Coaching Staff
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Coaching Staff 2008–09 Men’s BasketBall Media Guide Coaching Staff h a Head Coach M He was able to accomplish this feat while also incorporating over p t o n u n i v e r s i t y 10 players to a new system during the two years he has been here at Hampton. Nickelberry brings with him a proven track record that includes postseason appearances in each of his last three stops as an assistant. “We were impressed with Coach Nickelberry’s experience, enthusiasm, disciplined approach to the game of basketball and his commitment to academics for his players,” said Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey. “Our feeling is that he can take us back to being one of the best mid-major programs in the country.” During his introductory press conference, Nickelberry stressed the importance of building a “program” during the Pirates’ climb back into mid-major prominence. To become a mid-major power, he felt the elements of building a “program” had to encompass accountability and results in four areas: academics, recruiting/player development, facility upgrades and community support. In taking over a program that had lost scholarships due to the NCAA’s APR program, Nickelberry’s accountability has guided the men’s team to its highest GPA in 10 years. Recruiting higher-profile players and Kevin Nickelberry developing talent was very important to Nickelberry, as evidenced by two consecutive top-60 recruiting classes and the emergence of Head Basketball Coach Rashad West as a potential Player of the Year candidate. Hampton University Through fundraising, Nickelberry has upgraded the team’s locker Kevin Nickelberry is in his third season at the helm of the Hampton room and improved the common areas throughout the arena. University men’s basketball program. In his first year, he posted He has also made a splash in the community, with over 800 kids records of 15-16 overall and 10-8 in conference play as the Pirates finished the regular season in third place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Nickelberry’s Pirates showed improvement during the 2007–08 campaign as Hampton won 18 games, while pirates.com www.hampton their 11-5 mark in the MEAC was good enough for a second-place finish in the much improved MEAC. Nickelberry has also been named as one of the top up-and-coming head basketball coaches at the NCAA Division I level by The Sporting News and the HoopScoop Online, ranking 15th on the site’s list of the country’s Top 25 Up-and-Coming Coaches. “I feel very honored to be named on a list with coaches such as Anthony Grant (VCU), Andy Kennedy (Mississippi), Brian Gregory (Dayton) and Frank Martin (Kansas State), just to name a few,” Nickelberry said. “These are all great coaches and to be at No. 15 on this list means a lot to me and it says a lot about what we have been able to accomplish in a short time here at Hampton.” Since his arrival to Hampton University, Nickelberry has won an impressive 12 non-conference games. Some of the games were over teams such as Tulsa, Virginia Commonwealth, William and Mary, New Orleans, UNC-Greensboro, Delaware and St. Bonaventure, just to name a few. 2008–09 Men’s BasketBall Media Guide 13 Head Coach involved in his basketball camps and making his played for USA Basketball in 2004. Iti was radio show, “The McDonald’s Basketball Show,” ESPN’s No. 1 ranked high school center in a weekly event. While some may be surprised 2003, and made the Conference USA All- by such a positive turnaround in such a short Rookie Team in 2004. Grier transferred to time, positively impacting a program almost Minnesota, where he was named to the All-Big immediately is nothing new to Nickelberry. Ten Team and helped the Gophers make the NCAA tournament. The 43-year old Maryland native came to Hampton after working on Oliver Purnell’s staff at Nickelberry served two seasons at the College Clemson University for three years. In his first year of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., where as Clemson’s recruiting coordinator, Nickelberry he was the associate head coach. While at helped Clemson bring in an impressive top-25 Holy Cross, he helped guide the Crusaders recruiting class. Nickelberry’s immediate impact to a remarkable season, which included the pton university pton at Clemson was not surprising, given that he best turnaround in school history, an NCAA was widely regarded as one of the top assistant tournament appearance and the Patriot M coaches in the country. At his previous stop, he League regular season and tournament helped UNC-Charlotte achieve consecutive top- championships. Nickelberry also helped recruit ha 20 recruiting classes in 2002 and 2003. and develop two conference Rookie of the Year players, two conference Player of the Year Basketball Times, The Hoop Scoop and awardees, three All-Rookie Team performers, Rivalshoops.com each ranked Nickelberry as one four first team all-conference recipients and of the top 20 assistant coaches in the country. two second team all-conference players while “Kevin Nickelberry quietly has built himself into there. one of college basketball’s premiere recruiters,” said Mike DeCourcy, college basketball writer During his tenure at Monmouth University for the Sporting News. “Perhaps he’s been in New Jersey, Nickelberry helped land the too quiet. His accomplishments in helping to Northeastern Conference Newcomer of the identify and attract promising players haven’t Year and its Players of the Year. He spent the gotten nearly the attention merited. Anyone who knows the game previous three years as an assistant coach at Howard University, knows talent is the primary ingredient in building a winning program. where he helped assemble teams that featured two MEAC Newcomer Locating players who fit in a given program is not as easy as Kevin of the Year players and five players who earned all-rookie and/or all- makes it look.” league honors in their careers. While a lot has been made of Nickelberry’s ability to recruit, what has Nickelberry began his coaching career at NAIA Columbia Union been equally as impressive is the development of players under his College in Maryland, where he served as both assistant men’s tutelage. At every school he has coached basketball coach and head women’s he has recruited and/or developed a basketball coach. In his only season with Rookie of the Year or Player of the year. the men’s program, Columbia Union made its first ever appearance in the Prior to joining Clemson, Nickelberry NAIA tournament. served two seasons as the top assistant at UNC-Charlotte in Conference USA. While Prior to beginning his coaching career, at Charlotte, he helped to recruit and sign Nickelberry was involved in many four impact players who have outstanding successful entrepreneur ventures. He college careers — Eddie Basden, Martin Iti, was the president of two public relations Curtis Withers and Vincent Grier. Basden firms and founded an at-risk youth non- was named Conference USA Player of the profit organization in the Washington, Year and Defensive Player of the Year in D.C. area. 2005, while Withers was named to the Conference USA all-conference team in Nickelberry and his wife, Mamie, reside 2004 and 2005, named a third-team All– in Hampton with their sons, Kyan and American by Basketball Times and Kelby. www.hampton pirates.com www.hampton 14 2008–09 Men’s BasketBall Media Guide 2008–09 Men’s BasketBall Media Guide Assistant Coach h a M Edward Joyner Jr. p t o n u n i v e r s i t y Edward Joyner is entering his Joyner helped the Johnson C. Smith women reach the CIAA title third year as an assistant coach game in three of his five seasons, making one NCAA Tournament with the Hampton University appearance. In all, Joyner coaches six all-conference players. men’s basketball program. His responsibilities include Joyner played his collegiate ball at Johnson C. Smith, earning letters guard development, recruiting, all four seasons he played. He helped guide the Golden Bulls to three game scouting, administrative division titles, two trips to the CIAA championship game and three duties, academic coordination appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Joyner was named and community relations. Defensive Player of the Year twice, and he finished his career among the top-ten assist leaders in Johnson C. Smith history. pton university pton In Joyner’s first season with M the Pirates, he helped develop Joyner is also the owner and co-coordinator of Scholars Inc., a non- first team all-conference guard profit organization in Charlotte that helps underprivileged children. Rashad West, the MEAC’s Scholars Inc. provides summer camps for at-risk youths, group ha leading scorer in 2006, and Michael Freeman, the 2006 MEAC homes and an academic and sports unit that has helped at least 25 Rookie of the Year. As academic coordinator, Joyner guided the students receive college scholarships for athletics and academics. men’s basketball program to the highest team GPA in 10 years. A native of Winston-Salem N,C., Joyner is the son of Edward Joyner Joyner came to Hampton after 11 years as the assistant head coach Sr., head basketball coach at St. Paul’s College, and the nephew at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. He also served as of Steve Joyner, the head basketball coach and athletic director at head women’s basketball coach in the last five years of his tenure Johnson C.