Adelphi University Athletics

Dave Duke was named head coach of the men's basketball program at Adelphi University on April 29, 2014 by Director of Athletics Danny McCabe, and is in his twelfth season at the helm of the Panthers in 2025-26. 

During his tenure at Adelphi, Duke has led a program turnaround, posting eight winning seasons and compiling a 177-118 (.600) record since the 2015-16 campaign, including a conference championship in 2024-25, a season in which Duke was named Northeast-10 and All-Met Coach of the Year. In both 2024-25 and 2025-26, the Panthers earned at-large bids to the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament under Duke’s guidance. Additionally, Adelphi has finished in the top 5 of the Northeast-10 standings in six of the past seven seasons.

Duke’s teams have produced five CoSIDA Academic All-American awards, the first such awards in the Men’s Basketball program’s history. In addition, Duke has mentored eight players who have earned all-conference honors in the Northeast-10, including Ronnie Silva, who was voted First Team all-conference in 2020 and 2022, Dayshaun Walton, who was tabbed First Team all-conference in 2024, 2025 and 2026, and Jarnel Rancy, who became the NCAA Division II all-time leader in blocked shots in 2026.  Other all-conference honors players have earned under Coach Duke include six all-rookie selections, two Rookie of the year selections, two Defensive Player of the Year awards and four all-defensive selections. Four of the top eight scorers in Adelphi history have been recruited and coached by Duke, including Silva, the program’s all-time leading scorer.  Coach Duke’s players also hold all-time program records for field goal percentage (Nick Cambio) and Assists (Conor McGuinness) and hold the top three spots in 3-point Field Goals Made in Panther history. Additionally, Jarnel Rancy became the NCAA Division II all-time leading shot blocker in his three years playing for Duke.

Prior to Adelphi, Duke spent four years at Fordham, where he was Associate Head Coach. He helped the Rams to an appearance in the Atlantic-10 Championship during his final season, and was instrumental in recruiting Atlantic-10 and All-Met Rookie of the Year, Jon Severe and future NBA player, Eric Paschall.

Duke started his basketball coaching career as a graduate assistant at Hofstra University under Naismith Hall of Famer Jay Wright. Duke worked under Wright for one season as a full-time assistant coach before joining Tom Pecora's staff at Hofstra when he took over the helm in 2001. Duke was a part of two NCAA tournaments (2000 and 2001) and four National Invitation Tournaments, including three in a row from 2005-2007, at Hofstra. During the 2005-06 seasons, the Pride tied a then school record with 26 wins and advanced to the NIT quarterfinals.

Duke helped bring in a number of top level recruiting classes at Hofstra, including the program’s all-time leading scorer and three-time Haggerty Award winner and Golden State Warrior draft pick, Charles Jenkins. Duke also recruited Antoine Agudio, Hofstra's 3rd all-time leading scorer, and Loren Stokes, Hofstra’s 5th all-time leading scorer. In addition, Duke coached guards Craig "Speedy" Claxton, who was chosen in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft and Norman Richardson, who appeared in the NBA with the Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers.

In 2003 and 2004, Duke was the head coach of the Long Island's men's open team at the Empire State Games that won consecutive championships -- the first time that Long Island has ever won back-to-back titles in the history of the Empire State Games.

Duke earned his undergraduate degree in 1997 from SUNY Albany where he majored in communications with a minor in education. In the 1997-98 season, he played on the basketball team at nearby New York Institute of Technology