Doug Wojcik (pronounced WO-jick) was introduced as the 22nd all-time head men’s basketball coach at the College of Charleston on Wednesday.

Hear what Coach Wojcik says about his new position.

Watch the press conference.

Wojcik, 47, joins a list of former coaching greats at the College including Athletics Hall of Famers Alfred von Kolnitz (1924-26), Ernest Wehman (two tenures from 1933-42, 1957-58), Willard Silcox, Sr. (three tenures from 1943-44, 1948-53, 1955-56), Fred Daniels (1968-70), Alan LeForce (1970-79), the program’s all-time winningest coach John Kresse (1979-2002) and Bobby Cremins (2006-12).

He spent the last seven seasons at the University of Tulsa where he became the all-time winningest head coach in program history with 140 career wins, surpassing legendary coaches Clarence Iba (137) and Nolan Richardson (119). He held a career winning percentage of 60 percent and an average of 20 wins per season with the Golden Hurricane.

Tulsa was a breeding ground for successful head coaches who eventually led their future programs to a national championship title in Richardson (Arkansas in 1994), Tubby Smith (Kentucky in 1998) and Bill Self (Kansas in 2008) as well as notable assistant coaches in Tom Izzo (Michigan State in 2000), Kevin O’Neill, Mike Anderson, Billy Gillispie and Flip Saunders.

In seven years with the Golden Hurricane, Wojcik took a nine-win squad before his arrival and posted four consecutive 20-win seasons including back-to-back 25+ win campaigns, advanced to the championship game of the Conference USA Tournament in 2008 and 2009, won the inaugural College Basketball Invitational title in 2008 in his third season and appeared in the NIT twice in 2009 and 2010.

All of this success came as the program transitioned from its days in the Western Athletic Conference to the more competitive Conference USA. One of the team’s biggest highlights of the 2010-11 season was defeating Memphis on its home court to break a 12-game losing streak to the Tigers in the all-time series and capture its first road win since 1971. The Golden Hurricane were the only C-USA squad to beat Memphis at home (one of their four league home losses since 2004-05) and one of only two schools that season to do so next to Georgetown.

During his tenure, Tulsa was one of C-USA’s top defensive teams and ranked among the top defenses in the country. Wojcik developed two future NBA players in Ben Uzoh and Jerome Jordan as well as Conference USA leading scorer Justin Hurtt. He also recruited and developed three of the top nine all-time leading scorers in Tulsa history in Uzoh (No. 3), Hurtt (No. 7), and Jerome Jordan (No. 9).

In addition to his team’s success on the court, all 17 of Wojcik’s senior student-athletes earned their degrees at Tulsa, accomplishing a seven-year graduation rate of 100 percent.

Wojcik spent 15 years as an assistant coach at his alma mater Navy along with stops at Notre Dame, North Carolina and Michigan State. He spent two seasons with Michigan State under Izzo before his appointment at Tulsa. Wojcik was instrumental in their run to the 2005 NCAA Final Four, defeating Old Dominion, Vermont, Duke and Kentucky before losing to eventual national champion North Carolina in the semifinals. MSU finished the season with a 26-7 record and a 13-3 Big Ten Conference mark.

He was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2004-05 season, joining an impressive list of recent associate head coaches at Michigan State, including current collegiate head coaches Tom Crean (Indiana) and Brian Gregory (Georgia Tech). In the spring of 2003, Wojcik served as a floor coach under Izzo for the USA Basketball Under-20 tryout period.

Before his stint at Michigan State, Wojcik spent three years as an assistant coach at North Carolina from 2000-03. In his first season, North Carolina earned a No. 1 national ranking late in the regular season, posted a 26-7 overall mark, a 13-3 league record and won a share of the ACC regular-season championship title.

Wojcik’s recruiting expertise and ability was clearly evident while at UNC. He helped bring in recruiting classes ranked second in the nation in both 2001 and 2002. These classes included one McDonald’s All-American in 2001 (Jawad Williams) and three in 2002 (Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Sean May). Wojcik also served as head coach of the junior varsity program at North Carolina for three years.

While in Chapel Hill, Wojcik was named a “Head Coach in the Waiting” by Athlon Sports in 2001 and by ESPN’s Jay Bilas in 2003. He was also named as an “Assistant Coach on the Rise” by ESPN.com’s Andy Katz.

Prior to North Carolina, Wojcik spent one season on the coaching staff at Notre Dame, helping the Fighting Irish post a 22-15 record and earn a berth in the 2000 NIT championship game. In his one season at Notre Dame, he recruited one McDonald’s All-American (Chris Thomas) and coached Tulsa native Ryan Humphrey, who went on to the NBA.

Wojcik began his coaching career in 1990-91 as an assistant coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he coached his alma mater for nine seasons. Wojcik was still on active duty during the first two seasons, then became a full-time assistant coach under new head coach Don DeVoe in 1992.

During his collegiate playing career from 1983-86, Wojcik led the Midshipmen to the NCAA Tournament three-straight seasons including a 1986 East Regional Final appearance. He started every game at point guard for three seasons, helping Navy post 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. During his career, Wojcik established school records for most assists in a single game (14), season (251) and career (714).

Overall, Wojcik was a part, either as a player or coach, in every conference title won by Navy and six of the school’s 11 NCAA Tournament bids.

A 1987 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in physical science, Wojcik 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.

Originally from Wheeling, W. Va., Wojcik and his wife, Lael, a 1990 Navy graduate and former basketball and track standout, are the proud parents of two sons, Paxson (11) and Denham (9).

COACHING EXPERIENCE

1990-1999 (Nine Seasons) – Assistant Coach, Navy – 133-123 (.520) – NCAA Tournament (1994, 1997, 1998)

1999-2000 (One Season) – Assistant Coach, Notre Dame – 22-15 (.595) – NIT (2000)

2001-2003 (Three Seasons) – Assistant Coach, North Carolina – 53-43 (.552) – NCAA Tournament (2000) and NIT (2003)

2003-2004 (One Season) – Assistant Coach, Michigan State

2004-2005 (One Season) – Associate Head Coach, Michigan State – 44-19 (.698) – NCAA (2004) and Final Four (2005)

2005-2011 (Seven Seasons) – Head Coach, Tulsa – 140-92 (.603) – NIT (2009, 2010) and CBI Champions (2008)

 

NBA PLAYERS DRAFTED AND COACHED (14)

2001 Troy Murphy, Notre Dame (1st Round, 14th Overall, Golden State Warriors)

2003 Matt Carroll, Notre Dame (Undrafted, Charlotte Bobcats)

2002 Ryan Humphrey, Notre Dame (1st Round, 19th Overall, Utah Jazz)

2001 Brendan Haywood, North Carolina (1st Round, 20th Overall, Cleveland Cavaliers)

2001 Joe Forte, North Carolina (1st Round, 21st Overall, Boston Celtics)

2005 Raymond Felton, North Carolina (1st Round, Fifth Overall, Charlotte Bobcats)

2005 Sean May, North Carolina (1st Round, 13th Overall, Charlotte Bobcats)

2005 Rashad McCants, North Carolina (1st Round, 14th Overall, Minnesota Timberwolves)

2005 Alan Anderson, Michigan State (Undrafted, Toronto Raptors)

2006 Paul Davis, Michigan State (2nd Round, 34th Overall, Los Angeles Clippers)

2006 Maurice Ager, Michigan State (1st Round, 28th Overall, Dallas Mavericks)

2006 Shannon Brown, Michigan State (1st Round, 25th Overall, Cleveland Cavaliers)

2010 Ben Uzoh, University of Tulsa (Undrafted, Toronto Raptors)

2010 Jerome Jordan, University of Tulsa (2nd Round, 44th Overall, Milwaukee Bucks)

 

EDUCATION

High School: Central Catholic High School (W. Va.), 1983

College: Bachelor’s in Physical Science, U.S. Naval Academy, 1987

 

PERSONAL

Born: April 12, 1964

Hometown: Wheeling, W. Va.

Wife: Lael (pronounced like Gail, but with an “L”)

Children: Paxson (11) and Denham (9)

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT COACH WOJCIK

“Doug is a man of incredible character who has an incredible work ethic. With his Naval Academy background, I liked the fact he had the experience of recruiting kids from across the country. He has recruited the elite student at Notre Dame and Navy and the elite athlete at North Carolina and Michigan State. He has an eye for talent and possesses great knowledge of the game. While an assistant, we went to the Final Four and played against kids he recruited and signed at North Carolina in the national semifinals in 2005. Doug has always been disciplined, had academic success at every school he’s been at and wanted to do things the right way, which is not always the norm. All of these characteristics will be beneficial to the College of Charleston.” – Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo

“The College of Charleston made an excellent hire in Doug Wojcik. He will bring tremendous basketball knowledge and a passion for teaching to an established program. Doug’s long-standing commitment to student-athletes – both on and off the court – is impressive. Additionally, Doug, his wife, Lael, and his family will be first-class representatives of such a prestigious school.” – Duke University & USA National Team Coach Mike Krzyzewski

“Doug Wojcik is an outstanding basketball man, and an excellent coach. I’ve known Doug since we played against each other in college, and he’s as fine a person and a competitor as I have been around. College of Charleston got a heck of a coach and person in Doug Wojcik.” – ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas

“Doug Wojcik is an outstanding hire for the College of Charleston. He has an impeccable resume, winning coaching experience, is a great family man and will be a major asset to the Charleston community.” – ESPN College Basketball Analyst Fran Fraschilla

“I know this is an exciting time for Doug as well as the College of Charleston basketball program. This is a great hire for the future of Cougar basketball. Doug has proven himself as a head coach in both the areas of program building and recruiting. His work ethic and integrity are at the highest level of our profession. There couldn’t be a better fit for the College of Charleston basketball than Doug carrying on the tradition that Coach Kresse and Coach Cremins have established.” – Georgia Tech Head Coach Brian Gregory, who was a college teammate at the U.S. Naval Academy

“First of all, I thank Coach Wojcik for taking a risk on me. I was a young, raw player, who didn’t play my senior year of high school, but he still wanted me to be a part of his program. I really enjoyed my four years at Tulsa and he has done a lot for me over the years, not only as a coach, but as a mentor. He is a great coach who prides himself on the defensive end. He taught me defensive principles which have helped me develop into the player I am today and be able to take my game to the next level. He is also a great family man and will have a great career at the College of Charleston.” – Jerome Jordan, Former Tulsa standout who was drafted 44th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and is the all-time career leader in blocked shots in Conference USA history