New BE basketball coach jumps at chance to lead alma mater

Bishop England High School didn’t have to look far when it began a search for a new head boys’ basketball coach.

 

All the BE officials had to do was look down the bench where Daniel Eykyn was a fixture for 13 years as an assistant to Bryan Grevey.

 

So, when he was offered the job, Eykyn, a 2007 graduate of Bishop England and a 2011 graduate of The Citadel, didn’t waste any time pondering his next – and only – move.

 

“Bishop England has been the only place I have ever had interest in coaching,” Eykyn said. “The BE community is like no other. It truly feels like a family. As a Charleston native and a BE graduate, I know the rich tradition the school and program have in the Lowcountry, and I look forward to continuing it into the future.”

 

During his high school career, Eykyn was a 1,000-point scorer, an all-state basketball selection, and was named to the North-South All-Star Game. He was a proven winner as a player – and as an assistant – under Grevey, who collected his 200th career victory before retiring at the end 2023-24 season.

 

“I was fortunate to play on some very good teams during my time at BE,” Eykyn said. “The thing I take away the most was the relationships I was able to build with my teammates and coaches that continue to this day.

 

“Over the course of my time as a player and coach, I have been lucky to be a part of seven region championships at BE (three as a player and four as a coach),” Eykyn added. “One common theme among them all is how they have supported one another on and off the court as players and alumni.”

 

Grevey, who took over as boys’ coach in 2005, said Eykyn is an excellent choice to be coach.

 

“Dan is great with the kids,” Grevey said, “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.”

 

Grevey isn’t the only high-profile coach who has mentored Eykyn. He learned from two Citadel legends and a couple of other BE coaches.

 

“Coach Grevey has obviously been a great influence over the years as an assistant when I played, as well as the varsity coach when I was an assistant,” Eykyn said. “He best demonstrated how to run a program the right way. He was also my position coach and taught me a lot about how to approach the game both mentally and physically on the court.

 

“I was also lucky enough to take different things from Bill Runey, Jeff DiBattisto, Ed Conroy and Chuck Driesell as well as a host of others during my time coaching and playing,” Eykyn added. “I look to implement them into the program going forward.”

 

The Bishops posted a 19-9 record and finished second in their region with a 6-2 record. Eight talented seniors graduated, but there still is talent on campus.

 

“We have a good core coming back from both the JV and varsity teams,” Eykyn said. “I am looking forward to helping them grow as they get acclimated to the varsity game, and plan to see us improve as the year progresses to competing for a region championship.”