Duncan Joins Shyatt at Wyoming
Men's basketball assistant coach ends two-year Cougar stint.
March 11, 1997
PULLMAN, Wash. - Scott Duncan, an assistant men's basketball
coach at Washington State, has decided to take a similar position
at Wyoming to join head coach and long-time friend Larry Shyatt.
Duncan, 41, just completed his 17th season as a Division I
assistant coach and second season under Cougar head coach
Kevin Eastman, who must replace his fourth assistant coach in
three years.
In Duncan's first year at Washington State, the 1995-96 Cougars
finished 17-12 overall and advanced to the National Invitation
Tournament where they were stopped in the second round by
eventual NIT champion Nebraska. In 1996-97, Washington State
finished 13-17 overall, 5-13 for eighth place in the Pacific-10
Conference.
Duncan was involved with all aspects of recruiting, scouting and
on-floor coaching at Washington State. His first full recruiting class
provided the Cougars with several promising players for the future.
Freshman Chris Crosby, who finished 10th in Pac-10 3-point
percentage (.400), was Washington State's first Long Beach Press-
Telegram Best in the West pick since 1982. Junior transfer
Rodrigo de la Fuente was a Pac-10 All-Newcomer honorable
mention selection and Blake Pengelly was picked to the Pac-10
All-Freshman squad after leading the league in 3-point accuracy
(.486).
Prior to his appointment at WSU, Duncan was responsible for all
phases of recruiting at Northern Illinois University. NIU opened the
1994-95 basketball campaign with a 9-0 mark, its best start in 40
years, en route to the Huskies' biggest turnaround since the 1936-
37 season. The Huskies finished the year with a 19-10 record,
their third highest win total, after posting a 10-17 mark in 1993-94.
Duncan was responsible for all phases of recruiting at the
Midwestern Collegiate Conference school. He played a big part in
the Huskies' 1992-93 recruiting class rated as the year's best
among mid-major programs by the Rick Bolus Basketball Service.
He coordinated the recruitment of Jamal Robinson NIU's leading
scorer (16.0) and rebounder (8.6) in 1995.
Prior to his appointment at NIU, Duncan spent a short six-month
stint at Fresno State and helped the Bulldogs recruit the second
best class in the Big West Conference as picked by The Los
Angeles Times.
Duncan also spent ten seasons at New Mexico. He was hired as a
part-time assistant in 1980 and was elevated to full-time status in
1983. Starting with the 1983-84 campaign the Lobos earned seven
consecutive berths to the National Invitation Tournament, including
one trip to the semifinals. While at New Mexico, Duncan helped
recruit the school's top three all-time scorers, including 7-foot-2
center Luc Longley, and all nine players that earned All-WAC
honors.
Duncan got his start in coaching in 1978 as a graduate assistant at
Cleveland State where he coached for two seasons.
He graduated from the College of Wooster (Ohio) in 1978 with a
B.S. in physical education and economics. He was a four-time
letterwinner as a guard and helped the Scots to NCAA College
Division appearances in both his junior and senior seasons.
Quote From Washington State Head Coach Kevin Eastman
(About Two-Year Assistant Scott Duncan Leaving For Assistant
Spot At Wyoming)
"This is a unique situation for Scott in that he has a chance to work
with his best friend. We don't often have that chance in life. I knew
when I hired Scott that he would go with Larry Shyatt (Wyoming
head coach) when Larry got his first break. I think it's terrific that
both Larry and Scott will be able to do something in the same
profession that they had talked about wanting to do in the last 20
years, and that's work together. At this point we will not name a
successor immediately. We will look to hire around the Final Four
or shortly thereafter."
Quote From Wyoming Head Coach Larry Shyatt
"I'm thrilled to have with me someone I consider both a class guy,
and a tireless worker, by also a loyal associate. I'm certain Scott,
along with the other coaches we will add, will be instrumental in
making everyone proud of this program on the court, in the
classroom, and as important future contributors to this community,
and state."
Note - Scott Duncan is the fourth assistant coach to leave the
Washington State basketball program in the last three years.
Jeff Schneider (1995) - head coach, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Calif.)
Byron Samuels (1995) - head coach, Hampton University (Va.)
Larry Harris (1996) - assistant coach, North Carolina State (N.C.)
Scott Duncan (1997) - assistant coach, University of Wyoming (Wyo.)
