Gjon Djokaj, former head basketball coach at De La Salle Collegiate, will leave his position to pursue a new opportunity at the collegiate level.
Djokaj, who has led the Pilots since 2020, first announced his departure to the varsity basketball team, telling his players that it was a necessary move and an important one to be able to spend more time with his wife and three sons.
“For the last four years, my family and I have bled purple and gold,” Djokaj said. “The countless hours we spent in the gym - teaching, mentoring, and getting to know our young Pilots as basketball players, and most importantly as young men, while working to give them the tools to become successful on and off the court are memories I will walk away with forever.”
Athletic Director Dan Rohn echoed Djokaj’s thoughts, and added, “Coach knows he always has a home at De La Salle and his family is always welcome here.”
It was not an easy decision for Djokaj, Rohn said. “It was an emotional meeting when we sat down this week; one of the most emotional meetings I have had in my 25 years of doing this job.
“Coach Djokaj has developed great friendships with players and families, been an incredible mentor to his players, and encouraged them to pursue their goals, while having a strong character,” he added. “We know we are losing one of the best coaches in the state of Michigan.”
Looking forward to the future of the basketball program, Rohn is already on the search for its 19th head basketball coach in DLS history. With an already strong list of potential candidates, the goal is to have someone in place by Memorial Day weekend.
“Now the tough part comes in finding the right person to try and fill his shoes,” he said. “Just as we did with the hockey program last year, we will put all our resources, experience, and time into finding the right person to manage and lead the DLS basketball program.”
Djokaj was especially thankful for the many people he came to know in his four years at DLS: “As my time comes to an end, I want to thank our athletic administration, the parents and numerous support staff for believing in us and providing us with all the resources to be successful.
“A special thank you to Larry Rancilio, Jack Brusewitz, John Bernard, Dan Rohn and Dennis Parks for taking a chance on me during the hiring process,” he added. “Lastly and most importantly, I want to thank my coaching staff and all our players (past and present) for all the sacrifices they have made to help me grow as a person and coach. I will continue to be a part of all their lives, if they choose, now and forever.”
He will be missed by players and his DLS family alike: “I hope my leadership and commitment to representing De La Salle the right way taught them to have pride in all that DLS has to offer. I pray they learned the importance of having love for their school, families, and most importantly to have love for themselves.”