Glenville State College’s Athletic Department is pleased to announce Justin Caldwell as new Head Men’s Basketball Coach. He becomes the 19th Head Coach for the Pioneer Program.
“I am truly honored to have the opportunity to rejoin the Glenville State College family as the men’s head basketball coach. As a proud alum, Glenville State College played a major role in my development as a coach and leader. We have always had overwhelming support from the community and surrounding communities. I am grateful to have the opportunity to assist student-athletes in their development both in the classroom and on the court,” said Caldwell. “Special thank you to Dr. Tracy Pellett and AD Rusty Vineyard in providing me with the opportunity. I want to also thank Ike Morris, as well as my wife Lydia, for their continued support! Now, let’s get back in the gym and get this process rolling. Go Pioneers!”
Caldwell, who was a standout player for the Pioneers, spent three seasons as an assistant coach for Glenville State following a stint playing professionally in Luxembourg. He spent three seasons of his college career at West Virginia Wesleyan before transferring to Glenville State for his senior year.
“Although the search was incredibly competitive with over 120 applicants, Coach Caldwell stood out from the rest of the field in terms of his recruiting experience, teaching ability, plans to develop a winning team, and energy to succeed! I congratulate him on his selection and know that he and his teams will work hard to represent the highest standard of both athletic and academic achievement. I also want to thank our Vice President for Student Life and Athletics, Mr. Rusty Vineyard, and the search committee in recruiting, interviewing, and finding a head coach that gives Glenville State the best opportunity to build a winning tradition for Men’s basketball,” said GSC President Dr. Tracy Pellett.
Caldwell has spent the last two seasons (2016-17 and 2017-18) at California University of Pennsylvania. During his two seasons, the Vulcans went 21-35.
In 2015, Caldwell helped Glenville State capture the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Tournament Championship, which marked the first league championship for the program in over 40 years. GSC entered the league tournament as the fifth seed before upsetting the top-seeded Hilltoppers of West Liberty, who were number four in the country, in the semifinals and defeating second-seeded Fairmont State in the finals. Glenville State then made a consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament before finishing the year with a 22-11 overall record.
He also coached five All-MEC selections while serving as assistant coach with the Pioneers. Forward Lamar Mallory was a consensus all-region honoree as a senior during the 2013-14 season after averaging 18.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while leading the league with a .681 field-goal percentage. The following year, guard Donte Morales was an All-MEC First-Team selection after ranking fifth in the conference in scoring at 18.3 points per game behind a .473 three-point field-goal percentage, which was second-best in the league and third in school history. Morales was also tabbed the MEC Tournament MVP in that sesaon.
Caldwell played for both West Virginia Wesleyan and Glenville State. He was an All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) Second-Team selection during his junior and senior years after being named to the All-WVIAC Freshman Team during the 2007-08 campaign. Over his four years, he scored nearly 2,000 points and dished out over 250 assists while playing in 110 career games. He scored nearly 1,400 points in three seasons with the Bobcats and finished fourth in the WVIAC in scoring as a junior with 20.3 points per game. In his lone year with GSC, Caldwell ranked fifth in NCAA Division II with 23.7 points per game and finished third with a .914 free-throw percentage.
Following his collegiate career, Caldwell played for the BBC Bascharage Hedgehogs in Luxembourg for two seasons.
Caldwell coached various youth teams during the summer while in college and also overseas. After the conclusion of his playing career, he served as an assistant coach at Wyoming East High School in West Virginia for the 2012-13 season.
A native of West Virginia, Caldwell was a two-time, first-team all-state selection while starring at Wyoming East High School. He helped lead the Warriors to the Class AA state championship in his senior year 2007.
“We are thrilled to name Justin as our next coach. I never doubted for a moment that Glenville State would be able to attract a coach of his talent. He understands Glenville State College, student-athletes at this level, and collegiate basketball in the Mountain East Conference. I know our entire Glenville community will be delighted to welcome Justin and his family to Glenville State College,” stated Vice President for Student Life and Athletics Rusty Vineyard.
Caldwell, an alumni of GSC, earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Glenville State in 2013.
https://gscpioneers.com/news/2018/4/10/justin-caldwell-named-new-head-mens-basketball-coach.aspx
