight-year contract extension with Drake. According to data obtained from ProPublica’s nonprofit explorer, Drake paid DeVries an average of $492,068 from 2019 to 2022.*
During his tenure at Drake, the Drake men’s basketball team compiled a record of 150 wins and 55 losses, including a home record of 30 wins and one loss over the past two seasons and four straight seasons with at least 25 wins. In addition, the Bulldogs won two conference tournaments in 2023 and 2024 and made three appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2021, 2023 and 2024, which included a win against Wichita State in the First Four in 2021.
DeVries enters a historic program at West Virginia. The Mountaineers have made 31 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, appearing most recently in 2023. In the 2023-2024 season, The Mountaineers finished in last place in the Big 13, compiling a conference record of four wins and 14 losses and an overall record of nine wins and 23 losses.
After it was announced DeVries would be leaving Drake to coach at West Virginia, a number of players from the Drake men’s basketball team announced they would be entering the NCAA transfer portal. One of these players, junior Tucker DeVries — Darian’s son and two-time Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year — will follow his father to play at West Virginia.
“To Drake University, the fans and the city of Des Moines, I want to say thank you,” Tucker DeVries said in an Instagram post on March 27. “I am thankful for our time together, and I am excited for the next step.”
Other Drake players who will be entering the transfer portal include first-year guards Kevin Overton and Colby Garland, redshirt sophomore guard Conor Enright and junior guard Atin Wright. On April 1, the team announced the hiring of Ben McCollum as their next head coach.
*Editor’s note: 2022 is the most recent data available.
