Colorado Christian University has announced the hiring of Jeff Hironaka, who has served as the Head Coach of perennial DII Basketball Power Seattle Pacific University, Assisted at Washington State & Portland State Universities respectively, to lead the next era of CCU men’s basketball.
“We are extremely excited to hire Coach Hiro, (Pronounced “Hero”) who is such a highly-respected and successful coach both on and off of the floor,” commented Brian Wall Athletic Director at CCU. “Coach Hiro’s network, which extends to the highest levels of basketball, positions Cougar Athletics as a destination for players to join one of the most spiritually supportive and academically excellent environments within the Rocky Mountain Region. We want college-bound athletes to know that CCU is just as committed to athletic excellence and player development as it is to spiritual and academic excellence,” Wall noted.
University Vice President of Student Life Jim McCormick echoed AD Wall’s comments. “With the addition of Jeff to our coaching staff, CCU becomes a destination not only for competitive DII athletes but also for players who prefer to develop on the court freshman year rather than losing time waiting to play in a Division I program.” Jeff’s player development and academic track record should indicate to athletes that a year at CCU can impact your life spiritually, academically and as a player.”
Jeff was last a head coach from 2002-09 at Seattle Pacific (SPU). In 7 years, Coach Hiro led the Falcons to 5 post-season appearances, including a Final Four. SPU averaged 19 wins, 81.2 PPG, and finished each season with a winning record under Jeff. Player development was superb at SPU (.501 FG%, .738 FT%, and .387 3P %), with 40 of Coach Hiro’s athletes exceeding 7 PPG. Jeff was ultimately headhunted away from SPU by a Pac-12 school where—as an assistant—he would play a key role in developing Klay Thompson for the NBA.
“Jeff is a great person and a highly intuitive coach. Players trust Jeff because he understands them,” said Herb Livsey, lead scout for the Denver Nuggets. Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors agrees, “Jeff helped prepare me for the greatest basketball stage in the world.”
“As a leader, I want to inspire greatness in my athletes,” said Coach Hiro. “Greatness reflects mental, spiritual, and physical development. CCU offers a caliber of spiritual and mental growth that cannot be found elsewhere. The faith that President Sweeting, VP McCormick, and AD Wall have shown in me is humbling and I am excited to join the Cougar family.”
http://www.ccucougars.com/news/2017/5/17/coach-hiro-to-lead-mens-basketball-at-ccu.aspx
