The Goshen College men’s basketball program has promoted Kyle Capps to associate head coach for the 2021-22 season. Head coach Jon Tropf announced the move Wednesday.
Capps is a 2014 GC graduate who played four years of basketball for the Maple Leafs. The 2021-22 season will be his sixth as a collegiate assistant coach and his third at Goshen: he was previously a GC assistant in 2016-17 and 2020-21, with the two stints separated by three seasons at Siena Heights University in Michigan.
The Mount Clemens, Michigan, native also has experience coaching at the middle school and high school levels in addition to spending two years as the athletic director at the Boys and Girls Club in Middlebury, Indiana.
“Kyle earned this title with his loyalty, hard work and relentless desire to be the best he can be,” Tropf said. “When Kyle returned to Goshen for the second time as an assistant, I was struck by how much initiative and drive he had to make our program better. He has a knack for meeting players where they are at and is intentional with his relationships. He is bought in to the vision and culture of our program and does not cut corners in the profession. Kyle is a rising young coach who will continue to make a strong impact on the lives of our players.”
The promotion to associate head coach will see Capps take on the role of recruiting coordinator for the Maple Leafs in addition to increased responsibilities around practice planning and in-game substitutions. He is the first person to serve as associate head coach in the program since his boss, Tropf, held the title in 2016-17 under head coach Neal Young.
“Kyle has shown he is more than capable of serving in this capacity, and this title reflects my opinion of how valuable he is to our program, Goshen College, and the coaching profession in general,” Tropf said. “He bleeds purple and loves Goshen College, which always helps, but this is not a title he was simply given—he earned it.”
“I’m truly thankful for Coach Tropf’s trust in my ability to assist him on and off the court,” Capps said. “Being here as a student-athlete and a coach has given me a well-rounded view of what it takes to be successful at Goshen College. Coming back to GC during the pandemic was a tough choice, but it was the best decision I made. Goshen has always challenged me to grow and never be complacent, and that is what I hope to pass on to help our guys and program continue to climb.”
