By Tess DeMeyer, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd
Duquesne’s NCAA Tournament bid, which was already historic given it’s the Dukes’ first time at the big dance in 46 years, just got an added dash of sentimentality as coach Keith Dambrot announced Monday that he will retire at the end of the season.
The news comes a day after the Dukes beat VCU in the Atlantic 10 championship to secure their spot in the bracket.
The Last Dance.
After 26 years as a head coach, Keith Dambrot will retire at the end of the season. pic.twitter.com/PE3AsJfDoP
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) March 18, 2024
Dambrot got his first Division I head coaching job at Central Michigan in 1991, though he only lasted two seasons. After a stint coaching at a Jewish Community Center, he got hired by St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High in Akron in 1998. There he guided a team led by a teenaged LeBron James to two state titles before leaving to become an assistant at Akron. He eventually became the Zips’ head coach and went 305-139 in 13 years, where he often won or finished high in the standings but lost in the league tournament.
He made the move to Duquesne in March 2017 and considered retiring last summer to take care of his wife, Donna, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The Dukes finished the 2023-24…
