Who is Dru Joyce, LeBron James’ HS teammate? Meet Duquesne's new HC replacing Keith Dambrot

After two seasons as an associate head coach at Duquesne, Dru Joyce has been promoted to head coach. LeBron James’ high school teammate is take over from Keith Dambrot, who retired last week after leading the Dukes to their first NCAA Tournament since 1977. Let's take a look at his life and career.

Who is Dru Joyce, LeBron James’ HS teammate?

Dru Joyce III didn’t make much of an impact in the American basketball world as a player, but he was a crucial part of LeBron James' story. Born in Akron, Ohio, Joyce was born to a basketball family. His father was a coach in the sport and played a crucial role in his development as a player.

His basketball journey started at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, where his father was an assistant coach. He enrolled in the school in the fall of 1999, alongside LeBron James, Sian Cotton and Willie McGee. Alongside Romeo Travis, they went on to form what would be known as the “Fab Five.”

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Following his high school career, Dru Joyce committed to the University of Akron, marking his stay in the state of Ohio. He played for the Zips from 2003 to 2007. After going undrafted in the 2007 NBA Draft, he went on to play professional basketball in Europe from 2007 to 2019.

He played for four European countries. He started off in Germany and went on to play in Poland, Belarus and France. He retired as the all-time leader in Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga, a record that has since been eclipsed.

Joyce commenced his coaching career immediately after retiring in 2019. He started off as an assistant at Cleveland State before moving to Duquesne as an associate head coach in 2022. As fate would have it, he will be in charge of the Dukes next season.

Dru Joyce happy to become Duquesne's head coach

Duquesne’s athletic department officially announced Dru Joyce's promotion to head coach on Thursday. It was a dream come true for the former point guard who has dreamed of becoming a Division I coach since he was a teenager.

"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.”

Joyce will begin where Keith Dambrot left. The Dukes made their first March Madness appearance in almost five decades this season, and he has to build on that. The program is expected to receive more attention in college basketball next season.