Wright, Bowler Elected as Third Vice President & Secretary
Cord Wright (Northeast Mississippi) was named the Third Vice President of the NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Board, while John Bowler (Parkland (Ill.)) was voted into the Secretary position.
The rotation of the committee after the two-year cycle along with departure of Francis Flax to the high school ranks opened up the positions. Wright and Bowler were the top two vote getters among the 15 candidates on the ballot of which 165 member votes were cast from 99 current NJCAA Coaches Association members.
Wright will enter his 11th season as the head coach of Northeast Mississippi Community College since being hired in 2013. He led Northeast Mississippi to a regional title in 2016, which in turn earned him regional and district coach of the year honors.
Prior to, Wright worked as an assistant coach at Louisiana Monroe from 2010-2013, and before that spent time at North Alabama.
In his playing days, Wright played two seasons at Danville Area (Ill.) under former NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association President John Spezia, before finishing at Limestone College in South Carolina.
Bowler is currently entering his third season at Parkland (Ill.) after returning to the NJCAA from an assistant coaching stint at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2019-2022). Since becoming the head coach of Parkland, Bowler has accumulated 47 wins in two seasons while making an Elite Eight Appearance and being named 2024 MWAC Coach of the Year.
Champaign, Ill. is Bowler’s second stop as an NJCAA head coach after prior head coaching experience at Des Moines Area Community College in Boone, Iowa. He was in charge in 2018-19 and the associate head coach there from 2014-18.
Bowler played his college basketball at Eastern Michigan before becoming a coach. Bowler was the leading scorer (20.1 ppg) and rebounder (10.8 rpg) in the Mid-Atlantic Conference during the 2005-06 season. He played six seasons overseas before joining the coaching ranks.
The rotation of the committee after the two-year cycle along with departure of Francis Flax to the high school ranks opened up the positions. Wright and Bowler were the top two vote getters among the 15 candidates on the ballot of which 165 member votes were cast from 99 current NJCAA Coaches Association members.
Wright will enter his 11th season as the head coach of Northeast Mississippi Community College since being hired in 2013. He led Northeast Mississippi to a regional title in 2016, which in turn earned him regional and district coach of the year honors.
Prior to, Wright worked as an assistant coach at Louisiana Monroe from 2010-2013, and before that spent time at North Alabama.
In his playing days, Wright played two seasons at Danville Area (Ill.) under former NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association President John Spezia, before finishing at Limestone College in South Carolina.
Bowler is currently entering his third season at Parkland (Ill.) after returning to the NJCAA from an assistant coaching stint at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2019-2022). Since becoming the head coach of Parkland, Bowler has accumulated 47 wins in two seasons while making an Elite Eight Appearance and being named 2024 MWAC Coach of the Year.
Champaign, Ill. is Bowler’s second stop as an NJCAA head coach after prior head coaching experience at Des Moines Area Community College in Boone, Iowa. He was in charge in 2018-19 and the associate head coach there from 2014-18.
Bowler played his college basketball at Eastern Michigan before becoming a coach. Bowler was the leading scorer (20.1 ppg) and rebounder (10.8 rpg) in the Mid-Atlantic Conference during the 2005-06 season. He played six seasons overseas before joining the coaching ranks.
Thank You, Coach Kuhn!
For the last three years, Joe Kuhn served as the president of the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association. During that time, NJCAA Basketball has been afforded new, unprecedented opportunities for its student-athletes and coaches.
Under Kuhn’s supervision, a number of events have either began or continued to thrive. First, the NJCAA (and two-year college associations – NWAC & 3C2A) recently partnered with the NCAA to be included in the NCAA College Basketball Academy. Fifty-four of the nation’s top rising sophomores were selected to attend and showcase their talents in front of hundreds of four-year college coaches.
Prior to the Academy, the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association launched the NJCAA Rising All-Star event, which was of the same premise. Fifty to sixty of the nation’s best were brought to Council Bluffs for a three-day event giving NJCAA student-athletes another opportunity to be evaluated during the new open recruiting period in July.
Additionally, Kuhn continued the NJCAA Men’s Basketball All-Star Game in Las Vegas, renewing the event after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. In part with the All-Star Game, the Hall of Fame Weekend resumed as well.
Kuhn oversaw the restructuring of the Coaches Association Constitution & By-laws, increased the operating budget and brought in funding from for the NABC and other event sponsorships.
Finally, Kuhn was instrumental in creating the Coaches Association’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. The newly created DEI Committee will provide a more comprehensive and varied viewpoint to represent all who participate in NJCAA Basketball.
Kuhn will remain on the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association for one more term, serving in the role of past president.
On behalf of all of NJCAA Basketball, thank you for your commitment and service to our student-athletes and coaches.
Under Kuhn’s supervision, a number of events have either began or continued to thrive. First, the NJCAA (and two-year college associations – NWAC & 3C2A) recently partnered with the NCAA to be included in the NCAA College Basketball Academy. Fifty-four of the nation’s top rising sophomores were selected to attend and showcase their talents in front of hundreds of four-year college coaches.
Prior to the Academy, the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association launched the NJCAA Rising All-Star event, which was of the same premise. Fifty to sixty of the nation’s best were brought to Council Bluffs for a three-day event giving NJCAA student-athletes another opportunity to be evaluated during the new open recruiting period in July.
Additionally, Kuhn continued the NJCAA Men’s Basketball All-Star Game in Las Vegas, renewing the event after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. In part with the All-Star Game, the Hall of Fame Weekend resumed as well.
Kuhn oversaw the restructuring of the Coaches Association Constitution & By-laws, increased the operating budget and brought in funding from for the NABC and other event sponsorships.
Finally, Kuhn was instrumental in creating the Coaches Association’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. The newly created DEI Committee will provide a more comprehensive and varied viewpoint to represent all who participate in NJCAA Basketball.
Kuhn will remain on the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association for one more term, serving in the role of past president.
On behalf of all of NJCAA Basketball, thank you for your commitment and service to our student-athletes and coaches.
2024 NCAA College Basketball Academy
Photos Credit: NCAA
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2024 Hall of Fame Class Enshrines Three
Paul Cisek | Coach | Brookdale Community College (NJ)
Paul Cisek is in his 33rd season as the Head Coach of the Brookdale Community College men's basketball team. He currently has an overall coaching record of 660-284 with a .700-win percentage and in 2018 amassed a perfect 34-0 season with the Jersey Blues, the first ever in program history.
Cisek has been awarded the Garden State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year 12 times, Region 19 Coach of the Year eight times, NJCAA National Coach of the Tournament two times, and NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Coach of the Year once. He has led the Jersey Blues to six NJCAA national tournament appearances with three National Championship titles in 2013, 2018, and 2023. He has coached several National Players of the Year, All-Americans, and Conference Players of the Year throughout his career and in 2021 was inducted into the Upstate New York Basketball Hall of Fame.
Prior to Brookdale, Cisek coached at Paul Smith's Junior College where he also served as Director of Student Activities and was named Mid-East Region 4 Coach of the Year. He was also the assistant coach at Potsdam State University and Oswego State with graduate assistant positions at Wagner College and Monmouth College.
Kevin O'Connor | Coach | North Platte Community College (NE)
Kevin O'Connor has served 38 years at North Platte Community College taking on the roles of athletic director, coach, and mathematics instructor. In his role as head coach of the men's basketball team, O'Connor has led the Knights to two NJCAA national tournament appearances. The Knights have advanced to the Region 9 semifinals 11 times while advancing to the championship games four times. With 22 Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference (NCCAC) championship titles, O'Connor has been named NCCAC Coach of the Year over twenty times, Region 9 Coach of the Year four times, and in 2013 was named the Omaha World Herald's Male College Coach of the Year.
O'Connor currently holds the record at North Platte for the best winning percentage with his 1989-90 team who went 28-4 on the season with an 87.5 winning percentage. In the 2018-19 season, O'Connor became the all-time leader in Region 9 men's basketball history and currently holds a coaching record of 732-420.
Outside of coaching, O'Connor serves as the Region 9 Men's Assistant Director and serves on the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee and the NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Committee. He is also a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Kevin O'Connor has served 38 years at North Platte Community College taking on the roles of athletic director, coach, and mathematics instructor. In his role as head coach of the men's basketball team, O'Connor has led the Knights to two NJCAA national tournament appearances. The Knights have advanced to the Region 9 semifinals 11 times while advancing to the championship games four times. With 22 Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference (NCCAC) championship titles, O'Connor has been named NCCAC Coach of the Year over twenty times, Region 9 Coach of the Year four times, and in 2013 was named the Omaha World Herald's Male College Coach of the Year.
O'Connor currently holds the record at North Platte for the best winning percentage with his 1989-90 team who went 28-4 on the season with an 87.5 winning percentage. In the 2018-19 season, O'Connor became the all-time leader in Region 9 men's basketball history and currently holds a coaching record of 732-420.
Outside of coaching, O'Connor serves as the Region 9 Men's Assistant Director and serves on the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee and the NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Committee. He is also a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Ed Janka | Contributor
Ed Janka experienced great success in his time as a coach. With coaching positions at Marquette, John Carroll, Oberlin, and Fairfield, Janka continuously pursued his love of basketball. During his extensive coaching career, he also had an international coaching stint in Italy.
In 1974, Janka began running coaching clinics with the hope of educating coaches and players on the game of basketball, and in 1985 began working in Nike's college basketball marketing department where he met Michael Jordan, whom he would later run several fantasy camps with. He was influential in helping the NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association host their All-Star game in Las Vegas in conjunction with his Nike Championship basketball clinic for over 10 years as well as the Hall of Fame banquet. Janka also played an integral role in introducing the Coaches Association to Nike, which has provided apparel and gear for the All-Star game.
In 2016, after over 45 years of coaching basketball, Janka, with the help of his friend Bob Brown, published "I Never Had a Bike" a collection of 40 anecdotes and photos that he accumulated over the course of his coaching career.
Ed Janka experienced great success in his time as a coach. With coaching positions at Marquette, John Carroll, Oberlin, and Fairfield, Janka continuously pursued his love of basketball. During his extensive coaching career, he also had an international coaching stint in Italy.
In 1974, Janka began running coaching clinics with the hope of educating coaches and players on the game of basketball, and in 1985 began working in Nike's college basketball marketing department where he met Michael Jordan, whom he would later run several fantasy camps with. He was influential in helping the NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association host their All-Star game in Las Vegas in conjunction with his Nike Championship basketball clinic for over 10 years as well as the Hall of Fame banquet. Janka also played an integral role in introducing the Coaches Association to Nike, which has provided apparel and gear for the All-Star game.
In 2016, after over 45 years of coaching basketball, Janka, with the help of his friend Bob Brown, published "I Never Had a Bike" a collection of 40 anecdotes and photos that he accumulated over the course of his coaching career.
2023-24 NJCAA Rankings |
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Services Provided by the NJCAA Coaches Association:
- NJCAA All-Star Game
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- Rising Stars Event
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- Hall of Fame
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- Recognized at NJCAA All-Star Game, National Tournament or Other Event
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- Helped develop legislation for the June Scholastic Recruiting Event series.
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- Promoted by Coaches Association.
- Facilitate opportunities to speak at NABC Championship Clinics and other events.
- Provide Coach and Player of the Year awards for Division I, II & III.
- Fill a seat on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
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- Provide a coach for USA Basketball trials.
- Assist with NJCAA All-American selections.
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- Operate website at www.jcbca.com.