Fresh off a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title and NCAA Tournament Appearance, Darian DeVries, the 2018-19 and 2020-21 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, enters his sixth season as the head coach of the Drake men’s basketball program in 2023-24. DeVries has captured 122 wins during his tenure leading the Bulldogs, the most of any five-year period in school history and marking the only time in program history that Drake has recorded five-straight 20-win seasons. During those five seasons, DeVries has led the Bulldogs to four Post-Season tournament appearances, including the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and 2023 along with the 2019 CollegeInsider.com Tournament and College Basketball Invitational in 2022. Their 2021 First Four victory over Wichita State in the NCAA Tournament was the first tournament victory in 50 years. Of the 10 total 20-win seasons in program history, five have come under DeVries leadership, including 27 wins in 2022-23, the most since 2008. During his first two seasons, he guided the Bulldogs to the program’s second-straight 20-win season which marked the first time since 1971 the program had won 20 or more games in consecutive seasons and just the third time it had occurred in program history. Prior to his DeVries tenure at Drake, the program had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2008 and had only made a total of ten post-season appearances. DeVries four post-season appearances in five seasons has set a new precedent for Bulldogs basketball. His win total and win percentage are both second in Drake basketball history. His winning percentage in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (.714) also marks the greatest win percentage for a Bulldogs head coach in the MVC Tournament, including three trips to the finals and five semifinal appearances to go along with their 2023 championship.

DeVries led teams have filled the Drake men’s basketball record books throughout his tenure. His teams have landed in the top three in the Drake record books in Scoring, Margin of Victory, Opponent Scoring, Offensive Field Goal Percentage, 3 Point Field Goals Made, Assists and Blocks. Further, he has seen many of his players land Missouri Valley Conference recognitions. In addition to the team accolades, DeVries has played a key role in the development of several of his players into All-Conference talents including Tucker DeVries, the 2023 Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year. Since his arrival, Drake has had 4 first team all-conference selections, 5 second team selections and 3 third team selections. They have also had multiple players selected to the Defensive (3), Newcomer (4), Freshman (4), Most Improved (1) and Bench (1) all-conference teams. In addition to the 2023 Player of the Year Award, DeVries has developed players into Freshman, Newcomer, and 6th Man of the Year Award winners while at Drake.

A master tactician, DeVries has guided the Bulldogs offense towards the top of the Missouri Valley Conference in several offensive categories. Since 2018, the Bulldogs have been in the top three in scoring offense four times, including leading the league in scoring on two occasions. They have also been top three in Field Goal Percentage each season and top two in offensive efficiency, including leading the league in 2021. His teams have also led the Conference in Defensive efficiency on two occasions. This well rounded, dynamic philosophy has led the Bulldogs to top three in the conference in margin of victory in all but one season, leading the conference in this metric during two seasons.

Before taking over the Bulldogs’ program, DeVries was an assistant coach at Creighton University for 17 years and spent 20 total seasons on staff with the Bluejays. During that time, he helped lead the Bluejays to 19 post-season appearances and 12 NCAA Tournament berths. DeVries was one of the longest-tenured men’s basketball assistant coaches at one school in the nation and assisted the Bluejays in their fifth NCAA Tournament in seven years before earning the Drake position. The program won more than 400 games while DeVries was on staff, including 231 conference wins. Under his guidance, Creighton had 15 all-conference selections, six conference Player of the Year, three Newcomers of the Year, three Freshman of the Year and three Defensive Player of the Year. Creighton also had six All-American honorees in that time, including Doug McDermott, the first player in 30 years to be named a First Team All-American in three straight seasons.

DeVries played his college ball at Northern Iowa under coach Eldon Miller. DeVries ranks 31st all-time in scoring at UNI with 1,084 points and was twice a Missouri Valley Scholar-Athlete Team selection. He was a two-time captain and three time leader in three point percentage for the Panthers.

DeVries, the oldest of five children, was a standout athlete at Aplington-Parkersburg (Iowa) and a 2015 IHSAA inductee. Darian and his wife, Ashley, have a son, Tucker, and a daughter, Tatum.

“He has a good understanding of the game and the way he wants to play, and I think he sees the strengths and weaknesses in players very quickly. And then the second thing, besides his feel for the game: his passion for the game, his energy level.”

Dana Altman
Oregon Head Coach