University of Rhode Island

John Carroll enters his second season with Rhode Island in 2019-20. He initially joined David Cox' staff in June 2018 as an assistant coach. He now serves as a special assistant to the head coach.

With more than four decades of coaching under his belt, Carroll brings a wealth of coaching experience at all levels to Rhode Island. Carroll was the head coach at Duquesne from 1989-95 and also spent seven seasons as an assistant coach with the NBA's Boston Celtics (1997-2004). He was the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 1990-91, and in his final season with the Celtics, he had a 36-game stint as interim head coach, leading the team to the first round of the playoffs after Jim O'Brien resigned.

While at Duquesne, he led the Dukes to a 10-8 conference record during the 1990-91 season, then a school record for A-10 wins in one season. His 1994-95 team with Duquesne won 18 games, the most for the program in more than a decade. That season, he led Duquesne to its first postseason appearance in 13 years, advancing to the second round of the NIT.

Before going to Duquesne, Carroll spent seven as an assistant at Seton Hall under P.J. Carlesimo. He was the chief recruiter for the Pirates' program that earned its first NCAA Championship appearance in 1988 and reached the national title game the following season. Carroll later joined Carlesimo's staff as an assistant coach with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers and, and he also has been an advance scout for the NBA's Orlando Magic.

Carroll served as the head coach for NAIA school Bloomfield College, leading the Deacons to the NAIA District Finals twice in three seasons. He began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant with Delaware from 1977-79.

As a player, Carroll was a four-year starter at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., where he earned a degree in Psychology in 1977. 

His wife Beverly is an accomplished writer who has published several books. His son Austin is part the staff for the Arizona men's basketball program, where he is the assistant director of basketball operations.

updated: 10/18/19