NEW ORLEANS (October 25,2022) –The Dillard Bleu Devils’ Men’s Basketball team will kick off the 2022-2023 season this month with a new interim head coach.

Former assistant coach, Ashanti Gray, received a promotion to the interim role from Dillard’s new athletic director, Dr. Linda J. Bell. This promotion along with the hiring of Dr. Bell marks a new chapter for the Dillard Athletic Department. Coach Gray has spent three seasons as the assistant coach at Dillard. Last season the team finished the season with a disappointing record of 10-17 after starting the season 3-1. 

Fans of the team will be looking to see better execution in the second half, and especially in the fourth quarter of close games. Last season the team lost 10 games by less than five points, and missed free throws played a role in the majority of those losses. The team’s slip in performance led them to an eight-game losing streak in November, and killed the team’s momentum for the rest of the season. Additional problems last year lead to multiple players being dismissed from the team prior to the end of the season.

Through the rough patches of the season there were bright spots, and with only two players from last year returning; Coach Gray has an opportunity to build a new culture within the program. Elijah Moore, senior student assistant coach, said, “I’m happy that Coach Gray is the interim head coach. He has been preparing for this moment for three years. I know that he’s ready.”

The first day of official practice was Sept. 22. The team is focused on “finding the chemistry amongst each other,” according to Coach Gray. The Bleu Devils will open their season Oct. 27 in Dent Hall versus John Melvin University at 7 p.m. Follow the team’s journey on Instagram @dillardmbb.