Dwayne Pina enters his eighth year with the Bryant University men’s basketball team and fourth working under head coach Tim O'Shea.
Pina joined the Bulldog coaching staff in 2005-06 and has played an integral role in guiding Bryant basketball into the Division I era. He came to Smithfield, R.I. after spending a year as an assistant coach at nearby Rhode Island College under coach Jack Perry.
During Pina's first season at Rhode Island College, the Anchormen posted a 20-9 record and finished the year as co-champions of the Little East Conference. RIC excelled throughout the postseason, making it all the way to the championship game of the ECAC New England Division III tournament.
As an undergrad at Boston College, Pina joined the men's basketball team as a walk-on prior to the 1997-98 season and earned an athletic scholarship midway through that year.
In 1998-99, he started all 27 games for the Eagles, averaging 4.5 assists per contest to rank seventh in the Big East. Pina was named Team Defensive MVP in 1998 and earned the honor of Top Playmaker in 1999. Pina played in 78 games for Boston College during his career, making 38 starts as a guard.
In addition to his accomplishments on the court, Pina also served his local community in Chestnut Hill. He acted as a director at the Boston College Basketball Camp during the summers from 1997-99, providing children with an interest in basketball with a fundamental knowledge of the sport, as well as providing training in the basics.
Upon joining the Bryant University coaching staff, Pina helped the Bulldogs to three-straight NCAA Division II tournaments -- including two regional championship game appearances -- before the Black and Gold made the move to Division I, where he guided them to the program’s first DI win in 2008-09.
During Bryant’s inaugural Division I season, Pina played a key role in scouting as well as working with the team's perimeter players. The Bulldogs have accumulated 18 wins over the past three seasons since joining the Division I ranks.
A 2001 graduate of Boston College, Pina earned a bachelor's degree in communications. He currently resides in New Bedford, Mass.
