Bethune-Cookman University Men’s Head Basketball Coach Gravelle Craig announced the appointment of Chrys Cornelius as assistant coach.
Cornelius, 42, comes to B-CU from Wisconsin – Green Bay, where the Phoenix have won 95 games, including a 48-17 record the past two seasons. In 2013-14, Green Bay won the Horizon League and made an NIT appearance. Along with on-court coaching and recruiting duties, Cornelius handled scouting responsibilities, and scheduling. In January of 2015, Cornelius was ranked as the top assistant coach in the Horizon League by Next Up Recruits.com. Cornelius recruited Keifer Sykes, the two-time Horizon League Player of the Year.
“We are excited to have Chrys join us,” Craig said. “He is someone I have known for over 12 years. His passion for basketball and recruiting history speaks for itself. He has won everywhere he has been. He will be a valuable asset to our coaching staff.”
It’s a return to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for Cornelius, who helped lead Florida A&M to NCAA tournament appearances in 2004 and 2007. He recruited four of the five starters on the 2007 NCAA Tournament team – all from the Chicago area.
“I want to thank Coach Craig for this great opportunity,” Cornelius said. “I’ve known him a long time and I know that he is a man of high character and integrity. I think we have a terrific coaching staff with Coaches Rodney Martin and Stacey Beckton and have been impressed with what I’ve seen at Bethune-Cookman. The Daytona Beach area is definitely a great place to attend school, live and raise a family.”
Prior to Green Bay, Cornelius spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois University (2007-10). He has also had two different coaching stints at his alma mater Western Illinois, Chicago State (2003) and the junior college ranks at Joliet Junior College (Ill.) and Jacksonville (Texas) Junior College.
Cornelius has coached seven different 1,000-point scorers and 10 all-conference performers in addition to mentoring Alec Brown, who was drafted by the Phoneix Suns in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft and is currently with the D-League’s Bakersfield Jam.
A native of Joliet, Ill., Cornelius attended Joliet Catholic Academy, and earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Western Illinois University in 1995.
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