Bil Duany completed his fifth season as a member of head coach Steve Alford’s staff at Nevada following the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. Duany joined the Wolf Pack after four seasons (2015-19) as an assistant coach at the University of New Orleans, where he worked with the Privateers’ frontcourt.
Duany helped lead the Pack to one of the finest seasons in program history, as Nevada compiled an overall record of 26-8, including a mark of 13-5 in the Mountain West, and the Pack made their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Nevada also won the 2023 Diamond Head Classic Championship, finished tied for second in a loaded Mountain West, defeated the most ranked opponents in a season in program history (3), and defeated three power five opponents, among many other accomplishments throughout the tremendous campaign.
Primarily working with Nevada’s frontcourt, Duany was instrumental to the development of multiple players this past season. Nick Davidson in particular made a massive jump from the previous season in all aspects of his game. Davidson earned Third Team All-MW honors after posting season averages of 12.2 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game, while shooting a tremendous 54.5 percent from the field.
Duany also helped mentor K.J. Hymes as he returned from a season ending injury the previous season and proceeded to start 31 games for the Pack this past season. Hymes averaged 5.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and a team-high 0.8 blocks per game, while shooting an exceptional 60.8 percent from the field.
In addition to Davidson, Duany helped three other Wolf Pack players garner All-MW recognition, as Jarod Lucas (Second Team), Kenan Blackshear (Second Team), and Tre Coleman (Defensive Team) also earned All-Conference recognition.
In all, Duany has coached 15 Wolf Pack players that have earned postseason honors. The 2022-23 season saw all five Wolf Pack starters earn All-MW recognition, including Jarod Lucas who was named the Mountain West Newcomer of the Year in addition to earning All-MW Second Team honors, as well as Kenan Blackshear who garnered All-MW Second Team recognition and was named to the All-MW Defensive Team. Blackshear was also recognized by the NABC as a member of the District 17 First Team, while Lucas earned District 17 Second Team honors.
In addition to Lucas and Blackshear, Will Baker earned All-MW Third Team honors, Tre Coleman was named to the All-MW Defensive Team, and Darrion Williams was recognized as the Mountain West Freshman of the Year.
In 2019-20, four Wolf Pack members garnered postseason honors, led by Jalen Harris. Harris was named to the NABC and USBWA all-district teams after leading the Mountain West in scoring at 21.6 points per game. He was also a Mountain West coaches and media first-team selection. Three times he was named the Mountain West Player of the Week and on Feb. 9 was the Oscar Robertson Player of the Week. He scored 30 or more points six times including becoming the first Pack player with four consecutive games of 30 or more points.
In Duany’s first season with the Pack he helped the team to a 19-12 record, a tie for second place in the Mountain West standings and the Paradise Jam Championship.
Jazz Johnson was named to the Mountain West Second Team and media third team. Senior Nizre Zouzoua was the Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year as selected by the coaches and media. Another of the Pack seniors, Lindsey Drew was named the Mountain West coaches defensive team for the second time in his career and was an honorable mention pick by the coaches and media.
While at New Orleans, he helped the 2016-17 team to a 20-12 record as the Privateers captured the Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles, and made the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 21 years. Forward Erik Thomas was the conference player of the year and Travin Thibodeaux was selected to the all-defensive team. Thomas received the Pete Maravich Award, given to the Louisiana Major College Player of the Year, Associated Press All-American honorable mention and NABC All-District 23 first-team honors. In 2019, freshman forward Gerrale Gates became just the third New Orleans player to receive Southland Conference Freshman of the Year honors.
In his last season at New Orleans, the team posted a 19-14 record and participated in the CIT. Over his last three seasons with the Privateers, the team led the Southland in combined conference regular season and tournament wins.
Prior to his time at New Orleans, he spent the 2014-15 season at New Mexico State and helped the Aggies to a 24-11 overall record and 13-1 conference mark. The Aggies won the Western Athletic Conference regular season and tournament title to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Duany spent two seasons (2012-14) at Southport High School in Indianapolis where he helped engineer a turnaround from a 1-19 squad to a 15-8 record the next season. The team went on to advance to the state semifinal game in 2013-14. He also worked six years with Indiana Elite.
Coaching at the AAU level, working with four different classes, Duany was able to help over 40 student-athletes play NCAA Division I basketball. His teams posted tournament wins at the Adidas May Classic, Bob Gibbons TOC, Spiece Run-n-Slam, Las Vegas Super 64 and Adidas Invitational.
Active away from the court as well, Duany co-founded the A-HOPE Foundation and served on its Board of Directors from 2007-11. In that capacity, he worked to evaluate international student-athletes, prepare visas and assist with the U.S. Embassy visa-appointment process, and assist these student-athletes with international travel. Duany also assisted in A-HOPE’s fundraising efforts and organize charity events.
As a prep athlete at Bloomington North High School in Indiana, he was a McDonalds All-American nominee and a member of the Indiana All-Star team in 2004. He played two seasons at Eastern Illinois before transferring to Indiana, where injuries limited his career.
Duany received his degree in public affairs from Indiana in 2009.
