The Carroll University men’s basketball program announced the promotion of Kyle Jones to the position of Associate Head Coach, and the hiring of Kyle Keranen as the Graduate Assistant heading into the upcoming 2017-18 season.
“Coach Jones is a rising star in the coaching profession and very deserving of the Associate Head Coach title,” Carroll head coach Paul Combs said. “Kyle is involved in every facet of our program both on and off the court and will continue to play a major role in Pioneer men’s basketball moving forward.”
Jones, 27, will be entering his fifth year as an assistant coach with the Pioneers. The former 6-foot-4, four-year starting guard for the Pioneers (2008-2012) finished his playing career with 1,054 points to become only the 15th in program history to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau. As a consistent force on the perimeter, Jones converted 182 baskets from 3-point range to finish third on the school’s all-time list.
“Being a former player and alumnus of Carroll, it’s a great honor to be able to remain in the program and take on the new role of Associate Head Coach,” Jones said. “Having worked within the system as a graduate assistant and admissions counselor while earning my M.B.A., I’m very excited about the opportunity to continue on in the dual role and impact the university in a positive way. To be part of the overall promotion and development of the school, not only in athletics, is something that is very important to me so it will be a pleasure to take the next step forward in the process
“For any young coach, with each year you’re ultimately given greater responsibility as a trust and great working relationship develops with the head coach. Fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a great head coach like Paul Combs who has helped with my development as both a young person and coach within the profession.
“Having played under two different coaches at the collegiate level (referring to former Carroll head coaches Dave Schultz and Dave Buchanan) prior to becoming an assistant with coach Combs, I’ve been very fortunate to be around a lot of good people and get the various perspectives on how to prepare and approach both the practice and game-time situations. Being in the program for a long time, I’ve really valued the experience and take a lot of pride in trying to help the team make strides and push forward to a level where its never been before. I’ve always been the type of person who just tries to stay in the background, do my job and let my work speak for itself. To receive the promotion was a pleasant surprise so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to continue the learning process, be a mentor and help support the program in every way possible. Being our second year back in the CCIW, as a coaching staff we’re excited about the possibilities this season and building toward the years to come.”
“The hiring of Kyle Keranen as our graduate assistant was an easy one for the Pioneer staff,” Combs said. “Kyle has been a coach on the floor throughout his entire career and will go down as one of the best leaders in all of Carroll Athletics. Coach Keranen will bring the same work ethic, mental toughness and sound preparation to his new role.”
Keranen, a 6-foot-2 four-year starting guard for the Pioneers (2013-2017) who earned second-team all-conference honors in the CCIW last season, finished his four-year career with 1,190 career points to end in sole possession of eighth place on Carroll’s all-time scoring list. He converted 185 baskets from 3-point range and finished tied for second in program history.
“Having the opportunity to join the Carroll basketball staff and remain a part of the family was a no brainer,” Keranen said. “Carroll has provided me with an opportunity to be part of a growing university and community. I look forward to helping both current and future players reach their goals and couldn’t be more excited on continuing to carry on the Carroll basketball tradition.”
