BALTIMORE, MD — Fayetteville State head coach Devin Hoehn has left his mark on the CIAA and HBCU basketball in a short period of time.
The 31 year old led Fayetteville State to a 71-68 win over Bluefield State 71-68 on Saturday to claim the 2026 CIAA Men’s Basketball Championship. But the trophy was the final chapter of a journey that began two programs ago and was built on relationships.
“I’m big on relationships and family. That’s number one,” Hoehn said. “If you can’t be close with your players, it’s going to be a long year for you.”
Fayetteville State Finishes the Climb
Hoehn’s CIAA tournament résumé didn’t start in Fayetteville.
In 2024, he led Bluefield State to a stunning quarterfinal takedown of defending champion Winston-Salem State. It was the West Virginia HBCU program’s first CIAA tournament appearance since rejoining the conference — and the program announced itself immediately. He was 29.
In 2025, Bluefield State reached the CIAA championship game and secured an NCAA Tournament bid.
The breakthrough was close, but not complete.
When Hoehn was hired at Fayetteville State last spring, he brought the bulk of that Bluefield State core with him. The spoils of the year-to-year transfer portal. The mission was simple: finish the job.
“These guys trusted me,” Hoehn said. “I remember literally recruiting both of these guys. The day I was there with Rel, the day I was there with Larry. And to see it come to fruition now, I’m super happy for these guys.”
That trust showed when it mattered most.
Fayetteville State trailed 28-14 early and entered halftime down eight. Many teams would have unraveled under championship pressure.
Instead, they leaned into their identity.
“The motto we’ve been saying all year — never get too high, never get too low,” Hoehn said. “A lot of teams would have folded being down 28 to 14 early.”
They didn’t.
CIAA Experience Pays Off
The CIAA championship game was layered with irony. Luke D’Alessio coached Fayetteville State from 2019 to 2025. Hoehn resigned from Bluefield State and was named Fayetteville State’s head coach the next day. Weeks later, D’Alessio took the Bluefield job.
Now the men at the center of an HBCU coaching trade met for the trophy. Bluefield State controlled much of the tempo, but Hoehn stayed patient.
“You’re not going to get a nine-point play back in one possession,” he said. “If you keep chipping each media timeout, by the time it gets close, they’re going to start shaking because they have not been on this stage before, and I got five guys that have been.”
Experience won.
Terrell Williams scored 29 points and played all 40 minutes. Fayetteville State committed just seven turnovers. The Broncos led for barely five minutes of game time. They simply led at the end.
For Hoehn, the arc is remarkable: hired at 27, tournament breakthrough at 29, NCAA bid at 30, CIAA champion at 31.
From Bluefield State to Fayetteville State, the constant wasn’t location — it was belief.
“We’re going to rest up,” Hoehn said. “Then we’re going to get back to it and just do what we do and be us. It is not done yet.”
The journey moved programs but relationships delivered the championship.