Duquesne Basketball
Longtime Dambrot Assistant Charles Thomas Leaves Duquesne
The Duquesne men’s basketball program is the market for an assistant coach. Longtime Keith Dambrot assistant Charles Thomas is leaving Duquesne but staying in the Atlantic-10, as he’s accepted a position with St. Louis, the school announced on Wednesday.
Thomas arrived at Duquesne six years ago with Dambrot and prior to that, was an assistant with him at Akron for seven seasons. Thomas had this to say to ArchCity Media about his new position with Travis Ford and the Billikens.
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Welcome to Team Blue!
Charles Thomas (@charlesthomas_4) is joining the staff as Assistant Coach 🔵⚪️#TeamBlue pic.twitter.com/kb8UDad1ev
— Saint Louis Men's Basketball (@SaintLouisMBB) June 21, 2023
“I am excited to join the Billiken family,” Thomas said. “Having the opportunity to learn from Coach Ford, Coach Tate and Coach Harriman was a drawing point for me. In just a short time here so far, it already feels like a family.
“I have always been fond of the SLU program, the toughness they bring and how the great home crowds get behind the players. I want to come in and contribute and continue to push this program to a higher level. I can’t wait to represent our University this summer on the recruiting trail with the Billiken logo on my chest.”
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A Dayton, Ohio native, Thomas moved to Lansing, Michigan for high school and played his collegiate basketball at Eastern Michigan. He went undrafted into the NBA and played one season with the Detroit Pistons before moving on to a three-year career in Australia.
Thomas got his coaching start at Radford in 2006, and was there one season, then moving to Northwood University in Michigan for two more years before Dambrot hired him at Akron in 2009.
Thomas’ twin brother Carl, who had been assistant to the head coach at Duquesne and joined the staff at the same time as his brother and Dambort, departed to be the head coach at Cleary University in 2022.
To some this might look like a surprising move but considering the addition of assistant Dru Joyce last season and his place in the Dukes program, it’s not that shocking.
Dambrot is now looking for a replacement for Thomas and it remains to be seen whether he looks to bring in a veteran coach or a younger one.
