Joey Meyer, son of Hall of Fame coach Ray Meyer, died late Friday afternoon at age 74, the school announced. Meyer coached DePaul men’s basketball for over a decade, leaving a lasting impact on the program.
“I’d like to say our thoughts and prayers are with the Meyer family and Joey Meyer and what he meant to the program,” head coach Tony Stubblefield said. “DePaul basketball wouldn’t be what DePaul basketball is and was in tradition that it was with Joey Meyer and all that he did for the program.”
Meyer was surrounded by his family in Hinsdale, Illinois. The cause of death has not been revealed. Details regarding a public service will be announced at a later date, according to DePaul.
The news of Meyers’ death was first shared by Chuck Swirsky, the radio broadcaster for the Chicago Bulls via X.
“We lost a really good man today – Coach Joey Meyer passed away. He battled and fought so very hard in his final days. Condolences to his wife, Barbara and his son, Brian and the entire Meyer family and DePaul University,” Swirsky wrote.
Meyer’s career with DePaul spanned three decades as a player, assistant coach and head coach. Initially, he played and assisted under his father, Hall of Fame coach Ray Meyer, and eventually took over the program from 1984 to 1997.
Following his father’s retirement in 1984, Meyer took over the program and spent 13 seasons as the team’s head coach. During his tenure, he put together a 231-158 record and led DePaul to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in his first eight seasons.
His win total stands second behind Ray Meyer’s 724 on the school’s all-time list.
Winning the 1987 Chevrolet National Coach of the Year accolade and leading DePaul to its first conference title with a victory in the 1992 Great Midwest Conference regular-season championship are among his most notable accomplishments.
During his time as a player, Meyer averaged 16.4 points per game and was drafted by the Buffalo Braves in the 18th round of the 1971 NBA draft, but never made an appearance in a league game.
Upon graduating in 1971, Meyer became the fourth-highest scorer in school history with 1,233 points. Even now, he is recognized among the school’s top performers in scoring average and field goals.
Once his coaching tenure at DePaul ended, Meyer led the Chicago Skyliners in the American Basketball Association and later became the head coach in the NBA Development League. He won two Development League Championships and tallied 226 total victories.
After retiring from coaching, Meyer stayed connected to basketball as a WGN-AM broadcaster and a regional scout for the Los Angeles Clippers.
In 2009, Meyer earned his induction into the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame as a player and in 2021, he was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame alongside his father Ray and brother Tom.
Meyer also earned his place in the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987 and received recognition as one of the esteemed ‘Faces of DePaul’ among the 125 honorees.
