Doug Wojcik Named Men's Basketball Assistant Coach
4/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 22, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo has announced that Doug Wojcik, a member of the North Carolina coaching staff the past three years, will join the Spartan program as an assistant coach. Wojcik fills one of the two voids left by the departures of Brian Gregory and Mike Garland, who were hired as head coaches at Dayton and Cleveland State, respectively.
"We are extremely excited to be adding Doug Wojcik to the Spartan basketball family," said Izzo. "With his background at the Naval Academy, we know we are adding an individual who is disciplined, owns a great work-ethic and is driven to succeed. He has extensive coaching experience at different places, where he has worked for some storied programs. In addition, he brings great recruiting ties as he had to recruit the entire nation while at Navy and he helped land some of the top recruiting classes in the nation while at North Carolina and Notre Dame.
"The decision to hire Doug Wojcik was not a one-man show. I received input from many different places and he received high recommendations from several of the top coaches in the country. Everyone who came into contact with him during his visit to Michigan State had some input in the decision, especially Mark Montgomery. From the beginning, I wanted to bring in someone that was a good fit with both Mark and myself, and Doug fits that perfectly. That will help in the transition process."
Wojcik joined the North Carolina staff prior to the 2000-01 season. That year, the Tar Heels earned a No. 1 national ranking late in the regular season, posted a 13-3 league record and won a share of the ACC regular-season championship. This past season, North Carolina won the Preseason National Invitation Tournament. Among his responsibilities at UNC, Wojcik served as head coach of the junior varsity program. He was named a "Head Coach In Waiting" by Athlon Sports in 2001 and by ESPN's Jay Bilas in 2003. Wojcik also excels in recruiting where he helped bring in classes ranked second in the nation in both 2001 and 2002. These classes included one McDonald's All-American in 2001 and three in 2002.
"I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful to be able to come to Michigan State and work for Coach Izzo," said Wojcik. "I am also very grateful for the help I received from Brian Gregory, who helped me feel like a part of the Spartan family, even though I came from the outside. My family and I now look forward to joining the Spartan basketball family and the Michigan State University community. I had the opportunity to get to know some of the current players during the recruiting process, and I'm excited about having the chance to help them develop as young men and basketball players. My goal is to help Coach Izzo and the rest of the players and staff win championships at Michigan State."
Prior to joining the Tar Heel program, Wojcik was an assistant at Notre Dame during the 1999-2000 season, as the Fighting Irish posted a 22-15 record and earned a berth in the NIT Championship game. In his one year at Notre Dame, he recruited two McDonald's All-Americans. When Notre Dame head coach Matt Doherty accepted the head job at North Carolina, Wojcik followed him to Chapel Hill.
Wojcik broke into the coaching ranks as an assistant at the United States Naval Academy, where he coached his alma mater for nine seasons. While at Navy, he coordinated recruiting and worked with the Midshipmen post players. He coached Hassan Booker, a two-time all-conference selection, and recipient of the Basketball Hall of Fame's Chip Hilton Award, given to the player nationally who demonstrates personal character and leadership on and off the court.
In 1997, Navy became the fourth school in NCAA history to improve its conference record in five consecutive seasons. Navy was in the top 10 in the country in rebounding margin from 1995-97, and led the nation in the category in 1995. Navy also won three Patriot League titles and competed in the NCAA Tournament in 1994, 1997 and 1998.
A native of Wheeling, W. Va., Wojcik earned his bachelor's degree in physical science in 1987. He led Navy to the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons, including a 1986 East Regional Final appearance, on a team that included former Spartan assistant Brian Gregory. Wojcik still holds Navy records for most assists in a game (14), season (251) and career (714), setting the single-season mark as a junior. He started every game at point guard for three seasons, helping Navy to a 26-6 record as a sophomore, followed by marks of 30-5 and 26-6 in his final two seasons. Overall, Navy was 82-17 in his three years as a starter. In 1986, teammate David Robinson turned over his Colonial Athletic Association MVP award to Wojcik, citing his unselfish play and leadership abilities. Wojcik has been a part, either as a player or coach, in every conference title won by Navy and in six of the school's 11 NCAA bids.
After graduation, he was commissioned as a Naval officer and attended Surface Warfare Officer School in Newport, R.I. He was assigned to the USS W.S. Sims out of Mayport, Fla., where he served as First Lieutenant and Engineering Officer for two years prior to beginning his coaching career.
As a high school student-athlete, Wojcik attended Central Catholic High School, where he was tutored by current Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser. Wojcik's brother, David, is the current head coach at Central Catholic, winning the 2002 West Virginia Class A state championship.
Born April 12, 1964, Wojcik's family includes his wife Lael, a 1990 Naval Academy graduate who earned letters in basketball and track, and sons Paxson Walter (born on August 8, 2000) and Denham Miner (born on May 15, 2002).
