Courtside : A Memoir of Life, Learning, Law & Purpose

In the tender embrace of Darby Township, where the whispers of the Greater Philadelphia loomed large, Derick Loury penned the inaugural chapters of his life. With the rhythmic dribble of a basketball as his constant companion, Loury unfolds his autobiography, a small-town boy with eyes alight with the glint of Division 1 dreams.

This is not merely a tale; it is a tapestry woven with the meticulous threads of encyclopedic detail and the vibrant hues of personal sagas. A humble, authentic reflection of a life's journey, Derick's narrative is a heartfelt sojourn through the corridors of self-discovery. The heart of his story beats to the pulsating rhythm of basketball, a steadfast echo from boyhood to the stern corridors of law enforcement.

As Loury takes us by the hand, we tread the storied paths of his youth in Darby Township. Here, amid the laughter and trials of a young black child in a predominantly white enclave, he confronts the jagged edges of racism, slicing through the fabric of the Southeast Delco School District with policies that shield privilege, leaving a community to grapple with the aftermath of a legal storm that would scar its history.

It is basketball, that sacred dance on the court, intertwined with an unwavering faith, that casts the longest shadows in Loury's odyssey. For even as the specters of grief and loss loomed, clouding his school days and darkening the doorstep of home, it was the discipline of sport that restored structure to his world, and the solace of faith that ushered him into the arms of community.

As a man, Loury's life would continue to be a testament to giving, his legacy etched in the sports programs he championed. Through the mosaic of faces and stories that touched his life, he found a richness beyond measure. Grief's sharp edges were softened by the gentle ebb and flow of fishing trips with his grandparents, where he pieced together the fragments of his heart.

In the foreword, Jay Wright, the esteemed Naismith Hall of Fame Coach and a steadfast beacon in Loury's life, offers a window into the soul of a friend. Through Loury's eyes, we journey across the landscape of eastern Pennsylvania, each experience, each trial and triumph, converging to mold the man of honor we see today.

Derick Loury's story is an invitation to walk the streets of his memories, to see the world through his victories and defeats, and to understand how a dream, when chased with relentless passion, can define one's destiny.

In the sprawling tapestry of law and order, Derick Loury emerges as a steadfast weaver of justice, his life's thread spun from the fabric of dedication and public service. His story begins in the modest precincts of the City of Wildwood Police Department, where, as a fledgling Class II Special Officer, he first tasted the weight of the badge after graduating from the crucible of the Cape May Court House Special Police Training Center in 1982.

Loury, though, was not content to remain a foot soldier of the streets for long. His ambition and thirst for knowledge propelled him to the storied halls of Rider College. Here, amidst the hallowed books and the exchange of learned dialogue, he forged his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Police Science Studies, sharpening his mind for the trials to come.

The New Jersey Department of Corrections welcomed him in 1988, not as an enforcer, but as a civilian sage among the ranks, his wisdom climbing the hierarchy through various mid-supervisor roles. It was not until he took the solemn oath of a Deputy Warden that his journey within the battlements of correction truly began.

In 2008, Loury ascended another rung, completing the rigorous New Jersey Police Training Commission's Executive Level course—an odyssey of six weeks that would steel him for the leadership ahead. The year 2015 marked his rise to the zenith of his career as an Administrator/Warden, a role demanding the orchestration of a vast human symphony: 300 Corrections Police Officers, 125 civilian staff, 25 private contractors, all within the confines of a prison complex teeming with 1,400 souls.

His pursuit of excellence did not wane. The National Institute of Corrections Academy in Aurora, Colorado, graced him with its knowledge, as he joined the ranks of the freshly minted Prison Wardens in 2017. That same year, the New Jersey Regional Intelligence Academy acknowledged his analytical prowess, bestowing upon him the title of a Basic Intelligence Analyst.

Loury's heart, however, has never strayed from the path of mentorship and education. He has become a lodestar for those navigating the complex waters of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, offering his time and wisdom generously. In the midst of overseeing the daily tumult of prison life, he wove intelligence into the fabric of operations, a steadfast guardian ensuring that the thread of safety remained unbroken.

The year 2020 saw him crown his contributions with leadership, becoming the Chairman of the nonprofit law enforcement organization C.A.B.L.E.—the Collective Agreement of Black Law Enforcement—a beacon aiming to illuminate and rectify the shadows of underrepresentation in the field.

As a Vice President since 2017 and an Executive Committee member of Camden Board #34, Loury stands as a protector of the integrity of referees, safeguarding the intellectual properties that are the lifeblood of South Jersey's officiating cadre. His inquiries, though confidential, ripple with low social impact, yet remain vital to the organization's heart.

A brother of Kappa Alpha Psi and a devoted member of Bethany Baptist Connection Church, Loury's life is a testament to the interweaving of faith and fraternity in the service of a cause greater than oneself. His story is not merely one of a man maintaining order within the walls of an institution but of a visionary shaping the very future of law enforcement and public safety.

In 21 seasons as Villanova's William B. Finneran Endowed Head Coach, Jay Wright has guided the Wildcats to new heights, including NCAA national championships in 2016 and 2018 and four appearances in the NCAA Final Four. The Bucknell University graduate (1983) was enshrined on Sept. 11, 2021, in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Villanova posted a 30-win season for the sixth time in Wright's tenure as head coach in 2021-22, advancing to the NCAA Final Four with a 50-44 victory over Houston in the South Regional Final. The Wildcats own 20 NCAA Tournament victories since 2016, the most in the nation in that span (20-4). Along the way Villanova captured the 2022 BIG EAST Tournament title, extending to nine consecutive seasons its run of winning a BIG EAST regular season or tournament crown. Since the BIG EAST realigned in 2013, the Wildcats have won 263 games, an average of 29.2 per season.

In January 2020, Wright was named the Associated Press men's college basketball Coach of the Decade.

In 2017-18, the Wildcats amassed a school record 36 victories and secured Villanova's third NCAA national championship with a 79-62 victory over Michigan on April 2, 2018. Jalen Brunson became Villanova's first consensus National Player of the Year in the modern era, joining Paul Arizin as the only VU players to earn that distinction. In 2016, Villanova defeated North Carolina 77-74 when Kris Jenkins drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a 35-5 campaign with an NCAA national title.
The product of Council Rock High School owns a record of 520-196 (.724) in his 21 seasons at the helm of the Wildcats and is the program's all-time wins leader. With 271 BIG EAST victories, he ranks third all-time among league coaches and is 34-14 (.708) in NCAA Tournament play at Nova. His overall record as head coach – including a successful seven-year stint at Hofstra University from 1994-2001 – is 642-281 (.691).

This is Wright's second stint at Villanova. He served as an assistant to the late Rollie Massimino from 1987-92.
The Wildcats have succeeded on the academic side too. Since 2012, the Wildcats have received Academic All-BIG EAST recognition on 82 occasions and all 13 members of the roster earned that distinction in 2020-21. Brunson was named a second team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2018 and teammate Matt Kennedy received the NCAA Elite 90 Award at the Final Four. Collin Gillespie was named the BIG EAST Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2022. Every Villanova player who has spent four years in the program since 1975 has earned his degree.

In 2018 Wright received the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in Los Angeles. He is a two-time winner of the Naismith National Coach of the Year award (2006 and 2016) and in 2018-19 became the first man in BIG EAST history to be selected as the league's Coach of the Year six times.

Wright is married to the former Patricia Reilly. The couple has two sons, Taylor (28) and Colin (27) and a daughter Reilly (22). Patty and Jay Wright were honored with the inaugural Saint Augustine Medal in April 2017. Wright's book "Attitude", published in 2017, was a New York Times bestseller.