Jeremy Kipness has been named as an assistant basketball coach at Sacred Heart University in August of 2024. He had previously served four seasons (2020-2024) in various capacities for the men’s basketball program at The University of Memphis. Kipness got his start with the Tigers during the 2020-21 season when he served as a Graduate Assistant, before joining the Tiger’s staff as Recruiting Coordinator before the 2021-22 season. He was promoted to Director of Recruiting on head coach Penny Hardaway’s staff before the 2022-23 season.
During his four seasons in Memphis, the Tigers had a 90-38 (.708) overall record, four-straight 20-win seasons, the 2023 AAC Tournament championship, the 2021 National Invitational Tournament championship, and two consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and 2023. In this time, the Tigers won twelve games against ranked opponents, had a 13-4 record vs. Power-5 teams including three wins vs. AP top-10 ranked teams, and were ranked inside the top-10 on two occasions. The defense was always a calling card for the Memphis Tigers program during his four seasons on staff, highlighted by finishing the 2020-21 season in KenPom first in the country in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency.
Kipness worked with three NBA Draft picks at Memphis, including NBA Lottery Pick, and Jalen Duren, in addition to 10 All-AAC selections, four All-AAC First-Team selections, and back-to-back AAC Freshman of the Year winners. While serving on staff as Director of Recruiting, the Tigers had the nation’s number one high school recruiting class, another top-10 high school recruiting class, and twice had a top-10 transfer portal ranking.
Before coming to Memphis, Kipness spent four seasons (2016-20) serving as the Founder, Program Director, and Head Coach of Aspire Academy – a national prep basketball powerhouse in Louisville, Kentucky. In his four seasons as the head coach of Aspire Academy’s national high school team, they compiled an 82-51 record while playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. This included four straight appearances in the Grind Session World Championships, highlighted by a run to the Championship Game in 2017-18.
In addition, Kipness led his Aspire Academy team to a semifinal appearance in both the NACA National Championship and the Big Shots Nationals in 2018-19 and 2019-20, respectively. Under his leadership, in four graduating classes 37 graduates matriculated to the next level, including 19 at the NCAA Division 1 level. Kipness developed the team and players to several meritorious honors, such as Charles Bassey who received USA Today & MaxPreps All-American honors in 2017-18 and would later become the first Aspire Academy graduate to be selected in the NBA Draft when he went 53rd to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021.
A native of Guilford, Connecticut, Kipness spent his undergraduate years at the University of Louisville, where he served as a student manager for the men’s basketball team under the tutelage and mentorship of Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino (2011-14). During his time with Louisville, the Cardinals achieved monumental success, winning a school-record 35 games en route to winning the 2013 NCAA National Championship, advancing to the 2012 NCAA Final Four, winning two Big East regular season and tournament titles and an American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament crown.
While at Louisville, Kipness aided in the development of five NBA Draft Picks (Gorgui Dieng, Peyton Siva, Russ Smith, Terry Rozier, Montrezl Harrell), as well as countless professional players overseas. During the summer, Kipness would travel the country, working Elite Camps at Memphis, Michigan State, Florida, and UConn.
After his time at Louisville, Kipness resided in Senegal, West Africa, where he worked as a Director of Player Development Intern with SEED Project (Sports for Education and Economic Development). During his time abroad, he provided leadership and direction for a soundly based, consistent, and coordinated player development curriculum while working with SEED Project to develop the basketball landscape in Senegal.
He graduated from the University of Louisville in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Administration.
https://sacredheartpioneers.com/staff-directory/jeremy-kipness/535
