Following on something that I mentioned in the Daily Dirt yesterday. Jack Castleberry has officially been named as an assistant at Queens University of Charlotte. Here’s the release from the school:
Queens University of Charlotte Head Men’s Basketball Coach Grant Leonard is excited to announce the hiring of Jack Castleberry to his staff as an Assistant Coach. Castleberry comes to the Queen City after previously serving as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.
“Coach Castleberry is a very respected recruiter and tactician that has recruiting and coaching relationships in the southeast region and beyond,” explained Head Coach Grant Leonard. “Jack has always put the student athlete’s first which fits our player forward culture perfectly and we are excited to add such an accomplished coach to our staff.”
At The Citadel, Castleberry began as the Director of Basketball Operations in 2016 and worked his way to the Associate Head Coaching position by 2021. In his first year with the Bulldogs, the squad was ranked #1 in the country in scoring offense and achieved the most wins in program history in seven years. Castleberry would proceed to create a game plan which developed three All-Southern Conference selections and put the Bulldogs in the Top 25 in NCAA Division I points per game for three seasons. In the classroom, the Bulldogs increased their team GPA from 2.94 to 3.51 within three seasons.
As the Associate Head Coach, Castleberry guided the Bulldogs to a victory over an ACC opponent for the first time since 1979. As the acting head coach versus Duke University, the Bulldogs set a record for the most three-point field goals made by an opponent against the Blue Devils with 18. Castleberry recruited SoCon Freshman of the Year, Jason Roche and developed the skills for two-time First Team All-SoCon selection Hayden Brown.
Off the court, Castleberry has participated in and founded professional development opportunities for future coaches. As the co-founder of “Meet at the Rim Basketball Coaches Summitt,” Castleberry recruited speakers and attendees, including current Division I head coaches and athletic directors to lead panel discussions. Additionally, he was one of 11 assistant coaches invited to participate in the Jay Bilas Coaches Leadership Program in 2019 which prepares assistant coaches to become head coaches.
“My family and I could not be more excited to join the Queens Community,” stated Castleberry. “I am so thankful to Coach Leonard for allowing me to be a part of a first-class university with a storied basketball tradition. Coach Leonard’s focus on relationships and individual development both on and off the court is special and I look forward to helping build on the success that he and the student-athletes have worked so hard to achieve.”
Castleberry spent his undergraduate career playing basketball at Virginia Military Institute before attaining a Master of Business Administration from The Citadel. While with the Keydets, Castleberry was a team captain leading the program to the most single season wins in 10 years and a Big South Championship game appearance. He also was a recipient of the Spirit of VMI Award for Leadership.
