Hoehn Leads Fayetteville State to CIAA Championship Victory Over Bluefield State

Fayetteville State defeated Bluefield State 71-68 on Saturday, claiming the 2026 CIAA Men's Basketball Championship in Baltimore. Head coach Devin Hoehn, 31, secured the title in his first season with the program after bringing several players from his previous team.

The win capped a three-year tournament run for Hoehn across two programs. In 2024, he guided Bluefield State to a quarterfinal upset of defending champion Winston-Salem State at age 29. The next year, his team reached the championship game and earned an NCAA Tournament bid.

Hoehn joined Fayetteville State last spring. He brought the core of his Bluefield State roster through the transfer portal. His old program hired Luke D'Alessio, who had coached at Fayetteville State from 2019 to 2025, creating a coaching swap between the two schools.

"I'm big on relationships and family. That's number one," Hoehn said, per HBCU Gameday. "If you can't be close with your players, it's going to be a long year for you."

The Broncos trailed 28-14 in the first half. They went into halftime down eight points. Hoehn credited his team's experience for the comeback.

"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."

Terrell Williams scored 29 points and played all 40 minutes for the winners. The squad committed just seven turnovers in the contest. Bluefield State led for only five minutes of game time but controlled much of the tempo.

The championship adds to Hoehn's rapid rise in HBCU coaching. He was hired at age 27 and has now won a conference title before turning 32.