Cremins named assistant coach @ SE Missouri St.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Jonathan Cremins, a nephew of longtime successful college coach Bobby Cremins, was hired as an assistant coach at Southeast Missouri Tuesday.

Cremins, who completes the coaching staff, will serve as the Redhawks No. 3 assistant.

"I think we are extremely fortunate to have Jonathan join our staff," said Southeast head coachDickey Nutt. "He comes from a great basketball family and his background speaks for itself. He is a young guy with good experience and is an excellent addition to our program."

A native of Roswell, Ga., Cremins spent the last two seasons on his uncle's staff at the College of Charleston.

Prior to that, he served as an assistant and teacher during the 2009-10 school year at South Forsyth High School in Cumming, Ga. His coaching career also includes a stint as a graduate assistant men's basketball coach at his alma mater, Valdosta State University, from 2007-09 and working part-time in ticket sales and marketing at the school from 2005-07.

While at VSU, Cremins' duties included working with the team's guards during practices as well as tracking the academic progress of his student-athletes. Additionally, he helped with the program's tape exchange program, produced scouting tapes for the Blazer coaches and players, assisted with offseason individual workouts and both on- and off-campus recruiting.

Cremins' on-the-court experience has been enhanced by working numerous basketball camps during the summer months, including the Florida State Basketball Camp in 2008, the Georgia State Basketball Camp in 2007 and the Blessed Trinity (High School) Summer League Camp in 2006 and 2007.

Cremins earned his bachelor's degree in history from Valdosta State in 2007. He then earned his master's degree in public administration there in 2009. Cremins was also a member of Sigma Nu and served as chair of the fraternity's philanthropy projects in the community.

Bobby Cremins ranked among the nation's winningest college basketball coaches during a 30-year run that ended with his retirement a year ago. He led Georgia Tech to the 1990 Final Four and is the program's winningest coach.

Jonathan and veteran coach Jessie Evans are the newest additions to Nutt's staff. Evans was recently hired as the program's top assistant. They join Jamie Rosser, who has been with Nutt during his first three seasons at Southeast and remains on staff. 

Wagner adds former St. Joseph's standout as assistant coach

Staten Island, NY – Wagner Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bashir Mason announced that former Saint Joseph’s University standout Dwayne Lee has been named as the Seahawks’ graduate manager for the upcoming season.

“Dwayne is a lifelong friend of mine, his dad coached us growing up and I am excited to have him here at Wagner,” said Mason. “He was an outstanding player and has a high-level basketball IQ. He is a steal for us.”

Lee earned four letters while playing in two NCAA Tournaments for the Hawks from 2002-2006. Over his first two years on Hawk Hill, the Jersey City native served as a back-up point guard to 2004 National Player of the Year and Orlando Magic All-Star guard Jameer Nelson. As a sophomore, Lee helped Saint Joseph’s to a perfect regular season, 30 wins and a berth in the Elite 8.

He then made the seamless transition to starter for his final two years with the Hawks, guiding Philadelphia-based institution to the Finals of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) as a junior and a pair of Atlantic 10 Championship Game appearances. All told, Lee was a part of 96 wins, the second best total for a four-year class in school history, while finishing 11th with 371 career assists. 

“In the long and proud tradition of Saint Joseph's University, no one has brought more honor to his family name, this program and this University than Dwayne Lee,” said Hawks Head Coach Phil Martelli. “His future in the coaching profession is bright and without limit."

Following his time at Saint Joseph’s, Lee played professionally for the Sellbytel Baskets in Germany’s top division, before helping the Vermont Frost Heaves to the ABA Championship. He then concluded his career with Etha Basketball in the first division of the Cyprus League.

Lee prepped at St. Anthony High School under the direction of legendary Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley, helping the Friars to two-straight New Jersey State Tournament of Champions titles and a No. 2 National Ranking by the USA Today.

“I am very excited about the new opportunity here at Wagner to join a staff with a coach that has been a lifelong friend of mine,” said Lee. “It is a great opportunity to jump on board with a program that is heading in the right direction. I plan to bring new energy and a winning attitude to an already elite staff.”

Lee will be pursuing his master’s degree in education at Wagner, after graduating from Saint Joseph’s with a bachelor’s degree in business marketing.

James Madison Dukes finalizes coaching staff

HARRISONBURG, Va., Sept. 18, 2012 - Matt Brady, James Madison men's basketball head coach, on Tuesday announced the addition of Lucious Jordan and Sam Dowell to the program's staff.  Jordan will serve as director of basketball operations for the Dukes while Dowell will fill the role of graduate assistant coach.

"We're excited that Lucious has joined our staff," commented Brady regarding his new operations director.  "He is a former very successful student-athlete who graduated from the University at Albany in 2006.  He clearly understands the demands of a student-athlete and the need to balance your time and your energies between the classroom and the basketball court.  He demonstrated that during his time at Loyola of Maryland and when he transferred home to Albany."

Jordan spent the last few years getting his feet wet in the coaching profession following a successful playing career.  His post-graduate coaching stints have included the Albany City Rocks AAU 16U team and the Green Tech Charter High School freshman squad.  He has also worked as a trainer and skill development coach for Rise Up Basketball in Albany and worked the Nike Youth Pre-Draft Camp. 

Those experiences followed a professional career that included stops with the Emmen Eagles of the Netherlands as well as the Albany Patroons in the Continental Basketball Association.

Brady added of Jordan, "I've known him for some time and have had conversations about joining our staff for about four years.  This was a unique opportunity for him to join our staff and get his foot into the college coaching profession.  I'm excited for our guys because I think they'll look up to him as a mentor and role model of someone who's walked in their shoes before and has had a lot of success."

During his collegiate time split between Albany and Loyola, Jordan amassed 1,420 total points.  His best overall numbers came as a junior in his first season back home in Albany with 413 points, including 48 three-pointers made, while also accumulating 138 rebounds, 65 assists and 40 steals.  He was named Second Team All-Conference in the first of two seasons serving as a team captain.

As a senior, his totals went down in each category, but he showed a marked improvement in percentages with an impressive 30-for-65 (.462) performance from the arc while shooting .431 from the floor.  He posted 270 points, 107 rebounds, 51 assists and 38 steals to lead the Great Danes to their first NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, falling to Connecticut 72-59 in Philadelphia in 2006.

Jordan opened his college career with the Greyhounds of Loyola Maryland, averaging 13.1 points per game as a freshman.  He also posted 48 assists, 120 rebounds and 43 steals en route to All-Rookie honors in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.  His numbers were similar as a sophomore with 13.2 points per game to go with 53 assists, 101 rebounds and .406 shooting from the floor.

 "I am very excited for the opportunity to join the staff here at JMU," commented Jordan.  "I'm looking forward to being an integral part of the 2012-13 campaign and assisting with the future growth of this program."

Jordan achieved his bachelor's degree in communications and sociology from the University at Albany in 2006 and also received a minor in African American studies.

After four years serving as manager for the JMU men's basketball program, Dowell will take the next step in his basketball progression to the position of graduate assistant coach. During his first three seasons assisting Brady's staff, Dowell managed equipment and coordinated practice filming in addition to other various assignments.

As a senior, Dowell worked as head manager for the Dukes, training and coordinating the managerial staff, including the coverage schedule for practices and games.  His game-day role also expanded to include coordinating film exchange.

Dowell also worked as an intern reporter for Digital Sports in Fairfax in 2011.  He provided comprehensive event coverage of track and field meets with recaps, videos and photos published on the company's website. 

From a coaching perspective, Dowell worked as an assistant coach for track and field at East Rockingham High School in Elkton, Va. in 2012, working primarily with hurdles and high jump.  His basketball camp working experience includes Georgetown (2009), Bridgewater (2010), Maryland (2011) and Frostburg State (2009, 2011).

Dowell is a 2012 graduate of JMU with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology with a concentration in sport and recreation management as well as minors in business and coaching.

He stated, "I am very thankful for this opportunity to work and learn under Coach Brady and the rest of our tremendous coaching staff. I am looking forward to a great season and can't wait to get started."

LaSalle names Video Coordinator

PHILADELPHIA – Matt Bloom has been named the men's basketball video coordinator at La Salle, head coach Dr. John Giannini announced today.
 
“Matt has great basketball experience and is one the best people and hardest workers you could meet,” Giannini said. “He has been instrumental in the growth and welfare of our student-athletes and we know he will make even greater contributions this year.”
 
Bloom spent the 2011-12 season as an academic support assistant with the Explorers men's basketball program. He previously spent three seasons at Rutgers on Fred Hill's staff, including two as the operations coordinator.
 
“I could not be more excited to continue working for Coach G and such a great staff at La Salle,” Bloom said. “I am thrilled to be a part of the Big 5 basketball tradition.”
 
Bloom has also served as a consultant with the New Jersey Nets, helping develop the team's defensive player rating system. During his tenure, he also worked for The Hoop Group and managed the office at the Eastern Invitational Basketball Clinic. Bloom served as associate director of Fairleigh Dickinson's Knights basketball camps under head coach Tom Green from 2002-03. He has also worked as a volunteer at the Advanta Tennis Championships and the Adidas ABCD Basketball Camp.
 
The valedictorian of his high school class, Bloom attended Penn, earning a bachelor of arts in philosophy, politics and economics in 2004. He was a manager with the Quakers for four seasons under head coach Fran Dunphy.

NBA Denver Nuggets sign Vance Walberg as coach

George Karl said today that Vance Walberg will be an assistant on the Nuggets’ staff. Walberg spent ample time with the team last season, but is on the staff officially for 2012-13.

Walberg, famously, was the innovator of the dribble-drive motion offense. I did a big piece last season on Vance and how the Nuggets utilize his schemes.

As a coach, Walberg would put four players on the perimeter and, as one player attacked the basket, the offensive post player would open space by moving to the weak side of the lane. Meanwhile, the other three perimeter players would rotate accordingly. If that particular dribble-drive play failed, the next ball handler would just dribble and drive again.

Once seen as wacky, the dribble-drive offense has helped turn John Calipari-coached teams into collegiate powerhouses. The Nuggets use dribble-drive concepts in about 50 percent of their offense, Karl said last season.

The Nuggets had a opening after coach Jesse Mermuys left for Houston.

Karl is quite pleased with his staff – “My three big guys are fantastic. Chad (Iske), Melvin (Hunt) and John Welch are fantastic. Ryan Bowen and Patrick Mutombo have to make a step forward this year and establish themselves as a little more assertive.”

Former NEC Head Coach named Assistant Coach @ Susquehanna

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Susquehanna's head men's basketball coach Frank Marcinek has announced the hiring ofDon Friday as his new assistant coach, announced on Monday.

Friday comes to SU from Division I St. Francis (Pa.) where he was the head coach from 2008-12. He led the Red Flash to the Northeast Conference (NEC) playoffs in 2010 and 2011, the program's first playoff berth since 2005.

"I look forward to having Don become a vital part of our program," Marcinek stated. "He did a great job at Lycoming and St. Francis and brings a strong work ethic along with invaluable coaching and recruiting experience. He has recruiting contacts throughout the entire country which will certainly benefit our program."

Friday was also the head coach at Lycoming from 2003-08 where he led the Warriors to the 2008 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth regular season title and was subsequently named the Coach of the Year that season.

He was also named the MAC Coach of the Year in 2006 and led the 2004 squad to the MAC Freedom Conference Tournament title. His 2004 team was ranked first in the conference in defensive field goal percentage and second in all of Division III in rebounding.

Friday also had stints at Bucknell (1994-2003) and Lebanon Valley (1989-94), where he was an assistant on the 1994 DIII national champion Lebanon Valley team.

"I have known Don since his days at Lebanon Valley and have the utmost respect for him and how he goes about conducting business," Marcinek continued. "He was a big part of Pat Flannery's staff at LVC as they won the DIII national title and was with Pat at Bucknell when they took the program to a national level."

Friday graduated from Lebanon Valley with a MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Management. He currently resides in Ebensburg, Pa.

Charleston Southern Rounds out Coaching staff

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Men’s Basketball Coach Barclay Radebaugh announced the addition of Kyle Dobyns and Eric Lechlitner to the CSU men’s basketball coaching staff for the 2012-2013 season.

Dobyns will take over as Director of Basketball Operations for the Buccaneers, while Lechlitner will serve as the team’s Video Coordinator for the upcoming season.

Dobyns comes to Charleston Southern by way of East Tennessee State where he served the past three years as a graduate assistant and video coordinator for the Buccaneers under head coach Murry Bartow. During his tenure as ETSU, the Buccaneers earned postseason berths into both the NCAA Tournament in 2010 and the CollegeInsider.com Tournament in 2011.

"We are so pleased to have Kyle join our staff. It was very evident during the interview process that he is a great fit for our team," commented Radebaugh on Dobyns. "Kyle is an extremely hard worker, has tremendous people skills and a solid understanding of college basketball. He obviously has a very bright future in our profession."

Prior to his time at East Tennessee State, Dobyns served as a student manager at Carson-Newman College. During his time with the Eagles, he worked under head coach and former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, Dale Clayton.

In addition to his work with college basketball, he also has participated and worked numerous summer camps, including the East Tennessee State camp, the Passport Youth camp and the Kids Across America camp.

A native of Boone, N.C., Dobyns graduated from Carson-Newman in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Services and received his master’s degree in Sport Management from East Tennessee State in 2011.

Lechlitner joins the CSU coaching staff after serving as a graduate assistant with the Buccaneers over the past two seasons, working under Radebaugh.

"Eric is an incredible person. He is a dedicated worker who is tremendously motivated," said Radebaugh on Lechlitner. "His sacrifice and determination to be a college coach is inspirational. He is highly skilled and helps our staff out immensely."

During his time as a graduate assistant his duties included working with the team in offseason workouts, keeping the clock in practices during the season and assisting in practice drills and office work. He also worked numerous summer team camps. His in-game responsibilities included videotaping all of the CSU home games for the 2011-2012 season in which the team won 19 games, the team’s most since the 1994-1995 season.

Prior to his time at CSU, Lechlitner played at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio, where he was a three-time letter winner and co-captain for the Pioneers. He received numerous accolades while at Marietta and was known for his defensive prowess, receiving the team’s Defense Player of the Year award, and in seven games playing against the top competition in the Ohio Athletic Conference, he held four All-OAC award winners under 11 points.

He received his bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Marietta in 2007 and graduated with his master’s degree in Business Administration in 2012 from Charleston Southern.

CCSU Extends Dickenman

Central Connecticut Director of Athletics Paul Schlickmann has announced that head men's basketball coach Howie Dickenman has signed a contract extension that will keep him as the head coach at his alma mater through the 2015-16 season.  Dickenman will be entering his 17th season leading the Blue Devils in 2012-13.

"It's no secret what Coach Dickenman has meant to Central Connecticut basketball," Schlickmann said.  "He has led our program to unprecedented success on the court, including three Northeast Conference titles and three trips to the NCAA Tournament during his 16 years at the helm.  As a result, our expectations for the men's basketball program are very high.  Coach Dickenman has developed a program that is considered a perennial contender for the NEC title and one of the toughest opponents annually in the region.  The same qualities that made him a Central Hall of Famer as a player: his work ethic, tenacity and playing the game the right way, are the same qualities that he displays as a coach and instills in our student-athletes.  His commitment and loyalty to CCSU and to Blue Devil Athletics have been exceptional.  We are proud of his accomplishments and excited to sign him to this extension."

Dickenman's record speaks for itself in his 16 seasons as the head coach of the Blue Devils.  He is second in school history in wins with 249, behind only his former coach and fellow Hall of Famer William Detrick.  During his tenure the Blue Devils have won three NEC titles, including their most recent in 2007, and made three trips to the NCAA Tournament.  He has produced five NEC Players of the Year, and three NEC Defensive Players of the Year.  His 16 seasons make him the second longest tenured coach in school history, also behind Detrick.

"Central Connecticut is a special place, and being the coach here is an honor," Dickenman said.  "When I came back to New Britain in April of 1996, I knew this was where I wanted to be.  When I was here as a player we had a lot of pride in the words Central Connecticut, and I think in the last 16 seasons we have worked long and hard to make sure that that pride returned to the men's basketball program.  I am proud of the program we have built, and proud of all of the players and coaches who helped us build it."

CCSU has averaged almost 17 wins per year in the last 14 years under Dickenman.  That is the fourth-best total in New England (out of 21 Division I schools) during that time frame.  Only Connecticut, Vermont and Boston College have averaged more wins per season than the Blue Devils.

Dickenman is a four-time NEC Coach of the Year and has been the NEC Championship game five times.  The Blue Devils have qualified for 14 straight NEC Tournaments, the longest active streak in the league. In his 16 seasons Dickenman is 180-119 against teams from the NEC, including the post-season.

A 1970 graduate of Central, Dickenman is one of only five players in history with both 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. The 6-4 center averaged 17.7 points and 14.7 rebounds his senior season as the Blue Devils finished 20-8, won the Northeast League title, and earned a berth in the NCAA District One Tournament.  He graduated in 1970 and earned a Master's Degree in elementary education from CCSU in 1975. 

Dickenman is one of the founding fathers of Interval House, Connecticut's largest agency working toward ending domestic violence, a newly announced initiative, being Chaired by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. In the Spring of 2012 Dickenman was honored by The Interval House at its Breakfast of Champions.  The award has only been given twice by The Interval House in its history, the first to current U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.

Dickenman is a member of seven separate Hall of Fames, including the CCSU Alumni Athletics Hall of Fame in which he was inducted into in 1980.  He was inducted as a member of the first-ever class to enter the New England Basketball Hall of Fame on October 4, 2002.  Dickenman, who was inducted as one of the top Division II players in New England history, was joined by names like Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, Calvin Murphy, Patrick Ewing and Julius Erving.  He was inducted into the New Britain Sports Hall of Fame on March 8, 2003. In November of 2000 Dickenman was named to the Connecticut High School Coaches Hall of Fame. Along with his late father, Howard B. Dickenman, Sr., who was inducted in 1968, they are the only father-son combination in the Hall.  In June of 2002, he was inducted into the Cheshire Academy Hall of Fame.  Dickenman is also a member of the East Hartford Explorers Tap-Off Club Hall of Fame.  He was awarded the Gold Key by the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance in April of 1996 and also was inducted into the Norwich Sports Hall of Fame.  He was named the Sportsperson of the Year in Norwich in 1999.

New Mexico St. Aggies Staff update

Courtesy: Tim Barnett-Queen

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (Oct. 11)-New Mexico State men's basketball head coach Marvin Menzies has announced the hiring of Josh Daeche as video coordinator and Preston Laird as graduate assistant.

"Josh brings a lot of experience in the video coordinator position," Menzies said. "I know a lot of the people he has worked with in his tenure as a coach and video coordinator, and everyone raves about his ability and his potential as a coach someday."

Daeche arrived in Las Cruces following a stint at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as video coordinator and academic coordinator. He spent three years at Memphis as the video coordinator. Daeche helped the Tigers to three postseason appearances including two NCAA Tournaments (2011 and 2012) and one NIT berth (2010).
Prior to Memphis, he was an assistant coach at The Patterson School in Lenior, N.C. for the 2008-09 season. He helped the Bulldogs to a 34-3 record and a No. 1 national ranking for the majority of the season. Daeche worked at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., for three years, 2005-08, as an assistant coach. He helped direct the Crusaders to a pair of prep national titles in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Daeche earned a bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in American studies from Penn State in 2001, along with another bachelor's degree in political science in 2004.
"In the brief time, Preston has been here on campus working with the coaches, they all have good things to say about his work ethic and passion as well as his enthusiasm for the game," Menzies said. "I'm pleased to add Preston and complete our staff for the season."
Laird joined the Aggies after a four-year playing career at Memphis from 2008-12. The Memphis, Tenn., native played under John Calipari and Josh Pastner, and he was a member of Tiger teams that played in three NCAA Tournaments in 2009, 2011 and 2012 with a Sweet 16 appearance in 2009. Laird and the Tigers also made one NIT appearance in 2010. He was a part of three Conference USA Tournament Championships and two C-USA regular season titles.

Laird was named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll four times in 2009-12. He graduated with honors from Memphis with a bachelor's degree in communication in May 2012.

Randy Monroe out at UMBC

Randy Monroe Resigns as Head Men's Basketball Coach at UMBC; Aki Thomas Named Acting Head Coach

10/10/2012

Randy Monroe has resigned as head men’s basketball coach at UMBC, effective immediately, Director of Athletics Dr. Charles Brown announced today. Aki Thomas, who has served the five previous seasons on the Retriever basketball staff, has been named acting head coach for the 2012-13 campaign.

UMBC will be actively evaluating the men’s basketball program to determine its future direction.  

Monroe completed eight seasons (2004-2012) as head coach at UMBC after spending the previous ten seasons as an assistant coach with the Retrievers. He led UMBC to its lone America East Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2007-08 campaign as the Retrievers finished with a school record 24 (24-9) victories.

Monroe directed the third-most games (245) of any head coach in the 45-year history of UMBC men’s basketball and finished with a career mark of 85-160.

“We appreciate all that Coach Monroe did for our basketball program and our community during his long tenure at UMBC,” Dr. Brown said. “We wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors.”    

Thomas came to UMBC in the summer of 2007 and has been a member of the Retriever coaching staff for five previous seasons. The New York, N.Y. native was also serving as the staff’s recruiting coordinator.

He had previously worked as an assistant coach at Howard University from 2004-07.

“Aki brings an excellent playing and coaching background to the position,” Dr. Brown said. “He has strong communication skills and will fit into our program in a very positive way. I am confident that he will be able to support our student-athletes during this time of transition. I am excited about this year’s men’s basketball team and feel that we can compete for the America East Conference title.”  

Thomas, age 33, played professionally in Venezuela before accepting the position at Howard under then-head coach Frankie Allen.  Prior to that, Thomas was a standout for the Bison in 2000-01, when he helped lead the team to an 18-13 mark and the finals of the MEAC Tournament. Thomas averaged almost 12 points and eight rebounds per game en route to being named to the All-MEAC second team.

Before Howard, Thomas played for three seasons at the University of Colorado. His tenure with the Buffaloes was highlighted by a selection to the All-Tournament Team of the 1998 Puerto Rico Shootout.  He was a member of a pair of CU teams which earned berths to the NIT, and he was selected to the Commissioner’s Big 12 All-Academic Team.

Thomas was a two-time league rebounding champion in the Venezuelan LPB League (2003-04) and earned the same title during a stint in the Colombian Federation Cup League (2004). He played his prep ball at New York city’s Manhattan Center, where he was selected All-City his junior and senior seasons.  He was also named Manhattan PSAL Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-America during his senior campaign.

Thomas received his degree in sociology from Howard in 2002. He married the former Gayna Lacy in 2009 and the couple welcomed a son, Lexington Luther in September of 2011. The Thomases reside in Laurel, Md.