Columbia men’s basketball head coach Kyle Smith has rounded out his coaching staff for the upcoming 2014-15 campaign. Adam Hood will serve as an assistant coach, John Andrzejek takes over as Director of Basketball Operations and Jake Heine has been named graduate manager for the program.
“We are very excited and fortunate to have a group of bright, passionate people join our staff,” said Smith. “It’s always tough losing talented assistants, but that’s a part of this business when you have success. I can’t wait to see what these new pieces add to our program.”
Hood comes to the Lions after spending two seasons at Boston University as a special assistant. While there, he coordinated team travel, game day operations and was a liaison with various university units.
A 2008 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Hood was a four-time letterwinner with the Falcons where his squads went an impressive 84-42. Air Force also made the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and reached the NIT semifinals in 2007.
“I’ve known Adam and his family for a while,” Smith said. “I recruited his brother, Antoine, when I was at Air Force and then he went on to play there and had an unbelievable string of success in a tough Mountain West Conference. Adam’s experience on the court and as an officer brings a great level of maturity to the staff and he will be a great addition for us.”
Andrzejek is no stranger to the program, spending the past three seasons as assistant to the Director of Operations. He graduated from Columbia in just two and a half years, earning a degree in Philosophy with a GPA of 3.85.
During his time as head manager, Andrzejek was vital in video coordination and managing Kyle Smith’s unique statistical database. He also worked at Columbia’s summer camps and was a member of the Lions’ junior varsity squad as an undergrad.
Andrzejek is currently the Director of Basketball Operations under South Carolina head coach Frank Martin for the USA East Coast All-Stars’ trip to Estonia while they play in the Four Nations Cup.
“I think we are seeing the making of a great story when it comes to John Andrzejek,” commented Smith. “Since he’s not new to the program, it’s been a pretty smooth transition so far. John already has our players’ respect and really is determined to make it in the coaching ranks.”
Heine spent two seasons as head assistant coach at Colorado College where he was the primary recruiter for the program that went 33-19 (.634). The Tigers increased their win total by 33-percent in his first season (2012-13) on the bench and then guided the program to its first ever top-25 ranking last year.
Additionally, Heine is on the support staff for USA Basketball. He worked with the 2012 gold medal winning Olympic team in London and various other national squads.
“We are very lucky to have a guy with Jake’s experience join us,” Smith said. “He has learned from some of the best during his time with USA Basketball and brings a lot to the table from his time at Colorado College.”
The lone holdover from the 2013-14 staff is Kevin Hovde, who enters his fourth year with the Lions. Hovde acts as the team’s offensive coordinator and has been instrumental in opponent scouting, recruiting and player development during his tenure.
“Kevin is a young and exciting coach,” Smith stated. “He is really responsible for a lot of our improvements offensively and is a great teacher.”
“This group, combined with Derrick Phelps brings a diverse group of talents who share the common trait of experiencing tremendous success at the Division I and Olympic levels,” Smith continued. “As a collective group, they have made seven NCAA Tournaments, five Sweet 16’s, two final fours, a national championship and an Olympic gold medal.”
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