Former KU Jayhawks assistant Joe Dooley is returning as basketball recruiting coordinator

Former University of Kansas assistant men’s basketball coach Joe Dooley, who worked for Bill Self at KU 10 seasons, including the 2008 NCAA title campaign and 2012 Final Four season, is returning to KU as recruiting coordinator, Jayhawks coach Self told The Star on Friday.

Dooley, 57, since leaving KU after the 2012-13 season, has been a head coach at Florida Gulf Coast (five seasons, 2014-18) and most recently at East Carolina (2019-22, four seasons).

He also was head coach at East Carolina from 1996-99.

The Star has learned he will be added to the current staff. Current assistants Norm Roberts, Kurtis Townsend and Jeremy Case are all back for 2022-23. The Dooley hiring likely will be announced next week, The Star was told.

Dooley — he played college basketball at George Washington from 1984-88 — also has been an assistant at South Carolina, New Mexico and Wyoming.

Dooley was replaced as East Carolina head coach after the Pirates went 15-15 this past season. Overall, his four teams at ECU went 101-119. His Florida Gulf Coast teams went 114-58 and reached the postseason all five seasons.

With Dooley on board, KU won the 2008 national championship and advanced to the Final Four again in 2012, finishing as runnerup to Kentucky. Dooley was part of five Elite Eight appearances and seven trips to the Sweet 16. He helped the Jayhawks win nine consecutive Big 12 regular-season titles (2004-13) and a total of six conference tournament titles.

KU compiled a record of 300-58, including a 137-27 mark in league games with Dooley on the bench. He coached 19 NBA Draft picks, including 12 first-round selections. Dooley coached 15 all-Big 12 players, seven All-Americans, five Big 12 Players of the Year and four Big XII Defensive Players of the Year.

Dooley during his KU career was considered one of the country’s top recruiters. He was cited as the country’s No. 1 recruiter of all assistants by Hoop Scoop Magazine in the summer of 2012 and Foxsports.com in 2010. In 2007, he was rated the fourth-best recruiter in the country by Rivals.com.