Dru Joyce III's introductory news conference as the new coach of the Duquesne men's basketball team emphasized his past in Akron as much as it looked forward.
Joyce officially assumed the program's reins from Keith Dambrot, the former University of Akron coach who left the Zips for the Dukes and is retiring after seven seasons in Pittsburgh.
Joyce's relationship with Dambrot dates back to when Joyce decided to play high school basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary and brought a few of his friends, including LeBron James, with him .
Joyce said he learned plenty from Dambrot in the ensuing decades.
Duquesne basketball: 'He's ready': Time right for Dru Joyce III to be Duquesne coach, dad and Keith Dambrot say
"Knowing him from the age of 12 and seeing him run and jump all over the place at a bunch of 10-, 11-, and 12-year-olds, to seeing him in this final, his final season bring that same energy," Joyce said of Dambrot's influence. "He couldn't jump as high a run as fast, but he still managed to find a way. And I think some of our players experienced some of those moments.
"But, like I said, what I learned is no matter what you got to show up not only for yourself, but for people. And he did that. And I'll take that with me."
Joyce also had kind words for James and what their friendship has meant through the years. James was the first to "officially" announce Joyce's hiring.
"It's a friendship that goes way beyond the tweet from the other day, but back to our experience from 9 and 10 years old, that's where it really comes from," Joyce said of James said, "Just a couple young guys that had a lot in common that wrapped our minds around we're going to be honest with each other, we're going to motivate and push each other. And that's what we still continue to do to this day."
This will be the first head coaching job for Joyce, who served as an assistant coach at Cleveland State University before heading to Duquesne to serve as Dambrot's assistant. He played professional basketball in Europe after completing his collegiate career at the University of Akron, where he played for Dambrot.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Dru Joyce III gives love to Akron during Duquesne introduction
