Weiss: Dambrot’s Impact Will Forever Be Felt At Duquesne

As Duquesne Men’s Basketball practice ended Jan. 10th, coach Keith Dambrot was informed that longtime Alabama football coach Nick Saban had retired, and his response was immediate.

“He’s smart, and you know what,” Dambrot pondered. “He’s not the only one.”

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With there being several whispers around the program, Dambrot confirmed those rumors Monday afternoon in a press conference the day following the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 1977.

This season has taken a toll on Dambrot, as his wife Donna has battled breast cancer, something which put a lot of things into perspective for him.

As he expressed during Monday’s presser, Dambrot stated that over the summer he was 80% likely to retire after the season, but after Donna’s battle it turned the pendulum that last 20%.

In a game which has been drastically changed by the transfer portal and NIL opportunities, Dambrot has decided to step back to focus on family.

Despite her battle, it was Donna’s decision for Dambrot to make the trip for the Feb. 3 Rhode Island contest.

Dambrot informed the team Monday morning of his decision. Throughout the season, his players expressed how tight they were with their coach and how much they admired Donna for her courage, fight and strength.

On a personal note, Dambrot has meant quite a lot to me, and our relationship certainly transcends the coach-reporter kinship.

While others fantastically bungled the coaching search, it was imperative to observe and report and it was clear that Vice President of Athletics Dave Harper was targeting Dambrot to come to Duquesne and continue his father Sid’s legacy within the school.

During the introductory press conference, Dambrot smiled at my first question stating it was a good one and immediately it became clear that we would have a strong relationship.

From the first breakout interview that became clear, and we exchanged phone numbers that first day with the promise that he could see the first article written. Normally that is a big no no, but in this case it felt different.

True to form when the article posted, the message was sent and Dambrot responded in turn “very well written. U have a lot of talent.”

It was a test of sorts and personally felt like from there trust had clearly been established. Any practice I came to was not only welcomed but encouraged. After each, Dambrot and I would sit down and catch up, talk about life. Rarely after interviews was the discussion about basketball.

When the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue occurred on Oct. 27, 2018, Dambrot’s Dukes had a secret scrimmage that day, but he still made the time to reach out to make sure my family was safe.

To him I am sure it was a small gesture, but for me, it meant absolutely everything.

Dambrot always did the little things and was always consistent about that. He wanted media around following the program and understood how that game worked, he was unfailingly an open book, while at the same time still able to protect his team. That is a lost art in basketball today.

Dambrot fought for everything and remained consistent with his beliefs and core values. His underdog mentality inspired him to take players others might not have looked at and consistently his programs found ways to win.

Duquesne Dukes head coach Keith Dambrot November 21, 2022 David Hague/PSN

The COVID season will be one of the greater cases of what could have been, but by the next season it was clear that the team was beginning to tear about and Dambrot needed to take back control.

He himself said as much after the Atlantic 10 Championship run ended in the quarterfinals. Dambrot needed players that could be nasty, unafraid to do the dirty work but also be a team player, something which had almost entirely eroded in that 2020-2021 season.

The 6-24 season which followed might have been viewed at as an overreaction or overcorrection from Dambrot, but it was necessary and a turning point which made this season possible.

That team gave Dambrot Tre Williams and Andy Barba. Players who remain on the roster and exemplify what Dambrot seeks, work hard, have fun and get results. Austin Rotroff also deserves special recognition for sticking it out with the program and helping set the foundation for what this year has become.

A lot of Dambrot’s success can be attributed to how he can manage and interact with people, and it made the Dukes relevant.

It is a key reason why Harper decided to remain loyal and keep his bench boss, giving him another chance. He promised the fans a winner and along with the search committee and university president Ken Gormley came through.

Duquesne Dukes head coach Keith Dambrot March 9, 2024 David Hague/PSN

Last season saw a 20-win season with many highlights and set up both the foundation and expectation for what was to come.

Even when Duquesne went 0-5 in January and the Dukes were left for dead, it was just that nobody told them.

The pride and conviction that locker room had only intensified to where once the home win against St. Bonaventure happened, it was off to the races.

Duquesne played its best basketball heading into March and is currently riding an eight-game winning streak.

It was a crucial decision to stay away from home after the George Mason game and prepare for VCU. The effort not only to prepare for A-10 Championship play but have the understanding of how critical success was proved to be a stroke of genius.

Throughout the streak Dambrot had his best coaching with the program. He punched before the opponent did, called timeouts when the adjustment was made and remained outwardly calm.

Often a team’s identity is a direct reflection of its coach and these past few weeks that could not have been more evident in the best possible ways.

A couple of weeks ago, PSN’s Mike Vukovcan explained that while there have been diehard fans surrounding Duquesne’s program, most do not fully appreciate the coaching job Dambrot has done with the Dukes.

These past few days in Brooklyn left no choice but to embrace that on the way out, Dambrot is at the absolute top of his game.

Regardless of how the NCAA Tournament goes, covering his tenure has been a privilege. It is hard not to see Sid Dambrot smiling down from heaven, Ray Goss, Dave Saba, Dom Errico, the Duquesne alumni and fans among others who have long awaited a winner.

Duquesne’s story is one which will be told on a national platform for the duration of its run.

When Dambrot pledged to leave Duquesne better than he found it, he had already done that prior to the tournament, but the former baseball player hit a home run into the Allegheny River.

His impact and team’s imprint on the Duquesne program will go down in the history books and what a legacy that is to leave.