Richard Bland College of William & Mary Head Men’s Basketball Coach Preston Beverly has announced the appointment of Raheem Martin and Vincent Thibodeau as the program’s new Assistant Men’s Basketball Coaches.
Martin was an assistant coach at Greensboro College in North Carolina during 2017-18, also serving as the junior varsity head coach for the Pride this past season. He is a 2016 graduate of Greensboro College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice.
“Raheem is not only an amazing young coach but will be an even better mentor for our student-athletes,” said Beverly. “His tireless work ethic on the recruiting trail, attention to detail in on-court training and in-game situational IQ are all attributes that will benefit our program. We are truly fortunate to be able to attract such a bright rising star in the profession.”
Martin started 74 of 90 career games at Greensboro from 2011-15, totaling 467 points, 381 rebounds, 116 assists and 85 blocks, which ranks third all-time for the Pride. He helped the program to 64 wins, including back-to-back appearances in the USA South Conference Championship game (2011-12, 2012-13). Martin was the USA South Defensive Player of the Year in 2013-14, the same year he was awarded the team’s Pride Award, while a USA South Sportsmanship Award recipient in 2013-14 and 2014-15. He led the league in steals and blocks during his junior and senior seasons, as well.
“I would like to thank Coach Beverly and Richard Bland College for the amazing opportunity to join such an immensely successful program,” said Martin. “I know there is a lot of hard work that needs to be done during this transition to an NJCAA Division I program, but I’m looking forward to tackling them head on and continuing the history of success at Richard Bland.”
Martin was as a graduate assistant coach at Greensboro College during 2015-16, before serving as the basketball varsity assistant coach and junior varsity head coach at Carver High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina during 2016-17. He was also the golf head coach at Carver during Spring 2017.
Martin has trained numerous athletes during the off-season, most notably his younger twin brothers Caleb and Cody Martin, who led the University of Nevada (29-8) to the 2017 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. In addition, he has coached seven All-Conference selections, including three first team honorees, a Conference Player of the Year and All-South Region first team selection, along with having two former players currently playing professional basketball.
A native of Mocksville, North Carolina, Martin joins the Statesmen program along with his wife, Abby.
Thibodeau comes to Richard Bland with more than five years of experience working in NCAA Division I men’s basketball, most recently serving as the Director of Basketball Operations at Virginia Military Institute for the past three seasons.
“Vince is a hard worker and truly passionate about the game and development of student-athletes,” said Beverly. “He has a wealth of experience at all levels that will not only benefit our student-athletes but also our department.”
At VMI, Thibodeau oversaw operational budgets along with the scheduling of team travel, including booking accommodations on the road. Along with handling in-season travel for three years, he organized the team’s trip to Europe in 2017, a nine-day visit that included games played in three countries. Additionally, Thibodeau served as the acting video coordinator for the program and managed social media accounts.
“I’m excited for this new opportunity at Richard Bland College” said Thibodeau. “This is an awesome chance to get back to working directly with student-athletes on the court, in the weight room and in the classroom. Coach Beverly is a great coach and an even better person. I look forward to working with him and helping the program add to the success it’s seen in the past five years.”
Prior to his time at VMI, Thibodeau worked as a manager at George Mason University, leading individual and team workouts during the Patriots’ first season in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Thibodeau served on Steve Hawkins’ staff at Western Michigan University from 2010-13 as a manager, working with the coaches during player development periods. During the 2012-13 season, the Broncos recorded the fourth-most wins (22) in school history en route to an appearance in the semifinals in the College Basketball Invitational.
While at Western Michigan, Thibodeau helped guide future NBA player Shaye Whittington to a Second-Team All-MAC selection in 2013, as Whittington averaged 13.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in 35 starts. After graduating from Western Michigan, Whittington spent two seasons with the Indiana Pacers in the NBA. In addition, Thibodeau has worked with a number of professionals who are playing in European basketball leagues.
Thibodeau was an assistant coach at the University of Michigan-Dearborn for one season, where he assisted with scouting procedures, recruitment, skill development and strength training. While there, he coached then freshman Jason Penn to the All-Newcomer Team in the WHAC.
Thibodeau received his B.B.A. in Management from Western Michigan, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He earned his M.S. in Sport and Recreation Studies with a concentration in Sport Management from George Mason where he wrote a thesis on Motivators in NCAA Division I NCAA Division I Basketball Coaches.
In addition to his duties as an assistant basketball coach at RBC, he will direct the sports performance training for all male student-athletes.
Thibodeau is a native of Front Royal.
http://www.rbcathletics.com/sports/mbkb/2018-19/releases/20180723m0mo7d
