FDU men’s basketball head coach Tobin Anderson announced his coaching staff Monday as he gets set to embark on his first season on the banks of the Hackensack in 2022-23. Anderson was hired on May 3 as the Knights’ eighth men’s basketball head coach.
FDU’s bench next season will consist of assistant coaches Jack Castleberry, Tom Bonacum, Kam Murrell and Knights legend Mike Holloway, Jr. ’19 who returns for his second season as the program’s graduate assistant. Bonacum and Murrell were both on staff with Anderson at St. Thomas Aquinas (Division II – ECC) with Murrell also spending two seasons in uniform for the Spartans under Anderson’s tutelage after beginning his intercollegiate playing career at George Mason (Division I – A-10) before transitioning to the coaching ranks.
“I’m thrilled to put together an incredible staff that brings experience, energy and a hunger to help our players reach their potential on and off the court,” said Anderson. “Jack, Tom and Kam are not only great people who will represent FDU with integrity and class. They are excellent basketball coaches who can lead, teach and develop our players individually and collectively. We have already begun the process of building a program that can contend for NEC championships and NCAA tournament berths.”
Castleberry comes to FDU by way of Charlotte, N.C. where he joined the Queen’s (N.C.) men’s basketball staff in the offseason after spending the previous five campaigns at The Citadel (Division I – SoCon), most recently as the Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. A walk-on student-athlete at Virginia Military Institute (Division I – SoCon), Castleberry worked to eventually earn an athletic scholarship and grew into a crucial player for the Keydets, including being named captain for the 2006-07 campaign and helped lead the team to the most wins in a single season in over a decade. After graduation, he began his coaching career at University of Tennessee-Martin where he spent one season and later went back to his alma mater for head coach Duggar Baucom and served in a variety of capacities at VMI, including player development, recruiting and scheduling and as the team’s academic coordinator.
“My family and I are thrilled to join the FDU Knights community,” exclaimed Castleberry. “I am grateful to Coach [Tobin] Anderson for giving me the opportunity to be a part of building a special program. Coach Anderson is a great person and a proven winner; I am excited to get to work!”
Following a stint with the women’s basketball program at Siena (Division I – MAAC) from 2012-14, Castleberry arrived in Charleston, S.C. to begin his tenure with the Bulldogs. Starting off his time at The Citadel as the Director of Basketball Operations, Castleberry served three seasons as an assistant coach before his elevation to Associate Head Coach, a position he held through the 2021-22 season.
“I have known Jack forever, since our Five-Star basketball days and I have always wanted to work with him. Jack has an infectious personality that helps him connect with our players and everyone associated with our program. Jack’s experience, knowledge and passion for the game will be a huge asset to FDU basketball,” added Anderson.
A five-year student-athlete at nearby Ramapo (Division III – NJAC), Bonacum spent his final three seasons with the Road Runners as a team captain and SAAC President from 2016-18. A 6’6 forward, Bonacum was named the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Player of the Year after his junior season and amassed numerous all-conference, district and regional honors in addition to scoring over 1,500 career points. Graduating from ‘Po with a Business Management degree and minor in Psychology, Bonacum served as a player development intern with the Dallas Mavericks (NBA) before being tabbed to join Anderson’s staff in time for the 2019-20 season at STAC.
During his time in Sparkill, not far from where he attended undergrad, the Fanwood, N.J. native helped the side post a 67-12 record in his three seasons, resulting in three ECC championships, three NCAA tournament appearances with two of those runs culminating in the Sweet 16. An integral part of the skill development of student-athletes at STAC, Bonacum helped coach several All-Region and First Team All-ECC recipients and also helped coach Grant Singleton as he garnered NABC All-America recognition in 2021.
“I am extremely excited to join Coach Anderson and the FDU program,” said Bonacum. “I can not wait to get to work with our tremendous student-athletes and staff.”
In addition to his basketball coaching duties, Bonacum served as the head coach of the Spartans’ eSports program and tripled the size of the varsity team in two seasons. Under his leadership, the Spartans added five teams to the program and led the squad to championships in the ECAC and ECC.
“Tom and I have worked together the last three years at STAC and he was an integral part of our success. He is a true student of the game and brings an incredible toughness and blue-collar attitude to our program. His past NBA experience is a huge benefit to our players development and he is relentless in helping our players reach their potential,” added Anderson.
An experienced student-athlete at George Mason and for Anderson at STAC, Murrell returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach for the 2021-22 season after spending time in the Birthplace of Rock and Roll as a graduate assistant for Memphis (Division I – The American). At Memphis, Murrell utilized software programs including Sports Code, Fast Scout, Fast Draw, Synergy, and Second Spectrum to scout opponents, code game film and create player personnel videos. Additionally, he collaborated with the Tigers’ analytics team to create statistical pre-game and post-game reports for coaching staff while also maintaining and monitoring the daily recruiting database for the program.
“It feels great to be a Knight,” said Murrell. “It’s a blessing to be a part of this incredible program and coaching staff. I am truly excited to be part of the FDU family and ready to get started!”
“Kam brings a players perspective to our staff as he played in our system and has a great feel for how we play and what we are trying to do,” commented Anderson. “Kam has a competitive fire and brings incredible passion to our program and he will live in the gym to help our players improve on a daily basis.”
Stay tuned for more information on the Knights’ 2022-23 non-conference schedule and ticketing information as the Burgundy and Blue prepare for their 72nd season of FDU men’s basketball.
https://fduknights.com/news/2022/5/23/mens-basketball-anderson-announces-2022-23-staff.aspx
