West Virginia coaching hire comes with instant gratitude, landing Mountaineers a big portal addition

In an attempt to officially put the Bob Huggins era behind them, West Virginia parted ways with longtime staffer and interim head coach Josh Eilert after a chaotic and challenging season that saw the Mountaineers finish with a 9-23 record, replacing him with Darian DeVries.

DeVries spent six seasons as the head coach of the Drake Bulldogs, leading the program to a 150-55 record and three NCAA Tournament appearances. He enjoyed sustained success in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) alongside his son, Tucker DeVries, who will follow in his footsteps to the Mountain State and Big 12.

West Virginia lands Tucker DeVries, son of new HC

Darian broke the news during his introductory press conference as the new head coach of the Mountaineers, and you cannot get a more direct source than that.

What’s better than one DeVries? Two.

The addition of Tucker is significant for West Virginia and quite a first impression to make on the first official day of the job for Darian.

Tucker will join the Mountaineers for his senior season and final year of eligibility after earning back-to-back MVC Player of the Year honors. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc on 7.1 attempts this past season. His scoring prowess is a welcomed sight for a WVU team that ranked 290 out of 362 in the nation in offensive rating in 2023-24.

Moreover, Tucker was amongst the crowd in attendance for his father’s media debut in Morgantown, albeit in a shoulder sling. He missed a game during the previous campaign because of the same issue and appears to be nursing the injury during the offseason, though it shouldn’t be a cause for concern yet.

The DeVries hope to continue their reign as a dynamic father-son duo in the next chapter of their joint journey.