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2008–09 Men’s Media Guide Coaching Staff a h 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 y t i s r e v i n u n o t p 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 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 www.hampton pirates.com 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 (VCU), Andy Kennedy (Mississippi), (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 , 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 ’s staff at Nickelberry served two seasons at the College 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 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 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

pton university ha m pton 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 ’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 , 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 a h m Edward Joyner Jr. y t i s r e v i n u n o t p 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. In Joyner’s first season with 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 pton university ha m pton 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. Smith. He is married to the former Aerian Miller and they at Johnson C. Smith. Joyner also served as assistant to the Dean of have two children: E.J. (2) and six-month old Andrew. Students over Judiciary Affairs.

During his tenure with the men’s basketball program at Johnson C. Smith, Joyner was instrumental in developing 13 first team all- conference performers and seven All-Americans — five of whom are currently playing professional basketball. The Golden Bulls made seven appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament, reaching the

Elite Eight in 2001 after capturing the Central Intercollegiate Athletic www.hampton pirates.com Association (CIAA) championship. www.hampton pirates.com www.hampton

14 2008–09 Men’s Basketball Media Guide 2008–09 Men’s Basketball Media Guide 15 Assistant Coaches Keith Coutreyer Keith Coutreyer enters his first team at the NCAA Division II level. Courteyer first met Pirates head coach year as assistant coach with Kevin Nickelberry while at Columbia Union, where Nickelberry was the head the Hampton University men’s women’s basketball coach and an assistant on the men’s staff. basketball team after an eight- year stint as head coach at Laurel Courteyer also holds special education certification, which he earned at High School in Prince George’s Trinity College in Washington, D.C. For 14 years, Courteyer has patrolled County, Md. the sidelines and the classroom, shaping youth for the future. In his tenure as a coach, Courteyer has sent over 25 players to play at the NCAA level, be In his last three years at Laurel, the it Division I, II or III. “Wins will be celebrated and then forgotten,” Courteyer team posted a 52-20 record, going said, “but the lives that you touch will last a lifetime.” a school-record 22-3 last season. Laurel won the regular-season Courteyer’s duties at Hampton will include schedule coordination, monitoring league title last year with a 17-1 the academic progress of his student-athletes and working primarily with mark, also capturing the county the team’s guards. Courteyer will supervise and implement their workout championship. After capturing the program. Courteyer will also assist in the other day-to-day operations for the pton university ha m pton county title, Laurel defeated Eleanor Roosevelt High to capture the regional Hampton University men’s basketball team as needed. championship, the school’s first since 1980. Laurel finished the season ranked seventh by the Washington Post. Courteyer was also named Coach Courteyer is a published author (Bill Cosby Ain’t Crazy), as well as a loving of the Year. father and family man. He looks forward to impacting the lives of Hampton University’s student-athletes, both on and off the court. Courteyer graduated from Columbia Union College in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. At Columbia Union, Courteyer played on the basketball Steve Zengel Steve Zengel is the newest Pleasant Beach High School (N.J.). At “The Beach,” Zengel guided the team to member of the Pirates’ coaching a record-setting number of wins in a season, the first winning record in over staff, entering his second year 10 years, the first Shore Conference Tournament invitation in over 40 years, as an assistant basketball coach. the two-time receipt of the NJIAABO Sportsmanship Award, and the first Zengel joins the Pirates after appearance ever in a national high school basketball tournament, the Surf- spending the past four years as n-Slam Classic in San Diego, Calif. Zengel and his staff also implemented the a financial advisor in the Jersey first-ever Point Pleasant Beach High School summer basketball camp. Shore area. In addition, his players were often recognized for their academic success, As the Director of Basketball both having appeared on the television network MSG and having received Operations, Zengel was responsible consecutive WOBM Christmas Classic Scholarship awards. for assisting with the daily business of the program, including, but not Some of Zengel’s other accolades include being elected President of the limited to, academic progress, Shore Coaches Association for three consecutive terms and working as a film exchange, scouting report camp counselor at the world-renowned Five-Star and Eastern Invitational preparation, study hall monitoring summer camp programming and team basketball camps. As president, Zengel brought in some of most well- travel arrangements. respected minds in college basketball to speak to New Jersey high school coaches. Among the guest speakers were Pete Carill, Bill Carmody, Fran In order to come to Hampton, Zengel had to leave his position as coach Fraschilla, Don Harnum, Bill Herrion, , Gerry Matthews and of AlleyOop, a team in the prestigious Jersey Shore Basketball League, a Wayne Szoke. As camp counselor, Zengel worked with hundreds of the top- semi-professional, NBA and NCAA sanctioned summer league. Members of talented high school basketball players nationwide, many of whom now play his team included several high-profile college and professional basketball in the NBA. players. Zengel is married, has twin three-year-old boys, and lives in Hampton, Va. Prior to coaching AlleyOop, Zengel served as teacher and Head Boys Varsity Basketball Coach at both Red Bank Regional High School (N.J.) and Point www.hampton pirates.com www.hampton

16 2008–09 Men’s Basketball Media Guide 2008–09 Men’s Basketball Media Guide Assistant Coaches a h m Larry Ayers y t i s r e v i n u n o t p Larry Ayers is entering his first co-head coach of the JV team and assistant coach of the varsity team. Ayers year as assistant coach with spent five more years at Bethel, helping the Bruins become annual Virginia the Hampton University men’s Group AAA state contenders, before coming to Hampton University. basketball program. Ayers joins the Pirates after a decade of coaching Ayers, who also works as a manager with S.L. Nusbaum Realty, is in the experience in the Hampton Roads process of receiving a degree in business administration from Averett area, and his duties with the team University. He is scheduled to receive his degree in 2009. Ayers is also a include developing the guards and member of the Ivy Baptist Church and the National Notary Association. helping with scouting. Ayers enjoys golf and traveling as his hobbies. He is married to Keedah Ayers, a Norfolk, Va. native, got Nicole and they have two children: Lashawn (23) and Hailey (3). his coaching start at Warwick High School in Newport News, Va., where he spent five years as a coach of the Raiders’ junior varsity pton university ha m pton team. From there, Ayers went to Bethel High School in Hampton, Va., where he spent one season as an assistant on the JV team before being named

www.hampton pirates.com

Steve Zengel www.hampton pirates.com www.hampton

16 2008–09 Men’s Basketball Media Guide 2008–09 Men’s Basketball Media Guide 17 Support Staff Support Staff Akeem Miskdeen Director of Basketball Operations Akeem Miskdeen enters All-Tournament Team, again being named Team Defensive MVP and his first year with the team captain. Hampton University men’s basketball program, serving Miskdeen transferred to Queens in 2006 from Laramie County as the Director of Basketball Community College in Wyoming, where he earned an Associate of Operations. In that capacity, Arts degree in general studies. He was the starting point guard for Miskdeen oversees on- LCCC both years, also serving as team captain. He was ninth in the campus recruiting, monitoring country in steals as a sophomore, while leading the team in both study hall, coordinating team assists and steals. Miskdeen was the team’s Defensive MVP both travel, scouting, academics seasons at LCCC, and he led the team to its first ever Region IX and assisting the rest of the Central-Sub Region Championship. coaching staff in the day-to-day activities of the men’s basketball Miskdeen left LCCC as the all-time assists leader with 305. He was program. named Student of the Year in 2006. pton university ha m pton Miskdeen comes from Queens University in Charlotte, N.C., where Miskdeen spent this past May coaching the Illinois Old School 15 he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in corporate communication and Under AAU program, and in 2007, he interned at the Street and in 2008. At Queens, Miskdeen helped the team make back-to- Smith Sports Business Journal. Miskdeen spent his sophomore year back appearances in the NCAA Division II tournament. As a junior, at LCCC as a resident advisor. Miskdeen was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Sodexho Holiday Tournament, while also earning Team Defensive MVP honors. Miskdeen hails from Chicago, Ill. As a senior, Miskdeen was named to the Conference of the Maurice Williams Director of Sports Information Maurice Williams is entering contact for all of the University’s sports. Williams also assisted in the his second year as Director of Marketing and Promotions efforts while at Shaw. Sports Information at Hampton University. Williams handles During his time at Livingstone, Williams helped coordinate the the day-to-day functions of publicity efforts for the school’s 13 intercollegiate athletics. He the Sports Information Office, worked as a statistician for the Blue Bear’s football, softball, volleyball and he currently serves as and men’s and women’s basketball teams. In addition, he served the contact person for all as the primary media contact for men’s basketball, volleyball and sports. In addition to his SID softball and assisted with football, track and field, cross country and responsibilities, Williams also women’s basketball. aides with the fundraising and Williams currently holds memberships in the College Sports marketing activities for Hampton athletics. Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the Black College Prior to becoming the Director of Sports Information at Hampton, Sports Information Director’s Association (BcSIDA). Williams served in the same capacity at . Prior to his Maurice Williams is a native of Allendale, South Carolina, and a time at Shaw, he spent five years at as a student 2005 graduate of Livingstone College, earning a bachelors degree assistant and as an intern. in English. While at Shaw, Williams helped coordinate the publicity efforts for the school’s 14 intercollegiate athletics and served as the primary www.hampton pirates.com www.hampton

18 2008–09 Men’s Basketball Media Guide 2008–09 Men’s Basketball Media Guide Support Staff a h m Zach Nott y t i s r e v i n u n o t p Director of Athletic Performance Zach Nott is entering his fourth season with the Hampton University athletics program and his third as the Director of Athletic Performance. Previously, Nott was the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Colgate University from 2003 to 2005. Before his time at Colgate, Nott spent three years on the staff at the University of Nebraska’s Husker Power. Nott received his bachelors degree in community health education from the University of Nebraska in 2003 and he is certified by the national Strength and Conditioning Association.

pton university ha m pton Christina Espinoza Director of Athletic Training and Rehabilitation Christina Espinoza is entering her second year as the Hampton University Director of Athletic Training and Rehabilitation. Espinoza heads a facility that offers Pirate athletes a comprehensive program entailing injury prevention, recognition, evaluation and management of injuries, rehabilitation and reconditioning following injury or surgery, education and counseling. Espinoza joins the Pirate family after having served as an athletic trainer on numerous levels. Before arriving at Hampton she served a year as head athletic trainer of in Jackson, Tennessee where she was responsible for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of athletic related injuries for the 11 NCAA D2 varsity sports. Prior to that, Espinoza was head football athletic trainer at where she works with football, track and field, women’s basketball and baseball. She also spent a year with the Montgomery Maulers of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL), who went on to become the first NIFL team

to win the division in its inaugural season. www.hampton pirates.com Espinoza is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University (1998) where she received a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. She is the proud mother of one son, six-year old Nikolas. Regina Bartholomeo Basketball Office Manager Regina Bartholomeo is the office manager for both the Hampton University men’s and women’s basketball programs, and her day-to-day duties are to assist in arranging team travel, budgeting, compliance and recruiting. A 1989 graduate of Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley, Calif., Bartholomeo enlisted in the United States Air Force and was stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Va. for four years. During her service, Bartholomeo spent seven months in Saudi Arabia, participating in the Desert Shield/Desert Storm campaign. Bartholomeo joined the Pirate family in May 1995, and has since played an essential role in the success of Hampton University basketball. She lists her most memorable basketball moments as her participation in the NCAA tournament — both with the women at the University of Connecticut and the men when they beat Iowa State in Boise, Idaho in 2001. www.hampton pirates.com www.hampton

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