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Head Coach Del Harris

Del Harris, who has served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at such renowned schools as Morgan State, Virginia Military Institute and the University of Richmond, has been named interim head men's basketball coach at Vassar College. The announcement was made by Sharon Beverly, Director of Athletics & Physical Education. Harris succeeds longtime coach Mike Dutton, who accepted the position of Director of Athletics and Boys Basketball Coach at Yarmouth (ME) Academy after coaching at Vassar since 1994. In addition to his basketball duties, Harris will serve as an Assistant Athletics Director for Operations.

Harris, 30, joins Vassar following a year spent as a Health and Physical Education teacher at Dunbar High School in Baltimore, MD. Prior to Dunbar, Harris was an assistant coach at Morgan State (2006-07). In the 2005-06 season, Harris was an assistant coach at Virginia Military Institute. He began his collegiate coaching career at the University of Richmond where he served as an administrative assistant (2004-05) under former head coach Jerry Wainwright, currently the head coach at DePaul University in Chicago.

“We are excited to have Del Harris as our new men’s basketball coach,” says Beverly. “He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to our program and we’re looking forward to building a bright future with Coach Harris.”

Harris’ coaching resume includes a successful run in the AAU ranks where he served as Team Richmond head coach from March 2001 to August 2004. Harris guided Team Richmond 16 and 17 teams to a second place finish in the state for two consecutive years and were widely regarded as one of the top programs in the East. During Harris’ tenure as Team Richmond head coach, nine players signed Division I and II scholarships, including Tyrese Rice who was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection last year while playing for Boston College.

"I am deeply humbled to have this very exciting opportunity at Vassar College," said Harris. "I am committed to continuing the honor and dignity of Vassar's men's basketball program and look forward to building new successes."

Harris also taught and coached in the Richmond area public schools systems and coached Chesterfield County’s Matoaca Middle School Boys team in 2003-2004 and was Bailey Bridge Middle School head Girls coach in 2002-2003.

Harris graduated from Virginia State University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and Recreation. He also attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Howard (Md.) Community College where he was a player in 1996-1997.

Harris graduated from Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy in 1996 and was named first Team All-State, and All-Region Prep Virginia Independent Schools. Harris also played in Richmond Metro AAU from 1990 to 1996 and was on the second place team in the 1995 National tournament. He was also an AAU All-American in 1990.

Harris is single and resides in Poughkeepsie, NY.


Assistant Coach Josh King

Fresh off a successful playing career at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, Josh King joins the Vassar men’s basketball program as assistant coach. Head coach Del Harris made the announcement.

At Vassar, King will be in charge of recruiting, scouting, on-the-floor coaching, and player development.

“I am very excited to have Josh join the Vassar basketball family,” said Harris. “I truly believe Josh’s passion and work ethic as a player will carry over to making him a fine young coach.”

This past summer, following his graduation in May, King honed his coaching skills while working summer basketball camps at the University of Florida, North Carolina State, Virginia Commonwealth, Eckerd College, and High Point University.

A 2008 graduate of Eckerd College with a B.A. in Business Management, King served as co-captain in his senior year, starting all 28 games. From 2006-2008, he led the team in made three-point field goals (136) and free-throw percentage (85 per cent), and in 2008 he ranked second on the team in scoring (13.6 ppg). Eckerd reached the NCAA Division II Tournament from 2006-2008, making an appearance in the Sweet 16 in the 2006-07 season. King arrived at Eckerd in 2006, after transferring from Division I East Carolina University.

King graduated from Trinity High School, where he is the school’s all time leading scorer with 2,577 points. In his senior year at Trinity, King was honored as the 2004 AP Player of the Year, “North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball,” as well as being named the Class 3A Player of the Year and the Western Regional Tournament MVP. He was named All Conference and All County all four years in high school, and was the Conference Player of the Year for three consecutive years (2002-04). King holds the North Carolina high-school record for three-pointers made (416), and is the third-ranked all time leading scorer in the state.