Jay Duncan is entering his second season at San Francisco after joining the Dons’ coaching staff as an assistant coach in the spring of 2022. In his first year on the Hilltop, Duncan helped San Francisco reach the 20+ win mark for the sixth straight full season at USF.
Duncan was hired by head coach Chris Gerlufsen for the 2022-23 season, a campaign that saw the Dons begin with a 7-1 start. In November, San Francisco took home the 2022 Hall of Fame Classic championship in Kansas City, MO. The Dons would finish non-conference play with a record of 11-4, which tied the most preseason wins by a first-year staff at USF since 1980-81.
The team’s 2022-23 campaign featured a 37-point win over #25 Arizona State - the largest victory over a ranked team in program history. That final margin represents the fourth biggest win for an unranked team over an AP Top 25 opponent in the past 30 seasons.
Due in large part to Duncan’s efforts, the Dons enter the 2023-24 season ranked 25th nationally in overall transfer activity (via EvanMiya.com). A tireless recruiter, Duncan has shown expertise in recruiting both domestically and abroad. A dual citizen of Australia and America, Duncan’s fingerprints are all over a 2023-24 roster that features 7 of its 13 letter winners from outside the United States.
In June of 2023, Duncan represented USF at the TopConnect Basketball Symposium which connects the best Assistant Coaches in college basketball with Athletic Directors around the country. It was his second time attending the event - he was one of just 50 assistant coaches invited in the summer of 2021.That same year, Duncan was also featured as a speaker on the Rising Coaches assistant panel.
Duncan came to USF in 2022 after ten years at SMU, the last six of which were spent as an assistant coach. During his tenure, the Mustangs won four American Athletic Conference championships, including two AAC regular season titles (2014-15, 2016-17) and two AAC Tournament titles (2015, 2017). The Mustangs earned postseason bids on five separate occasions, including two NCAA Tournament berths (2015, 2017) and three invitations to the NIT (2014, 2021, 2022). In 2016-17, Duncan helped SMU to a 30-5 record - the winningest season in program history.
Under Duncan’s guidance, the Mustangs garnered four American Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors (Nic Moore 2014-15, 2015-16; Semi Ojeleye in 2016-17, Kendric Davis in 2021-22). The program was in the Associated Press Top 25 in four of their seasons, being ranked as high as No. 8. In eight of Duncan’s last nine years, the Mustangs were ranked or received votes in the AP Top 25.
Before being elevated to his role of assistant coach by Tim Jankovich, Duncan learned from some of the biggest names in college basketball, including three different NCAA National Championship winning head coaches. Notably, he played for Rollie Massimino before working for Jay Wright and Larry Brown.
Duncan has already helped coach and develop seven NBA players in his coaching career; SMU had five players reach the NBA (Semi Ojeleye, Sterling Brown, Ben Moore, Shake Milton and Feron Hunt), while Villanova had two in his two seasons (Maalik Wayns and Darrun Hilliard).
In the summer of 2015, Duncan was the head coach of the undefeated Global Sports Academy U.S. team that featured Mikal Bridges, Semi Ojeleye, and Phil Booth. Prior to SMU, Duncan spent two seasons (2010-12) on Jay Wright's staff at Villanova. During his time at Villanova, he was part of a 21-win season and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
As a student-athlete, Duncan scored over 1,000 points in his 4 year college career. He spent two seasons (2008-10) as a starter and team captain for legendary Coach Rollie Massimino at Northwood University in West Palm Beach, Fla. His teams posted a 54-13 record in two years, making consecutive NAIA National Tournaments. In 2009-10, Duncan was selected as Student-Athlete of the Year after leading the Sun Conference in 3-point shooting percentage and finishing second in three-point field goals made. He was also a two-time NAIA Champion of Character honoree.
He played his first two collegiate seasons (2006-2008) at Southeast Community College in Nebraska, where he was a two-year starter. Duncan was selected 1 st Team All- Region IX and was named an NJCAA Academic All American, while leading his team to the NJCAA National Tournament.
In 2010, Duncan graduated from Northwood University cum laude with a bachelor's degree in business. He also received a master's in education from Villanova in 2012; graduating with distinction while earning a 3.8 GPA.
What they are saying about Jay Duncan:
"In college, Jay played for my mentor Coach Rollie Massimino. Coach Mass believed that Jay had all the ingredients to become a great coach and we learned quickly how right Coach was when Jay joined our staff. He is a terrific young coach with a gift for teaching the game and he will be a great asset to Coach Gerlufsen at USF." - Jay Wright, 2x Naismith College Coach of the Year and 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee
"Jay is a tremendous individual first and foremost who puts so much thought and effort into his craft. His mind is always thinking about how he can impact the game and those around him as he always emphasizes a positive environment. His knowledge of the in's and out's of the sport has helped him excel quickly and I believe this is the next great step for Jay." - Larry Brown, 1988 Naismith College Coach of the Year and 2006 Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee
"USF got a great one in Jay. He is the whole package- an outstanding coach, recruiter and tireless worker. He is a very talented addition and will have a big impact on the success of the USF program moving forward." - Tim Jankovich, Former SMU Head Coach
CAREER EXPERIENCE:
2022-present San Francisco, Assistant Coach
2016-22 SMU, Assistant Coach
2013-16 SMU, Director of Operations
2012-13 SMU, Assistant Director of Operations
2010-12 Villanova, Graduate Assistant
