The highly anticipated start of the Marreese Speights era for Polk State Basketball is now less than a month away. As the Eagles begin a new era, the former national champion and NBA champion will have plenty of help on the bench.
Speights began his tenure as Polk State Head Coach in June. He has assembled a team of four assistant coaches for the 2026-27 season.
“This staff is a nice mix of veterans and young guys who have coached at several different levels,” Speights explained. “Our staff has a lot of playing experience as well, which is big. They all want to be head coaches one day and I want to help prepare them to get there.”
Cornelius Richardson Sr.
Assistant Coach Cornelius Richardson Sr. will also serve as the Associate Head Coach. Richardson coached with Speights last season at Northside Christian School in St. Petersburg. The two helped the Northside Christian boys basketball program reach the state semifinals for the first time.
“I believe it was God that brought me here,” Richardson said. “I had already moved to the area before Mo got the job. I’m grateful to be back at the college level.”
Richardson enters his seventh season as a basketball coach, including third as a college coach. Richardson previously served as a graduate assistant at Webber International University, an NAIA program in Babson Park, and Hillsborough College. He was also the head girls basketball coach at Lennard High School in Ruskin where his team led the nation in steals and reached the regional final.
“I love the attention to detail of the college game,” Richardson added. “I love to recruit. It’s also a great opportunity to connect and make a difference with these young men.”
Richardson holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in sports psychology from Capella University. He has also received a Master of Business Administration from Webber International and a doctorate in youth and family ministry from South College. Richardson is currently pursuing a doctorate in global sports leadership from East Tennessee State University.
“Coach Richardson is our senior assistant and has done a great job of leading our other assistants,” Speights added. “He keeps the staff together and lets me do the hard stuff.”
Married to his wife of 13 years, Brianna Richardson, Richardson is a father of 10 children ranging in age from 9 months to 23. His oldest son Aviyon Smith-Mack is a football player at Sam Houston State University and his youngest children, Kyon and Kynzi, are twins. His other children are Kingsley, 16; Amaya, 13; Ryleigh, 12; Amir, 11; Kairo, 10; Kijani, 4; and Cornelius Jr., 2.
“I’m excited to bring a winning culture here to Polk State,” Richardson added. “We want to put fans in the stands and make Polk County proud.”
BJ Holmes
After two years coaching at Seminole High School, BJ Holmes will begin his first year as a college assistant. He has also coached at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) level since 2020 and helped multiple players earn college scholarships. Holmes, however, is not unfamiliar with high levels of basketball.
As a player, Holmes spent one season each at the University of North Florida and Santa Fe College before concluding his collegiate career at Georgia Southern University, an NCAA Division I program, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management with a minor in business. He went on to play professionally for seven years in China, Mexico, El Salvador, and Antigua.
“I want to spread the knowledge from my years of playing and coaching,” Holmes said. “I want to help players develop and get to where they want to be.”
Holmes has a daughter named Jewel. Holmes’ favorite player is LeBron James. He is excited to work under Speights, whose Golden State Warriors team beat James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals.
“He brings a lot of professional experience,” Holmes concluded. “I want to learn all I can from him.”
Tre Morrow
Tre Morrow comes to Polk State with seven years of coaching experience. He spent six seasons coaching high school and AAU before coaching at Florida College, an NAIA program in Temple Terrace, last season.
“I want to learn from Mo and master the game,” Morrow explained. “I played two years in Region 8 and always wanted to come back to the (junior college) level.”
Morrow played at ASA Miami where he earned his Associate in Arts degree before going on to finish his career at Thomas University, an NAIA program in Georgia. A native of Atlanta, Morrow earned his bachelor’s degree from Thomas in business management in 2020.
Morrow and his wife Jody have one son named Tatum. When not coaching, Morrow enjoys fishing. He also teaches English at Auburndale High School.
David O’Callaghan
David O’Callaghan returns for his second stint at Polk State. O’Callaghan worked under former Head Coach Brandon Giles during the 2024-25 season and helped the Eagles finish 19-11 and reach the FCSAA Tournament.
“For me, I felt like there was unfinished business here,” O’Callaghan explained. “This is a chance to conquer what we didn’t finish the last time I was here.”
A native of Plant City and a 2009 graduate of Plant City High School, O’Callaghan earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of South Florida. Known as “Coach OC,” he began coaching middle school girls and has since worked his way up through the ranks.
O’Callaghan has plenty of local college experience, previously working at Southeastern University, an NAIA program in Lakeland. O’Callaghan also has connections to Florida Southern College Head Coach Mike Donnelly. He spent last season as the head coach of the men’s club team at Florida Polytechnic University.
“This is a high IQ coaching staff,” Speights noted. “We’re still working on defining everyone’s role, but this is a great group. BJ, Tre, and OC are all great skill development coaches.”
O’Callaghan and his wife of nine years, Hannah, have three children and are expecting a fourth.
“I like that this staff is full of men with families,” Speights said. “We want family men to show these young men what it means to be a responsible husband and a father. Family is a driving force here.”
