Ferry tabbed as Duquesne men's hoops coach

Apr 10, 2012 - 11:50 PM Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Duquesne men's basketball has a new bench boss.

Jim Ferry was named to the position on Tuesday, filling the vacancy created when Ron Everhart was relieved of his duties on March 23. He will formally be introduced at a Thursday afternoon press conference, as the 16th man to lead the school in the program's 95-year history.

"Ferry has been a winner at every level," said director of athletics Greg Amodio. "Through a combination of hard work, strong character and outstanding leadership he experienced unprecedented success at LIU. I look forward to him using those same qualities to make his mark on the Duquesne basketball program. He is an aggressive recruiter whose teams are known for tough, physical play. Jim is the right fit for Duquesne right now."

The 44-year-old Long Island native comes from a successful 10-year stint at LIU-Brooklyn, during which he took the program from 5-22 in 2002-03 to a 27-6 record in 2010-11. He guided the Blackbirds to a 25-9 mark last season.

Over a 14-year career in the coaching ranks, Ferry boasts a 254-168 record, three Division II tourney berths and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances at the Division I level.

"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to coach at Duquesne University," said Ferry. "I look forward to the challenge of taking this program to the next level. "I was very impressed by the commitment shown by president [Dr. Charles] Dougherty and Greg Amodio during the interview process. They have a clear vision of where they'd like this program to be. I look forward to making that vision a reality."

The Dukes posted a 16-15 record this season, one that came to an end with a loss to Massachusetts in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Championship. Everhart compiled a 99-89 record as Duquesne's head coach, including a 46-50 mark in A-10 play.