GW men’s basketball head coach Chris Caputo announced a series of staff updates for the program heading into the 2024-25 season.

Matt Colpoys, now in his third year with the Buff & Blue, and Aaron Thompson, entering his second campaign in Foggy Bottom, have both been elevated to Assistant Coach. Additionally, GW has hired Sam Ebersold as the program’s new Director of Player Development.

Per rule changes effective immediately from the NABC and NCAA Division I Council, men’s basketball programs are allowed up to five assistant coaches in addition to the head coach who can participate in on-court instruction. Up to four coaches are able to recruit off-campus at one time.

“Matt and Aaron are truly two of the brightest young minds in coaching today,” Caputo said. “They are well-rounded and care deeply about our players. I have worked with seven assistant coaches who became Division I head coaches and I would expect Matt and Aaron to follow on that path. As we continue to build our program for sustained success, it is important we provide continuity and stability to our staff.

“Sam will bring great energy and effort to his position. Having worked in a strong program at SIU, winning a national championship as a player and working with one of the premier player development coaches in the world, Sam will be able to serve our players at a very high level.”

Matt Colpoys
Assistant Coach // Third Season // Penn State Behrend ’18
Colpoys previously served as program’s recruiting coordinator for the past two seasons and added an assistant designation last year.

Colpoys also was instrumental in the team’s offensive success the prior two years, serving as the team’s co-offensive coordinator. GW averaged 76.8 ppg in 2023-24, the program’s second straight year averaging more than 76 points per game. The Revolutionaries also broke the all-time program record with 287 made 3-pointers with Colpoys’ guidance.

Prior to GW, Colpoys helped oversee the best two-year record in program history during his tenure at Johns Hopkins, aiding the Blue Jays to a 47-8 mark in 2019-20 and 2021-22 (2020-21 not played due to COVID-19). Hopkins won a pair of Centennial Conference championships during Colpoys’ tenure and advanced to two Division III NCAA Tournaments.

Among his chief duties were player development, scouting, recruiting and analytics. Within the recruiting realm, he was involved in all aspects of evaluating and recruiting potential student-athletes. Namely, he organized the recruiting database, evaluated players, communicated with recruits and organized on-campus visits.

Aaron Thompson
Assistant Coach // Second Season // Butler ’22
Thompson will move into an assistant coach role in his second year with the program after serving as the Director of Player Development last year. Thompson will add on-court coaching and recruiting responsibilities in his new role.

The former Butler standout worked primarily with the GW guards during his first-year in Foggy Bottom, working closely with James Bishop IV as well as the development of first-years Jacoi Hutchinson and Trey Autry.

Thompson began his coaching career following a standout five-year playing career at Butler where he became the Bulldogs’ all-time career assists leader with 566. The Glenn Dale, Md., native also finished his career ranked ninth all-time at Butler with 155 steals and was one of 10 semifinalists for the 2020 Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Thompson was a four-star recruit out of Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, where he was a part of 100 wins for the storied program, the most of any player in school history. He was a Washington Post All-Met First Team selection as a senior and showcased his versatility by becoming the first player ever at PVI to amass more than 800 points, 400 assists, 300 rebounds and 200 steals in his career.

Sam Ebersold
Director of Player Development // First Season // Southern Illinois ’21
Ebersold has been hired as the new Director of Player Development after serving in a similar role at his alma mater, Southern Illinois, last year.

In his player development role, Ebersold focuses on building players’ skill sets, mindsets and habits. Off the court, Ebersold helps with strategic game planning, building scouting reports, and recruiting. He also served as a graduate assistant for the two prior years.

Following his graduation, Ebersold helped assist Phil Beckner and staff in all facets of Driven Basketball’s operation in Phoenix in multiple facets, including on-court development, breaking down and creating training edits and Pro Day Workouts. Ebersold headed up the support staff at Formula Zero Pro camp and Elite Camp, Damian Lillard’s week-long camp that included 18 NBA players, 20 high school and 20 college players.

Prior to being with SIU, Ebersold played Division III basketball at UW-Oshkosh, making the national championship game in 2018. The next season, Oshkosh posted a 29-3 record, a 21-game win streak, and capped it off with a National Championship, winning by an average margin of 15.8 points, an NCAA Division III Record. Ebersold earned the Most Outstanding Teammate Award voted by his teammates.

Prior to attending Oshkosh, Ebersold attended the University of Alabama where he attempted to walk on and became a member of the scout team, helped work out players, and assisted in recruiting efforts for the No. 3 recruiting class in the country with Collin Sexton, Herb Jones, Alex Reece and John Petty.

https://gwsports.com/news/2024/7/2/mens-basketball-announces-staff-updates-for-2024-25-season