Greensboro Swarm Announce 2024-25 Coaching Staff

Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson announced today the 2024-25 coaching staff for the Greensboro Swarm. Joining Head Coach D.J. Bakker’s staff are Nathan Peavy, David Noel III and Alex Ruoff as assistant coaches, Brian Boyle as head video coordinator/player development assistant and Markes Royster as director of player development.

Peavy joins the Swarm after serving the 2023-24 campaign as the head coach of the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league, Puerto Rico’s top professional division. He previously spent six seasons with the Salt Lake City Stars, the Utah Jazz’s NBA G League affiliate, including the final three years as head coach. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Peavy played four seasons at Miami University, leading the RedHawks to the NCAA Tournament as a senior in 2007. He played professionally for 10 seasons in Germany and Puerto Rico and won three league championships during this time. Peavy’s father, Terry, was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1979 NBA Draft, and his mother, Nila Lisa De Jesús, was a member of the Puerto Rican national swimming team. Peavy has represented Puerto Rico in international competitions.

Noel III spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Motor City Cruise, the Detroit Pistons’ affiliate, and he served as an assistant with the Capital City Go-Go, the Washington Wizards’ affiliate, for four seasons prior. He began his coaching career as the head coach at his alma mater, Southern High School, in Durham. Noel III played four seasons at the University of North Carolina, helping the Tar Heels win the 2005 national championship and earning All-ACC Second Team honors in 2006. He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (39^th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft and played one year in the NBA, and his playing experience includes 10 years overseas.

Ruoff comes to Greensboro following two years on the coaching staff at his alma mater, West Virginia University. He played for the Mountaineers from 2006-09, helping the team reach three NCAA Tournaments, including two Sweet 16s, and finishing as the school’s all-time leading 3-point shooter (261). Ruoff ranks eighth in school history in assists (410) and seventh in steals (189), and he earned Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Big East Sportsmanship Award honors during his time in Morgantown. Upon graduation, he embarked on a 12-year professional career with stops in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Spain and Japan before beginning his coaching career.

Boyle returns to the Swarm after previously serving as an assistant with the franchise in 2017-18. He spent the last three seasons as an assistant with the Cruise, and he served in the same capacity for the Agua Caliente Clippers, the Los Angeles Clippers’ affiliate, from 2018-20. Boyle previously worked as a video coordinator with the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets, and his experience includes stints as a regional advance scout for the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors. After completing four years as a member of the men’s basketball and golf teams at the University of the Sciences, Boyle began his coaching career as a graduate manager at LaSalle University. Royster joins the Swarm after spending the last five years running his own player development program, Swish Ocean, in Los Angeles. He previously spent one season as a video coordinator with the Indiana Pacers, one season as the director of video coordinating and player development for the Erie BayHawks, the New Orleans Pelicans’ affiliate, and one season as a player development intern with the Dallas Mavericks. Prior to joining the professional ranks, Royster worked two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Central Florida. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Royster played four seasons at Pennsylvania State University-Beaver, where he became the winningest player in program history.