PHILADELPHIA – Saint Joseph's men's basketball head coach Billy Lange has announced three staff changes for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Dwayne Jones '05 has been elevated to assistant coach, Chris Flegler has been promoted to assistant coach - director of basketball operations, and Phil Lawrence-Ricks has been named assistant coach - player development.

Returning to Hawk Hill as assistant coach - player development last season after spending seven seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Jones made an immediate impact as he helped St. Joe's at both ends of the court. Under Jones' guidance, the Hawks upped their field goal percentage from .426 to .445, while increasing their rebounds per game from 34.6 to 35.8. Additionally, Jones honed the skills of Rasheer Fleming as the rising junior averaged career highs in scoring (10.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg) and blocked a career-best 54 shots en route to All-Big 5 honors.

"DJ has elevated the program in a multitude of ways," Lange said. "He has helped deepen a passion in our staff and players for St. Joe's Basketball; he is a problem solver, a teacher, and a terrific in-game critical thinker. His vision of basketball aligns with how I see and think about the game; I lean on him a great deal. Our players trust his experience, preparation, and character. He is poised for more responsibilities both on the court and in the realm of recruiting."

Marking his fourth season as a member of Lange's staff, Flegler served as director of basketball operations last year. In his new role, Flegler will be in charge of the program's day-to-day scheduling, serve as a liaison for the athletic department, coordinate program travel arrangements and assist with event organization. Additionally, Flegler will assist in on-court player development, recruiting and opponent scouting. Joining the Hawks as a graduate manager in 2021-22, Flegler earned his MBA from Saint Joseph's in May of 2023.

"I have had the privilege of working with some high-level relational coaches throughout my career, and Chris is among the best and has great upside as a teacher and a recruiter," said Lange. "Chris is passionate and driven to reach the heart and spirit of our players. They respect and love him. His intensity will sharpen us all on the court."

Serving as assistant coach - player development, Lawrence-Ricks will be responsible for in-game coaching and implementing and teaching drills focused on player and team development. Additionally, he will assist in opponent scouting, video evaluation and breakdowns, daily scheduling, and branding organization. Entering his fourth season on Lange's staff,  Lawrence-Ricks previously served as player development coach in 2023-24 after spending the previous two years as a graduate manager with the Hawks as he earned a master's degree in organization development and leadership.

"Development is the foundation of everything we do. Phil lives for this focus; his heart is pure for teaching our guys, and our guys are elevated by his daily energy," Lange said. "Watching Phil grow has been one of my favorite joys on Hawk Hill. His time as a scholastic basketball player in a fertile area like Baltimore playing for the great Pat Clatchey will help get him started as an effective recruiter on Hawk Hill."

Recently, the NCAA Division I Council announced that men's and women's basketball coaching staffs can increase by two countable coaches for a total of six, with four of the six countable coaches eligible to recruit at a given time.

Saint Joseph's is coming off a 21-14 campaign in 2023-24, highlighted by a NIT appearance and Atlantic 10 All-Conference recognition for standouts Erik Reynolds II and Xzayvier Brown.