From Pizza Deliveries to Basketball Stardom: The Unbelievable Rise of Diggy Coit

Diggy delivers. He always has, in one way or another.

Diggy Coit has one of the most unique paths to College Park, sparked by a time when things looked bleak and fueled by an unmatched work ethic and determination to prove himself.

“I remember saying that I wasn’t even going to tell people my story," Coit said. “I wasn’t ready to tell people for a while. I just wanted it for myself, to remember what I came from. I wanted to have one of the greatest stories.”

In the height of the pandemic, a boy in Columbus, New Jersey, was working. He wasn’t delivering 40-point performances yet. He was delivering pizzas. 

“My parents couldn’t really pay for school at that time, just because of everything that was going on,” Coit said. “I got a quick little job around town. I was serving pizzas. My older friends put me on because they were doing it in high school.”

Basketball, a game that’s taken Coit all over the country and constantly brought him to new heights, wasn’t on the front burner. It couldn’t be. At least, not yet. 

“During COVID, there wasn’t much to do, so I thought I might as well get a quick little job and put some money in my pocket,” Coit said. “I couldn’t ask my parents for more money, and times were hard, so I needed to make sure I could take care of my car and my responsibilities so my parents didn’t have to worry about me.”

With the world on hold during the lockdown, Coit decided to take control of his life and completely alter his situation. 

“I was working out every day,” Coit said. “I was overweight, so I lost about 30 pounds. I had all the time in the world to work out, so I went to the gym. One of my best friends, Jalen Gaffney, helped me get into a gym I could go to 24/7, so that was a big help.”

Coit was running daily and often working out more than twice a day. He completely changed his diet, reshaped his life and pivoted his motivations. He started to look at his future in basketball, but knew it would have a murky start. 

“Jersey isn’t really known for JUCO and developing people for the next level,” Coit said. “But my mentor, Allen Ragland, said, ‘I don’t know if I can send you anywhere else, because I just don’t trust anybody with you.’”

Ragland got a job at Atlantic Cape Community College. Once he did, he made a promise to Coit: If he followed him and trusted him, he would change Coit's life forever. 

“It was a blessing,” Coit said. “I tell people all the time that he saved my life. He saw something in me that a lot of people, even some of my friends and family, couldn’t see. I don’t blame them, because the road didn’t look as bright as it does now. But him having confidence in me gave me confidence, and him believing in me did a lot.”

After Coit’s 43-point performance against Penn State on Jan. 18, Ragland put out a post on X to congratulate Coit, saying:

At the forefront of the many lessons JUCO taught Coit was God’s role in his life. Ragland helped Coit grow on and off the court and helped him reach an invaluable spiritual revelation.

“The most important thing I learned is that it’s all about who you become,” Coit said. “I became someone who has built a foundation on my spiritual life, believing in God and trusting God and His path. A lot of times, when I thought I was doing well, I thought it was me doing it, but I realized over time how much of it was God.”

Playing with Buzz Williams at Maryland has also helped shape Coit’s spiritual life and his relationship with God. Coit credits Williams with teaching him to devote his life to God, no matter how it turns out. 

“I’m going to love Buzz forever for that,” Coit said. 

But Coit was still years away from meeting Williams when he went to play for Ragland at ACCC. He still had quite a ladder to work his way up.

Coit met Jamal Edwards, a “big brother” figure who Coit credits for helping him to play at the next level. After just a month at the JUCO level, Coit had half a dozen offers. 

“Rags had stood on his word,” Coit said. “It was just two people that were men of their words. When they said something, they meant it.”

Coit transferred to NIU and played Division I basketball for the first time. In two seasons with the Huskies, Coit played in 58 games, averaging 15.5 in 2022-23 and 20.8 a season later. It earned him other looks, new opportunities and more chances to deliver. 

Coit looked to play for Williams at Texas A&M, but waiver issues robbed Coit of a summer of being able to transfer into the program and get to work. Coach Steve Roccaforte, who was on Williams’ staff, made a call to Kansas, vouching for Coit’s talent. 

He landed at Kansas, where he made three starts in 34 games. The Jayhawks had a solid season, but Coit was destined for more. 

“I knew I wanted to play more,” Coit said. “I wanted a bigger role, and I wanted more on my shoulders. I jumped in the portal again. I knew I wanted to be with Buzz and Roccaforte. I trusted them because they helped me get into school, even though they couldn’t take me.”

Now, Coit’s delivering incredible performances. He scored 41 points in a win over Mount St. Mary’s and 43 in a Big Ten victory over Penn State to become the first Terp in over 75 years to log multiple 40-point games.

“He has video-game tendencies,” Williams said. “He has an ability to score that is uncommon for his size. He can gain space because he’s always played as an undersized guard. His ability to make shots, particularly off the dribble, is rare.”

With all but a handful of impactful mentors telling Coit he was too small or couldn’t make it, Coit turned to the best motivator he knew: himself. 

“Being a smaller guard my entire life, I had to have that chip on my shoulder,” Coit said. “My father instilled that in me. I watched people that I felt I was as good as or better than, not out of jealousy or envy, but out of motivation to myself. If they can do it, surely I can.”

He’s the ultimate inspiration and anecdote of what hard work, dedication, and trust in one’s mentors can do. 

“Diggy’s been around the world and back,” Williams said. “His story should be told at a higher decibel level. I don’t think it should be told because he can score. His heart is beating for the right things. His growth in the six months I’ve known him off the floor has been at a high rate.” 

The only person who can tell Coit’s story is himself. He’s writing new chapters, making history, and quieting doubters. He’s still delivering on promises made to him by his coaches, by his mentors, and — above all — by himself.