Baruch College Head Men’s Basketball Coach John Alesi has announced the additions of TJ Tibbs and Brian McKenzie as assistant coaches for the 2014-15 season.
The two new assistants bring a plethora of experience to the program, both as former players and young rising coaches in the business.
TJ Tibbs (full name Thomas Tibbs, Jr.) comes to Baruch after serving as the Director of Basketball Operations for the Division I program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark, New Jersey. He is no stranger to the basketball program after playing two years at the College of Staten Island (CSI). As the point guard, he starred on a team that won back-to-back City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) championships during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
CSI reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2012 behind Tibbs’ 40 point effort against Rhode Island College in the 2nd Round.
He was twice voted a First Team CUNYAC All-Star while also earning All-Met first team honors from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. He graduated from CSI in 2013 with a degree in Economics.
"TJ is an outstanding young coach who our players will be able to learn a lot from," states Head Coach John Alesi. "He not only flourished as player at this level but has proven to be a tremendous young talent on the sidelines as well. We are fortunate to have him join us after a year on a Division 1 bench."
Brian McKenzie also comes with Division I experience after a solid playing career at Providence College of the Big East Conference. In four years, he played in 122 games (67 starts) for the Friars and averaged a career-high 10.9 points during his sophomore season.
Among his career highlights included 20pts/7rbs/6asst vs Connecticut, 18pts/6rbs vs Arkansas, 18pts/5rbs vs Cincinnati, 16pts vs Georgetown, and 13pts (3-4 3fg) vs Miami in the Preseason NIT. His finest game came against Rutgers with a career-high 27 points. He was also a member of the Providence team that upset #1-ranked Pittsburgh in 2009.
Brian graduated from Providence in 2010 with a degree in Business Management. Upon graduation, he embarked on a professional basketball career in England (Plymouth raiders) and in the United States with the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League (Hartford Lighting).
"Brian is someone I have known for a long time," said Alesi. "I watched him develop as a young high school player at Xaverian High School into an established collegiate and professional player. I am extremely excited to give him the opportunity to start this next phase of his career and I know he will be a great addition to our family."
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