I’d like to thank Jordan Mast who is the head coach of the UAV Pioneers in Lancaster, California in the Cal-Pac in NAIA DII for sharing his basketball journey with me. I was the team manager of The Master’s University Mustangs in the GSAC in NAIA DI from 2010-14 and our basketball paths crossed when he was coaching the CalTech Beavers in Pasadena, California in the SCIAC in NCAA DIII.

In sharing his journey with me, coach Mast wrote, “I played on a 30-1 top ranked Jesuit High School team that defeated Kevin Love’s team in the state championship game in 2005. I was highly recruited in football but didn’t receive much attention for basketball. However, basketball has always been my passion and I felt if I was given the opportunity I could prove myself at the college level. Gonzaga gave me that opportunity with a recruited walk-on position.

I redshirted my first year and then played my second year where I sustained a career ending injury to my face (an elbow to my eye socket that fractured my orbital socket). Even though I was done playing, I absolutely loved my time at GU. The coaching staff was instrumental in keeping my passion for the game alive and I knew I wanted to get into coaching.

After returning home to Portland, OR., I decided to start my own AAU program and I started coaching my brother who was a freshman in high school. I quickly grew my program to the biggest in Oregon and fell in love with coaching. I knew I wanted to get into coaching at the collegiate level.

After reaching out to over 200 schools with no luck in landing an assistant coaching position, I took an unpaid volunteer assistant coaching position at Caltech (one of the worst NCAA III schools in the country). I quickly moved up to the head assistant in my second year and felt that I was instrumental in helping the program achieve the most conference wins in school history in back to back seasons.

After my “success” at Caltech I got the associate head coaching position at the University of Antelope Valley. I was in the associate head coaching role for the past two seasons where I recruited two player of the year award recipients and 8 all conference players. We also won the conference both years and made it to the national tournament both seasons.

Due to our success and the role I have played, I was promoted to the head coaching position for this season as well as the associate athletic director at our school. My family lives in Santa Clarita and we absolutely love our life here. We plan on staying and building a nationally recognized NAIA program over the next few years.”

Thank you for reading my work on The Cannon Network. With The Cannon Network I bring you stories from every level of basketball. I have had coaches, players and team managers share advice and their journey in the basketball world with me.

I have been making info graphics teams, coaches, players and team managers. I managed an NAIA team and worked with every level of player. Managing my college team led me to study every level of basketball and I enjoy writing about every level including NAIA, NCAA, NCCAA, USCAA, JUCO and Canadian basketball.

I will also be writing about other sports on The Cannon Network. Here are ways you can support me on The Cannon Network.  Every donation of any amount is very appreciated. You can support me through 1 time or monthly donations through PayPal. If you are a coach, player or team manager and want to share your story with The Cannon Network then message me on my social media platforms.  Follow The Cannon Network here.