NJIT Men’s Basketball Head Coach Brian Kennedy recently announced that Ricardo Rush Jr. has been added to his coaching staff as an Assistant Coach ahead of the 2021-22 season.
“I am excited to welcome Ricardo Rush to the NJIT basketball family,” said Kennedy, who will begin his sixth season leading the Highlanders next season. “Ricardo brings a tremendous amount of experience having working at all levels of the game, from AAU all the way to the NBA.”
Rush comes to NJIT following a two-year stint as an Assistant Coach at Salt Lake City Community College, where he helped lead the Bruins to back-to-back NJCAA Division I Tournament appearances. At SLCC, Rush used his East Coast ties to help recruit, while also working to develop players and in 2020-21 he ran the offense, which ranked among the top-10 in scoring in the NJCAA Division I. During his two seasons at SLCC, Rush helped send 14 of his student-athletes to Division I programs.
“I am so happy to join the NJIT men’s basketball program,” explained Rush. “It is an honor to work at one of the top academic institutions in the country, and I look forward to helping our student-athletes succeed both on off the basketball court.”
Prior to his time at SLCC, Rush coached and helped run the day-to-day operations for the DC Blue Devils AAU program, which was based in the Washington, DC, area. Rush coached countless Division I and professional players with the Blue Devils including former Number 1 NBA Draft pick Markelle Fultz, Nate Darling (Charlotte Hornets) and current NBA G-Leaguer Jeff Dowtin.
Rush brings versatility as he has worked at almost every level of basketball. After serving four years as a manager at the University of Maryland under Hall of Famer Gary Williams and current coach Mark Turgeon, he went on to work for the Orlando Magic as a basketball operations assistant for 2 seasons. Rush also worked at the scholastic level as a varsity basketball assistant coach at Charles Herbert Flowers HS in Maryland.
“Ricardo’s tutelage under Gary Williams, Mark Turgeon, Troy Weaver, Kyle Taylor, and many more, have helped prepare him tremendously and his hiring has immediately opened recruiting doors for the Highlanders in the DMV area and beyond,” added Kennedy. “He has a reputation as a tireless worker both on and off the court with a special emphasis on scouting, recruiting, and individual instruction. I believe Ricardo is a the perfect fit for our NJIT basketball family.”
A native of Mitchelville, MD, Rush graduated from Maryland with a with Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology.
Rush, Jr. Joins NJIT Men’s Basketball Staff as an Assistant Coach
