Archie Miller turned to his past to fill an assistant coaching vacancy on the University of Rhode Island men’s basketball team.
James Whitford will join the Rams for the 2024-25 season. His addition was formally announced in a statement on Tuesday. He replaces Kenny Johnson, who was hired by Georgetown to fill the same role.
“James is an excellent coach who understands what it takes to build a winning culture,” Miller said in a statement. “He’s been in the game a long time and has had success every step of the way.
“His loyalty and drive are unmatched, and our players will benefit immensely from his commitment to them individually.”
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Whitford most recently spent nine seasons as Ball State’s head coach, totaling 131 wins before his dismissal in 2021-22. He posted 20 wins in 2015-16 and 2016-17, the first time the Cardinals reached that number in consecutive seasons in more than two decades. Whitford reached the CIT both seasons and advanced to the quarterfinals on the first trip.
Whitford joins a URI staff that includes assistant coaches Duane Woodward, Austin Carroll, Christen Cunningham and Ben Sander. Woodward was hired from Seton Hall, Carroll was a holdover from David Cox’s four seasons and Cunningham was initially hired as director of player development. Sander serves as the program’s chief of staff.
Whitford was an assistant at Miami (Ohio) before being hired by Sean Miller’s staff at Xavier in 2005. He followed Miller from the Musketeers to Arizona in 2009 and was an assistant to Archie Miller for two seasons. Whitford remained with the Wildcats after Miller left for Dayton and finally received his own head coaching chance two years later.
Whitford’s career spanning three decades includes nine NCAA Tournament berths, five Sweet 16 appearances and a pair of Elite Eights. He coached 10 players who made it to the NBA, including former Redhawks star Wally Szcerbiak and former Arizona standout Derrick Williams.
Whitford was a student manager at Wisconsin before graduating in 1994. His senior year coincided with the Badgers’ first NCAA Tournament trip since 1947. Whitford was part of a team headed by the Big East’s current associate executive commissioner for men’s basketball, Stu Jackson, and Wisconsin was led by future NBA star Michael Finley.
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The Rams are entering Miller’s third season looking for a breakthrough. They went 12-20 in 2023-24 and were eliminated in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. URI received transfer commitments from Albany guard Sebastian Thomas, Nebraska guard Jamarques Lawrence and St. Louis Cardinals forward.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared in The Providence Journal: James Whitford Named Rhode Island Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach
