As Porter Moser began his first season as Loyola men’s basketball head coach in 2011, three first-years joined the roster. One of them was a walk-on guard from northern suburb Schaumburg named London Dokubo.
Seven years later, Dokubo’s still involved with the program. After graduating with bachelor’s degrees in sport management and marketing in May 2015, he was a volunteer assistant coach during the 2015-16 season before being promoted to a graduate assistant from 2016-18. July 9, he was promoted to team video coordinator.
We’re excited to be keeping @L_Dokubo13, who has big a big part of our culture, on the staff as our video coordinator! https://t.co/YvoTW9Zwpg #OnwardLU #MVCHoops pic.twitter.com/xRrAaQ4C1E
— Loyola Men’s Basketball (@RamblersMBB) July 9, 2018
“It’s kind of a similar role to what I was doing as the [graduate] assistant,” Dokubo, now 25, told The Phoenix in a phone interview. “As the [graduate] assistant, I was predominately doing all the video stuff for us … the transition should be seamless.”
After three years of playing basketball without a scholarship, Dokubo became the first walk-on Moser ever gave a scholarship to prior to his senior year in 2014. No one else has walked on and received a scholarship since.
“I was even thinking about redshirting as a [first-year] because I didn’t think I would play at all as a walk-on,” Dokubo said. “But a couple injuries kind of went my way and I ended up starting for a handful of games and playing in every game of the season … I kind of fell into an opportunity and I took advantage of it.”
Dokubo graduated with his Master of Business Administration (MBA) last year, which meant his time as a graduate assistant was nearing its end. After Loyola’s season ended with a loss to Michigan in the Final Four March 31, Moser decided it was time to eliminate the graduate assistant position and keep Dokubo on as the team video coordinator — a new position.
It’s a stepping stone to Dokubo’s end goal of becoming a Division I head coach, according to Moser.
“Starting in the coaching profession, it’s hard to get that start,” Moser said. “You might have to go through many years before you get a really good break. [Dokubo] graduated, and he still wanted to coach. Now he’s turned into the title of the video coordinator position … and he’s just got a really bright future because [of] his mentality and his work ethic.”
Dokubo and assistant coach Matt Gordon are the only people to have been involved with the program during the entirety of Moser’s tenure. Moser said standing next to Dokubo when the Ramblers secured an appearance in the Final Four was special because he’d been there since day one.
Dokubo’s seen it all — from winning seven games to finish at the bottom of the Horizon League in 2011 to winning 32 games and being atop the Missouri Valley Conference in 2018. He said he’s grateful to have been along for the ride.
“Clearly, I can’t get enough of Loyola,” Dokubo said. “I’m going on year number eight or nine now. It’s been awesome. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Loyola alumnus Joe Crisman broke in with Dokubo in 2011. Crisman played from 2011-15 and served as director of operations during the 2016-17 season. Now at medical school in South Carolina, Crisman still keeps in touch with Dokubo and said he was ecstatic when he found out about Dokubo’s promotion to video coordinator.
my guy https://t.co/rJPQ1ss4xz
— Joe Crisman (@joe_crisman) July 10, 2018
“He deserved that,” Crisman said. “Obviously, you never know in college basketball with job security and the positions that are available, and I think Loyola did a great job finding that spot for him after all the hard work and time he’s put in to finally get something out of it and start his own career.”
After Loyola’s 64-62 victory over University of Miami March 15, Crisman joined the Ramblers in the locker room. He saw it as an opportunity to celebrate not only with the program he spent four years with, but alongside his best friend.
“There’s no one that [the players] trust more than him,” Crisman said. “I couldn’t be more proud of what he was doing and the influence that he’s had on those guys. They respect him.”
When Loyola takes the court Nov. 6 for its home opener, Dokubo will still be on the sidelines with his alma mater — a program which has drastically changed since he first arrived on the scene.
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