Dorian Long named director of basketball operations for JMU men’s basketball

JMU coach Matt Brady announced that he has hired Dorian Long as the new director of basketball operations for the James Madison men’s basketball program.

Long joins Brady’s staff after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach for Washington College, a Division III institution in Chestertown, Md. He was recently elevated to associate head coach for the Shoremen for the 2014-15 year prior to being hired at JMU.

“We are really excited about adding Dorian to our staff,” Brady said. “He and I have known each other for a few years and we talked about him potentially coming into the program when the opportunity was a good fit for us and him. He’s a high-character and high-quality person, he has a terrific work ethic and is someone who is very committed and invested in becoming a college basketball coach.”

“I’d like to thank Coach Brady and his staff for hiring me and I’m very excited to help the JMU men’s basketball program reach its goals,” Long said. “I’m looking forward to not only working with the program but also the JMU community and I’m happy to be a part of the JMU family.”

In his two seasons at WC, he coached a pair of players to All-Centennial Conference teams, with a Second Team selection in 2012-13 and an Honorable Mention pick this past season. Prior to Washington College, Long was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Neumann University, for four seasons, spanning 2008-12.

He was responsible for recruiting, scouting, player development and academic progress while organizing and directing all team and individual summer camp operations. He has also beeno co-President and head coach of a youth club team, The Whiz Basketball Club, since 2009.

Long served roles as a student assistant coach and assistant coach at Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel Hill, Pa., and completed an internship at Saint Joseph’s University, working closely with both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. In addition, he volunteered in the Yeadon Athletic Association as an assistant coach for grade-school athletes.

He is a 2010 graduate from Neumann, where he earned a bachelor of science in sport management.

Each of JMU’s last three directors of basketball operations have been hired at NCAA member institutions, most recently Rob Summers (2013-14), who was hired as the head coach at Urbana University, a Division II school in Urbana, Ohio. Previous to Summers, Lucius Jordan (2012-13) was named an assistant coach at Siena and Bill Phillips (2011-12) was elevated to assistant coach status at JMU.

“We’ve hired good people and that’s the number one and most paramount criteria when I’m trying to hire men in these positions,” Brady said of the DOBO position. “The quality of person they are is something we look for all the time. Not only are we educators but we’re trying to find the right people because we want to be able to help the players in our program.”

He added, “The other part of it is that everyone we hire is a representative of our university and I take that very seriously. My staff has done a really great job representing JMU Basketball not just on our campus but in the community and throughout the region.”

Long joins a JMU program which returns eight letter winners from a year ago, including two starters in junior guards Ron Curry(Pennsauken, N.J./Paul VI) and Andre Nation (Plant City, Fla./Faith Baptist Christian School). The Dukes finished the 2013-14 campaign with an 11-20 overall record and were tied for sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 6-10 conference mark.