Boys Basketball: Elyria picks DJ Graham as next coach

ELYRIA — Elyria High School went to college to find its next boys basketball coach. DJ Graham has been recommended for hiring, pending school board approval later this month. Graham, a 2015 Elyria Catholic graduate and point guard, is an assistant coach at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. He previously served as a student assistant at Cleveland State. He was introduced to the board at Wednesday evening's meeting, but his approval will not be finalized until later in the month. Graham replaces Brett Larrick, who resigned last month after compiling a school-record 239 wins. Larrick was Elyria's head coach for 18 seasons and spent 21 years coaching boys basketball. He also assisted on the girls side for a few seasons. Larrick remains a teacher at Elyria in the business department. His final record was 239-175. "I can't wait," Graham said. "I know I have a big plate to fill. I know Coach Larrick had the program going in the right direction. I can't wait to talk to Coach Larrick to go over some things. I got to meet some of the players during the interview process." At Taylor, Graham was involved in all aspects of the program, including player development, game-planning and recruiting under head coach Austin Peters. He spent two seasons on the staff at Cleveland State under Daniyal Robinson. He also spent some time at Elyria Catholic and Lorain as an assistant. "Each spot I've learned so much," Graham said. "Being around Coach Robinson at Cleveland State, I learned so much on the defensive end, and at Taylor I learned a lot about the offense and playing fast." Graham played three years at Mount St. Joseph before becoming a student assistant. He also spent time with The National Basketball Academy and AAU prior to joining the staff at CSU. Elyria is coming off a Division I district championship and a regional final appearance in Larrick's final year. The Pioneers finished 19-7, finishing third in the Southwestern Conference behind co-champions Berea-Midpark and Olmsted Falls. Larrick led the team to the SWC championship the previous two seasons. Graham is married to Elizabeth and they have two children, Ricky (3) and Macie (one month). He is expected to move to Elyria shortly. Superintendent Ann Schloss is excited to welcome Graham. "We're thrilled to have DJ joining our team and excited about the enthusiasm and energy he brings to this position," she said in a statement. "Our focus is always on what's best for our students, and DJ's commitment to hard work, accountability and building a strong team culture aligns with our mission. We believe he will have a tremendous impact on our student-athletes and the program." "Throughout my coaching career, I have demonstrated a commitment to fostering a competitive, disciplined and team-first culture," Graham said in a statement. "I am particularly drawn to Elyria High School because it's always been a dream of mine to coach back in the city where I grew up." Contact Tim Gebhardt at (440) 329-7135 or timothygeb@msn.com.