Walker Names Three To DSU Men's Basketball Staff

(L-R) Kevin Washington, Keith Johnson, Alex Stone
Courtesy Dennis Jones & DSU Athletics

DOVER, Delaware -- Delaware State University Head Men’s Basketball Coach Keith Walker has introduced his coaching staff for the 2014-15 season.

Walker announced today that Keith Johnson will serve as assistant head coach, while Kevin Washington and Alex Stone have been appointed as assistant coaches.

Prior to joining the DSU staff, Johnson was associate head coach at Delaware State’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Coppin State for the past 13 seasons.    

During his tenure at Coppin State, the Eagles captured the MEAC Tournament championship and accompanying NCAA Tournament berth in 2008; and earned a share of the MEAC regular season title during the 2003-04 campaign.

Johnson previously served as head coach and two stints as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Cheyney University in Pennsylvania.

“I’ve known Keith Johnson for more than 25 years, and have a great deal of admiration for his knowledge of the game,” said Walker. “He has been mentored by two of the greatest coaches of our time in Hall-of-Famer John Chaney of Temple and “Fang” Mitchell at Coppin State. Keith’s knowledge of the MEAC, along with his recruiting ties in the Delaware Valley and Mid-Atlantic regions, will greatly benefit our program.”

Washington is most noted as a successful high school basketball coach and administrator at Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, N.C., for nearly two decades.

He posted a record of 245-79, while leading the school’s boys’ basketball team to a Christian Schools national championship and two North Carolina state titles in 11 seasons at Word of God. Among the players Washington coached at the academy are former top National Basketball Association draft pick John Wall of the Washington Wizards (University of Kentucky), T.J. Warren of the Phoenix Suns (North Carolina State); and former Delaware State University standout Aaron Fleetwood, who helped lead the Hornets to their lone MEAC Tournament championship and three regular season conference titles from 2004-to-2007 before a successful career in European professional leagues.  

   

In addition to basketball coach, Washington was director of athletics, and head coach of the school’s football, baseball and track and field teams throughout his tenure at Word of God.  

A graduate of St. Augustine’s College (N.C.), Washington served in numerous leadership positions on various scholastic boards and commissions in North Carolina.

“Kevin is an outstanding coach and administrator,” said Walker. “He has a keen eye for talent and developing players, as evidenced by the number of student-athletes he has guided to the college level. We will also benefit from his vast knowledge of the game and recruiting contacts throughout Southern U.S.”

Stone most recently served in the Athletics Compliance Office at Notre Dame University the past two years. While there, he assisted with, among other things, recruit monitoring and initial eligibility.

Prior to joining the staff at Notre Dame, he was also a teacher and coach at Sophie B. Wright Charter School in New Orleans.

The Somerset, N.J., native played two seasons at New Jersey Tech (NJIT) and two at Xavier University (La.), where he earned a bachelor’s in TV Broadcast Journalism.

Stone was a basketball and football standout at Immaculata High School in Somerville, N.J

“I met Alex while on the recruiting circuit, and was impressed with his knowledge of compliance issues and administrative skill,” said Walker. “He will bring a great balance of basketball smarts and academic emphasis to our program.”

Walker was named head coach of the Delaware State men’s basketball team last April after serving as interim head coach for the final 11 games of the 2013-14 season. He joined the Hornet staff as an assistant coach in 2000.   

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS