The University at Albany men’s basketball team welcomes KJ Baptiste back to the program. Baptiste re-joins the staff as an Assistant Coach, having previously served as the team’s Director of Recruiting and Video during the 2021-22 season.
“We are thrilled to welcome KJ back to the Capital Region,” said Head Coach Dwayne Killings. “KJ is a rising star, an elite relationship builder, a high-level recruiter, and one of the best player development coaches I have seen. His energy is infectious and will be welcomed to all he interacts with.”
Baptiste served as an Assistant Coach for the Florida Gulf Coast men’s basketball team last season, helping guide the Eagles and Head Coach Pat Chambers to a 17-15 record. It was the first NCAA assistant coaching job of his young career. He had previously joined UAlbany in the spring of 2021 shortly after Killings was appointed as Head Coach of the Great Danes.
“I’m extremely excited to be back here in Albany as an Assistant Coach for one of my closest mentors and role models, Dwayne Killings, and work with this very talented group of young men,” said Baptiste. “Having the chance to mentor most of these student-athletes during my first time here at UAlbany gives me great confidence that we will continue to build a great culture and show improvements daily. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to come back to the Capital Region to continue helping this program excel with keeping the same MENTALITY we started with in year one.”
Before UAlbany, Baptiste served as a Graduate Assistant Manager with the Penn State men’s program from 2019-21. While at Penn State, Baptiste covered player development, recruiting, scouting, and administrative scheduling/planning for the team, contributing to a historically high-achieving Penn State team in 2019-20 that finished with a 21-10 record.
Killings went on to add “In two years, our staff has recruited and developed two America East Rookie of the Years, two All-League Players, and the Defensive Player of the Year. I am proud to see our coaches be rewarded with opportunities to work for some of the most storied programs in college basketball, such as Temple and Notre Dame. We are truly a program of growth and improvement. It’s your time, KJ! Let’s work.”
Baptiste graduated from Brandeis University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He was a member of the basketball program from 2014-16, served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and organized numerous initiatives and fundraising events. He earned a MPS in Psychology of Leadership from Penn State in 2021 as well.
Baptiste rejoins Albany Basketball Staff
