Greensboro Swarm Announces 2025-26 Coaching Staff

October 25, 2025 – The Greensboro Swarm, the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, announced today the coaching staff for the 2025-26 season. Head Coach DJ Bakker returns at the helm for his second season, joined by assistant coaches Nathan Peavy, David Noel III and Alex Ruoff. Brian Boyle and Markes Royster also return to the staff as head video coordinator and player development assistant, and director of player development, respectively.

Bakker and the Swarm are set to retain their entire lead coaching staff from its 2024-25 campaign, which marked the organization’s first playoff appearance in franchise history. Returning for the franchise’s milestone 10th anniversary season, the staff brings a shared commitment to player growth, culture building and on-court success as Greensboro prepares for its season opener on Nov. 7.

Nathan Peavy returns to the Swarm after leading the Cangrejeros de Santurce of Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) during the 2023-24 campaign, the island’s premier professional league. He previously spent six seasons with the Salt Lake City Stars, the NBA G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, including the final three years as head coach.

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Peavy starred collegiately at Miami University, where he guided the RedHawks to an NCAA Tournament appearance as a senior in 2007. He went on to enjoy a 10-year professional career in Germany and Puerto Rico, capturing three league championships along the way. Peavy’s family boasts deep athletic roots – his father, Terry, was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1979 NBA Draft, and his mother, Nila Lisa De Jesús, competed for the Puerto Rican national swimming team. Peavy himself has proudly represented Puerto Rico in international competition.

David Noel III is back in Greensboro following two seasons as an assistant coach with the Motor City Cruise, the NBA G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons. Before that, he spent four years in the same role with the Capital City Go-Go, the Washington Wizards’ affiliate. His coaching journey began at his alma mater, Southern High School in Durham, North Carolina.

As a player, Noel III enjoyed a standout career at the University of North Carolina, helping the Tar Heels capture the 2005 NCAA National Championship and earning All-ACC Second Team honors in 2006. Selected 39th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2006 NBA Draft, he played one season in the NBA and competed professionally overseas for a decade.

Alex Ruoff returns to the Swarm after two seasons on the coaching staff at West Virginia University, his alma mater. During his collegiate career from 2006-09, he helped guide the Mountaineers to three NCAA Tournament appearances – including two trips to the Sweet 16 – and graduated as the program’s all-time leader in three-pointers made (261). Ruoff also ranks among WVU’s career leaders in assists (eighth, 410) and steals (seventh, 189), and he was recognized as the Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Big East Sportsmanship Award recipient. Following college, he enjoyed a 12-year professional playing career in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Spain and Japan before transitioning into coaching.

Brian Boyle is enjoying his second stint with the Swarm. He most recently spent three years as an assistant with the Motor City Cruise and previously held the same position with the Agua Caliente Clippers, the Los Angeles Clippers’ G League affiliate, from 2018-20. Boyle’s NBA experience includes time as a video coordinator with the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets, as well as scouting roles with the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors. A former men’s basketball and golf student-athlete at the University of the Sciences, Boyle began his coaching career as a graduate manager at La Salle University.

Markes Royster is back with the Swarm after spending the past five years operating his own player development program, Swish Ocean, in Los Angeles. His professional experience includes roles as a video coordinator with the Indiana Pacers, director of video coordinating and player development for the Erie BayHawks (then affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans), and player development intern with the Dallas Mavericks. Before entering the professional ranks, he served two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Central Florida. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Royster played four seasons at Penn State Beaver, where he became the winningest player in program history.

A full list of coaching and basketball operations staff may be found below: