Whatcom Community College Athletics announced on Thursday that the Orcas have hired Jerome Jenkins as the new head men’s basketball coach. Jenkins begins his duties with the Orcas immediately.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jerome to the Orca family,” said Whatcom Community College Director for Athletics and Recreation Danny Day. “Jerome’s love for the game of basketball and overall passion for the entire student-athlete experience was clear throughout the interview process, and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for Orca men’s basketball.”
Jenkins, who has coached for more than 28 years, comes to Whatcom
having been a head coach at both the community college level and the
NCAA Division I level. While getting his start in collegiate coaching
in the early-1990s as the Associate Head Coach at Diablo Valley
College, he then transitioned into a role at NCAA DI Eastern Washington
University in 1997 and spent a couple of years there as an assistant
coach.
In 1999, Jenkins took on the role as assistant coach at NCAA DI Sacramento State University before then being named the head coach at Sacramento State a year later. From 2000-2008, Jenkins served as the head coach at Sacramento State, overseeing all basketball operations for the school while turning around the program and helping see the squad make the Big Sky Conference Tournament four-straight years.
He also established a successful graduation track record for his
student-athletes during his time with the Hornets while helping put
four of his student-athletes in the Sacramento State Athletics Hall of
Fame.
“I am very excited and honored for the opportunity Dr. Luca Lewis
and Danny Day have given me,” said Jenkins. “I am looking forward to
moving this program in the direction of winning in all aspects
(basketball, classroom, and community). I look forward to the journey
of making Whatcom Community College a very proud basketball program.”
Since his time with Sacramento State, Jenkins served as the head
coach at Santa Monica College for nine years and coached back at Diablo
Valley College as well. During his time at Santa Monica College, he
was named the Western State Conference-South Coach of the Year while
leading his team to the conference championship.
During his playing days, Jenkins competed in the Pacific Northwest, playing for Southwestern Oregon Community College. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Regis University-Denver, and his Masters in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine in 2016.
