Pittsburgh native Scott Rigot, whose relationship with head coach Ron Everhart dates back to working basketball camps in the early 1980s, brings 20 years of college coaching experience to the Dukes' bench.
A graduate of nearby Bethel Park High School, Rigot has accompanied teams to postseason play in 12 of his 14 seasons as a Division I assistant coach and also enjoyed a successful stint as a junior college head coach. Prior to his arrival at Duquesne, he served as an assistant under Tubby Smith at Kentucky from 2002-03 through 2006-07 where he helped the Wildcats earn five consecutive NCAA Tournament bids.
While at Kentucky, Rigot helped secure a 2004 recruiting class that was ranked No. 1 in the nation by rivals.com. Two members of that class - Rajon Rondo and Ramel Bradley - went on to earn All-SEC honors.
Rigot, who has made at least one NCAA tournament appearance at all of his four Division I coaching stops - Kentucky, Hawaii, UAB and South Carolina - has established a reputation as a highly successful recruiter - especially in international circles.
Prior to his stint at Kentucky, Rigot coached for three years under Riley Wallace at Hawaii. In 2002, Rigot was part of a Rainbows team that racked up a school-record 27 wins on the way to a Western Athletic Conference Tournament title and second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.
Before Hawaii, Rigot was an assistant at Alabama-Birmingham for three seasons (1997-99). While at UAB, Rigot was part of three post-season teams (two NITs and one NCAA) as the Blazers posted a pair of 20-win seasons. He helped put together a 1997 UAB recruiting class that was ranked in the top 20 nationally.
Rigot's college coaching career began at South Carolina where he was a graduate assistant in 1986-87. He was promoted to a full-time assistant and coached the next three seasons on George Felton's staff. It was there where he began his relationship with fellow assistant Tubby Smith. Rigot was part of a staff that helped Felton's Gamecocks to the 1988-89 NCAA Tournament.
In 1990-91, he was named head coach at Spartanburg (S.C.) Methodist College where he inherited a 6-22 team and proceeded to post six consecutive 20-win seasons in compiling a 158-35 (.818) record. Rigot's Pioneers, who were nationally ranked for five straight years, achieved a No. 1 ranking for 12 weeks in finishing second at the 1994-95 NJCAA Tournament. Rigot, who was a four-time Carolina Conference Coach of the Year, saw 33 players earn scholarships to four-year schools, including 26 at Division I programs. He was inducted to the Spartanburg Methodist Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
Rigot left Spartanburg Methodist to join Murray Bartow's staff at UAB prior to the 1996-97 season.
Upon graduation from Bethel Park, Rigot began his playing career at Jamestown Community College in New York where he was part of a Jayhawks team that was ranked No. 1 nationally and participated in the 1982 NJCAA Tournament. It was at that time that Rigot first met Everhart on the summer camp circuit.
After being sidelined for a year with a knee injury, Rigot transferred to the University at Buffalo where he lettered in both 1984 and 1985. He completed his degree in sociology in 1986 and added a master's in education from South Carolina in 1988.
Rigot, 47, and his wife Renee have two daughters, Natalie and Julianna.
