University of Michigan David and Meredith Kaplan Men’s Basketball Head Coach John Beilein announced today (Tuesday, Aug. 29) the completion of his staff with the hiring of Chinedu Nwachukwu as the Wolverines’ director of program personnel.
“We are so pleased Chinedu is rejoining our staff,” said Beilein. “Chinedu was a terrific head manager for us as a senior and we knew he had a bright future ahead of him. Over these past seven years away, he has gained valuable experience as both a college coach and administrator. He loves our university and I believe he will do an outstanding job in this new position. I sense our student-athletes will really benefit from being around him daily.”
“I’m excited that I’ve been given the opportunity to return to the University of Michigan,” said Nwachukwu. “As a Michigan graduate, it means the world to be given an opportunity to work at my alma mater. Coach Beilein has been a great mentor throughout my career and I look forward to working with him and the rest of the staff.”
In early August, Beilein announced the additions of Luke Yaklich and DeAndre Haynes as assistant coaches, as well as the elevation of Chris Hunter to U-M’s director of basketball operations.
“I love this new staff and am excited to work alongside them in the weeks and months ahead,” added Beilein.
Nwachukwu spent the 2016-17 season as the director of operations at Milwaukee with former U-M assistant and current Butler head coach LaVall Jordan. With the Panthers, Nwachukwu coordinated team travel, budget, practices and other program functions. Prior to his move to Milwaukee, Nwachukwu spent four seasons at Saginaw Valley State University as an assistant coach under Randy Baruth.
After going 21-30 during his first two seasons at SVSU, Nwachukwu helped the Cardinals go 46-17 during his final two campaigns. In 2015-16, SVSU posted a school-record 25 victories (25-8) while claiming the program’s fourth-ever GLIAC championship and the first since the school transitioned to the Division II level 25 years prior.
The Cardinals added their first Midwest Regional championship and a trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, all coming in the team’s first NCAA Tournament appearance. Additionally, SVSU notched a school-record 18 GLIAC wins en route to the team’s first title since the 1984-85 season.
In the 2014-15 season, SVSU posted a 21-9 overall record, including a 16-6 mark in the GLIAC, which at the time was a program record. The Cardinals qualified for the 2015 GLIAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed and defeated Findlay for the team’s first victory in the tournament and berth in the semifinals since 1996-97.
Before joining the SVSU staff in 2012, he served as an assistant coach and head coach of the junior varsity team at the University of Findlay for two seasons. Before heading to Findlay, Nwachukwu spent three years as a student manager with the Wolverine basketball program under Beilein.
A native of Ypsilanti, Michigan, Nwachukwu graduated from Father Gabriel Richard High School in 2006. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Michigan in 2010 and followed with his master’s degree in business administration from Findlay in 2012.
