HoopDirt has mentioned most of these hirings over the past few weeks – here’s the announcement by Tennessee Tech making them all official:
Tennessee Tech men’s basketball Head Coach Tobin Anderson announces the following additions to his coaching staff.
Tech has added Matt Capell as Associate Head Coach, Thomas Bonacum as Assistant Coach, Jamal Johnson as Assistant Coach, Raul Placeres as Assistant Coach, and Daniel Gearin as Assistant Coach. Valuable depth of experience has been added to the coaching staff for the Golden Eagles’ men’s basketball program.
Coaching Staff Additions
Matt Capell – Associate Head Coach
Thomas Bonacum – Assistant Coach
Jamal Johnson – Assistant Coach
Raul Placeres – Assistant Coach
Daniel Gearin – Assistant Coach/Director of Analytics
Matt Capell joins the Golden Eagles as Associate Head Coach after four seasons as the Head Coach at St. Thomas Aquinas (NCAA DII).
“Matt and I have shared stops at 4 schools over the last 13 years, and I couldn’t be more excited to have him as our associate head coach,” said Head Coach Tobin Anderson. “He knows me, knows our system, and has a special ability to build relationships. Matt will impact every part of our program.”
Capell took the reins of the program following Tobin Anderson’s departure to Farleigh Dickinson. He brings over 20 years of coaching experience to the position and served as the Associate Head Coach at STAC from 2013 until 2022.
Capell led the Spartans to three straight 25-plus-win seasons from 2022 to 2025. His teams lost just six games in conference, going 15-1 in 2022-23, 14-2 in 2023-24, 13-3 in 2024-25, and 13-3 in 2025-26, and back-to-back ECC Tournament Championships in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Prior to his time with STAC, Capell served as an assistant coach at Division II Mercyhurst University for seven years and served on the men’s basketball staffs at Hamilton College (Div. III), Clarkson University (Div. III), and Alfred State College (Div. III).
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Raul Placeres joins the Golden Eagles as an Assistant Coach after serving as Maryville College’s Head Basketball Coach for more than a decade.
He helped shape one of the most successful eras in Maryville men’s basketball history.
“Raul is an incredible person and coach who built Maryville into one of the premier programs in Tennessee and nationally,” said Coach Anderson. “He brings an energetic personality and a blue-collar work ethic that will elevate our program in every way. Raul’s deep ties to Tennessee will also make him a valuable connector for us across the state and region.”
Placeres returned to his alma mater in 2011 as associate head coach under Wall of Famer Randy Lambert and played a key role in the program’s continued success before being named Head Coach in 2019.
Since taking over at Maryville, Placeres has elevated the Scots to new heights, building a program defined by consistency, competitiveness, and a championship standard. Over the last six seasons, he has compiled a 121-47 overall record, including a 53-22 mark inside Boydson Baird Gymnasium and a 70-18 mark in conference play.
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Tom Bonacum joins the Golden Eagles as Assistant Coach after spending 2025-26 with Stonehill College.
“Tom has been with me at three different stops and has been part of a great deal of success along the way,” said Coach Anderson. “He’s proven himself as an outstanding coach, recruiter, and teacher, and he understands me and our system extremely well. Tom will be a tremendous asset as we continue to move Tennessee Tech basketball forward.”
Bonacum joined the staff after spending the previous five seasons with Iona and FDU on Head Coach Tobin Anderson’s staff. Before Stonehill, Bonacum was an assistant coach at Iona for two seasons, leading the Gaels to a 33-34 record overall and a 22-18 record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
Iona made it to the MAAC Championship game in 2023-24, falling just short of an NCAA Tournament bid. The year prior, the Gaels reached the second round of the MAAC tournament. Previously, Bonacum has been responsible for offensive game planning, skill development, film analysis, and team operations
In 2022-23, his lone season at FDU, Bonacum helped guide the Knights to a 21-16 record and a 10-6 record in NEC play. That same season, FDU made it to the NEC Championship game, falling to Merrimack by one point while earning the NEC’s automatic qualifier bid for the NCAA Tournament. After defeating Texas Southern in the First Four round, the Knights made history, becoming the second 16-seed to defeat a 1-seed when FDU defeated Purdue, 63-58.
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Jamal Johnson joined the Golden Eagles as Assistant Coach/ Director of Player Development after serving as a Graduate Assistant with the University of South Florida.
Johnson assisted a USF men’s basketball team that finished 25-9 overall, including 15-3 in the American Conference, on its way to an AAC Championship NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2011-12.
“Jamal was my first and only choice for Director of Player Development,” said Coach Anderson. “He’s a tireless worker who connects well with players and helps them grow on and off the court. Jamal has a bright future, and we’re excited to have him in Cookeville.”
In his lone season as a player with Chattanooga (2022-23), he scored 405 points, averaging 14.5 points per game. Johnson shot 43.1 percent (122-283) from the field, including 39.7 percent from three and 81.1 percent from the free-throw line. Johnson earned Southern Conference All-Tournament Second Team and Southern Conference Honor Roll.
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Dan Gearin joins the Golden Eagles as an Assistant Coach/ Director of Analytics after serving as a Graduate Assistant at USF.
He will serve as an Assistant Coach/Director of Analytics with the Golden Eagles.
“Dan is a bright, hard-working young coach who will lead our analytics and strategy efforts,” said Coach Anderson. “He has an excellent feel for the game and a strong understanding of how we want to play. Dan will play a critical role as we build our roster and compete in the SoCon.”
Gearin has experience as a graduate assistant in programs that have competed in March Madness, with a background in operations, scouting, and technical analytics.
