An experienced basketball mentor at all levels, Elwyn McRoy, completed his second season with the Washington State men’s basketball program in 2018-19 as the recruiting coordinator.
McRoy plays an important part in the day-to-day organization of the staff’s recruiting efforts. He came to the Palouse after two years at Coppin State in Baltimore, Md., where he served as the men’s basketball associate head coach and an assistant coach. At the NCAA Division I level, McRoy has been an assistant coach at Iowa State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Southern University and Texas-Pan American where he coached during the 2013-14 season.
McRoy has a great degree of familiarity with the junior college ranks, as he started his career with two years as an assistant coach at Butler Community College from 1997-99.
After one year as an assistant coach at Independence Community College, McRoy assisted with the boys’ basketball team at Wichita Southeast High School before returning to the collegiate ranks as an assistant coach at Redlands Community College, where he helped the team to a program-best 30-5 record and a national championship.
He then spent the 2002-03 season as the head coach at Frank Phillips College, where his team had the third-highest GPA in the nation, before joining the Division I ranks as an assistant coach at Southern. After two seasons there, McRoy went to Northwood University and spent an entire year recruiting and helping the program to get ready for its first season of competition before moving on the Georgia Southern. There, McRoy helped turn a sub-.500 team into a 20-win team in one year.
He moved on to Arkansas State from 2008-10, where he not only helped the Red Wolves go from 13 wins to 17 wins in his second season, but he also helped them go from five Sun Belt Conference wins to 11.
McRoy next became an assistant coach at Iowa State in 2010-11, where he recruited Tyrus McGee, who drilled 96 3-pointers in 2012-13, the third most in a season in program history, to become the first Cyclone individual to lead the nation in a statistical category by connecting on 46.4 percent (96-for-207) of his shots from downtown. McGee ended his career by making 43.7 percent of his three-point attempts, the second-best clip in program history.
McRoy returned to the junior college ranks in 2011-12 as an assistant coach at Hutchinson Community College, where he helped the Blue Dragons to a 25-7 record, a No. 20 ranking and the Region VI Quarterfinals, before spending last season an assistant at Stillman College, where the Tigers went 18-10.
McRoy was influential in the development of Lee Nailon, who played in the NBA for nine seasons, most recently with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2005-06 and 2004-05 Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year Taj Gray (Oklahoma). In addition, McRoy recruits Al Fisher (Mid-American Conference Player of the Year at Kent State), Brandon Polk (Horizon League Player of the Year at Butler), JeJuan Brown (Preseason Newcomer of the Year at Arkansas State) and Deforest Riley Smith (SWAC Player of the Year) all achieved success during their collegiate careers.
McRoy has received national recognition for his work, as CollegeInsider.com named him the No. 23 mid-major assistant coach in 2009, and Basketball Times Magazine selected him as one of the top-10 junior college recruiters in the country in 2008. He was also profiled in the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2013. In addition at UTPA, McRoy was voted as the No. 2 recruiting coach in the Western Athletic Conference by Next Up Recruits.
Prior to and in between his time in the NCAA Division I ranks, McRoy spent time coaching at the junior college level. He enjoyed a solid playing career, competing for one season at Butler Community College before transferring to Hutchinson Community College for his sophomore year, where he helped the Blue Dragons win the 1994 NJCAA National Championship. He finished his collegiate career at Cleveland State, earning his bachelor's degree in 1995.
In the summer of 2010, McRoy was selected by the Black Coaches Association to take part in the ACE (Achieving Coaching Excellence) program in Indianapolis, Ind., where he participated in a three-day professional development program. Currently, McRoy serves on the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ (NABC) Assistant Coaches Committee.
McRoy is married to Carmen, and is the father of four daughters, Kenya, Kyliah, Kyndall and Kamdyn and son Jaden James.
The Elwyn McRoy File
• Named the No. 2 recruiting coach in the WAC in 2013-14.
• Selected to participate in Black College Association’s elite program, ACE in 2010.
• Ranked the 23rd overall assistant coach by College Insider Sports in 2009.
• Helped build first basketball program at Northwood University (2005-06).
• Coached three JC All-Americans.
• Coached five conference players of the year.
• Serves on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Assistant Coaches Committee.
Education: Cleveland State (B.S. Social Work), 1997
Coaching Experience:
1997-98: Butler County CC – Assistant Coach
1999-2000: Independence CC-Kan. – Assistant Coach
2000-01: Wichita Southeast HS – Assistant Coach
2001-02: Redlands CC-Okla. – Assistant Coach
2002-03: Frank Phillips College-Texas – Head Coach
2003-05: Southern – Assistant Coach
2005-06: Northwood-Fla. – Assistant Coach
2006-08: Georgia Southern – Assistant Coach
2008-10: Arkansas State – Assistant Coach
2010-11: Iowa State – Assistant Coach
2011-12: Hutchinson CC-Kan. – Assistant Coach
2012-13: Stillman College-Ala. – Assistant Coach
2013-14: Texas-Pan American – Assistant Coach
2014-17: Coppin State – Assistant/Associate Head Coach
Playing Experience:
Butler CC
Hutchinson College
1996-97: Cleveland State
1998-99: Washington Generals
Family:
Wife – Carmen; Daughters – Kenya, Kyliah, Kyndall and Kamdyn; Son – Jaden James.
