America East Basketball: UMass Lowell Revamps Coaching Staff

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A lot has taken place since the UMass Lowell Men’s basketball team was on the court. A roster change for one, and some changes to the coaching staff. Head coach Pat Duquette has done some tinkering with his staff with a new season down the road. Two new coaches have been added to the staff in David Johnson and Octavius Hinnant.

David Johnson has spent the last eight years at the high school level, the last four years as the head coach of Jackson Reed High School in Washington, DC. His record during his time at the school is an impressive 112-21 with two DCIAA Championships in 2022 and 2024. This past year, Johnson’s team won the DCIAA regular season title. He was named Coach of the Year in 2023, and his program earned national attention in the 2023-24 season from both ESPN and USA Today. That season, the program was ranked 19th in the nation. Before becoming the head man, Johnson was the head assistant coach of the boys’ program. During the summer months, he has coached for Team Durant of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League since 2019. His knowledge of the “DMV” area of Maryland will be a big help to the River Hawks. The program has had some success in the past in that area.

Octavius Hinnant has been in the coaching business for 15 years, working in the high school, AAU, and college ranks. For the past two seasons, Hinnant has been with Bishop O’Connell High School in Virginia. He served as a varsity assistant coach, head recruiting coordinator, and social media director. At Bishop O’Connell, the team’s record was 46-19 with back-to-back Beach Ball Classic Championships. They also were runners-up in both the 2024 and 2025 state finals. Hinnant also spent one summer with Team Takeover AAU, where he filled a variety of roles. He spent five seasons at La Plata High School, where he started out as the junior varsity coach, eventually becoming the varsity boys head coach. He would set the school’s record for wins in a single season in his first year on the job.

Hinnant also spent time in the AAU ranks. For two years, he was with Bump N Run in Washington, DC. His coaching career began at Glenville State College in West Virginia, where he played for two seasons. Coach Duquette is a big fan of Hinnant and Johnson and believes they both bring a “High Basketball IQ ” to the program.

That basketball IQ will be put to the test with the River Hawks, as the team has lost nine players from last year’s squad.