DePauw hires RHIT's Loyd as new men's basketball coach

Rusty Loyd, head men's basketball coach at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology since 2014, is DePauw's selection as head men's basketball coach. He replaces Bill Fenlon who is retiring after 30 years at the helm. Loyd becomes just the sixth DePauw head coach in the last 64 years.

"I am humbled and honored to accept the head coaching position at DePauw University," Loyd said. "I want to thank President Lori White, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Alan Hill, and Director of Athletics Stevie Baker-Watson for entrusting me with the future of Tiger basketball. To say that I am excited is an understatement and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support these young men as they pursue excellence in the classroom, on the basketball court, and in their future endeavors. Kristen and I are excited to begin this new journey with Mia, Mason, and Maren, and look forward to our family joining the DePauw community."

"We are so excited to welcome Rusty and his family to our Team DePauw family," DePauw Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports Stevie Baker-Watson said. "Our search process yielded a tremendous number of qualified individuals, and Rusty distinguished himself with his passion for the game of basketball, and his desire for the student-athletes to have a "DePauw experience" that emphasizes academics and athletics. Throughout the interview process, Rusty was clear that returning to the NCAA tournament is one of his short-term goals for the program."

In eight seasons as the head coach at Rose-Hulman, Loyd led the Fightin' Engineers to a 120-78 overall record and an 82-43 mark in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play. He was named the HCAC Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2021 and his Rose-Hulman teams appeared in the HCAC Tournament championship game three times. He directed Rose-Hulman to the HCAC regular season conference title in 2018 while tying for second in 2019 and 2022. Loyd was named to the Silver Waves Media list of 50 Impactful Head Coaches in NCAA Division III men's basketball in 2020 and 2022. Prior to his selection as the head coach, He was the assistant men's basketball coach and head men's golf coach at Rose-Hulman for five seasons.

Loyd graduated from University of Chicago in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. As a player with the Maroons, he helped lead the team to a 76-29 four-year record, while starting three years and serving as a captain. During his junior and senior seasons, Chicago posted a 47-8 record and earned spots in the NCAA Division III round of 16 both years. He was a three-time all-University Athletic Association selection in addition to earning two all-region honors and all-America accolades as a senior. In 2018, Loyd was selected to the UAA 30th anniversary team.

He started his coaching career as an assistant at Earlham College for two seasons before moving on to a two-year stint at Lewis University and four years at his alma mater. His first head coaching position came in June 2006 when he was chosen to direct the program at Illinois Institute of Technology where he stayed until 2009.

Loyd and his wife Kristen are parents to three children, Mia (15), Mason (13) and Maren (7).