BE alum Daniel Eykyn takes the reins as boys’ basketball coach

It’s never easy to replace a coaching legend, but it certainly helps when that icon has been your coach, mentor, confidant, and boss.

 

That’s the situation Daniel Eykyn finds himself in at Bishop England High School as he begins his first season as the head coach of the boys’ varsity basketball team, 17 years after graduating from BE.

 

He replaces Bryan Grevey who comes from a family of basketball blue bloods and won 200 games during an impressive career at Bishop England.

 

Eykyn scored more than 1,000 points in his career and earned all-state honors. His varsity coaches were Bill Runey and Jeff Dibattisto, who were assisted by Grevey.

 

Eykyn matriculated to The Citadel, where he played for current Citadel coach Ed Conroy, now in his second stint, and former coach Chuck Driesell. 

 

He graduated from The Citadel and returned to BE, where he served as an assistant under Grevey for 13 years and head coach of the junior varsity team.

 

Grevey, who served as assistant coach from 2005-2010 and varsity coach from 2011-2024, applauded Eykyn’s hiring.

 

“Dan is great with the kids,” Grevey said when Eykyn was hired. “He knows when to push them and knows when to pat them on the back. He’s extremely fair and will motivate the guys to play hard and never quit.”

 

Eykyn said BE was the only school that he was interested in coaching. He credits all the coaches he’s played for along the way.

 

“I’ve played for coaches who have had great success, whether it’s high school or college,” Eykyn said. “Each had their own style, and that diversity helps.

 

“Coach Grevey was a great, positive influence over the years,” Eykyn said. “He ran the program the right way. He taught me a lot about how to approach the game both mentally and physically.”

 

The Bishops were 19-9 last winter in Grevey’s final season, finishing second in Region 7-AA with a 6-2 record.

 

But the Bishops lost eight talented players from that squad, including Aidan Alexander, Andrew Puckhaber, and Jack van de Erve, who was an all-state selection, averaging 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds to lead the Bishops.

 

This season, the Bishops will compete at the Class AAAA level. They are off to a good start with six victories in eight games. 

 

If there is a concern, it might be the Bishops’ effort from the foul line. They are hitting 47 percent of their 2-point shots but are cashing in on only 46 percent of their free throw attempts.

 

The Bishops will put their three-game winning streak on the line against Lucy Beckham on Dec. 20 and participate in a couple of holiday tourneys to prepare for league play, which commences in the new year.

 

Junior forward Lang Tarrant has been tearing it up for the Bishops in the first eight games, hitting 56 percent of his 2-point attempts while shooting 49 percent from 3-point range to average 19.8 points per game. He also leads the Bishops with 6.6 rebounds.

 

Drew Gallagher, a 6-4 junior, has also been effective. He’s averaging 11 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest.