Colorado State University Pueblo men’s basketball head coach Zach Ruebesam has completed his first ThunderWolves’ coaching staff with the addition of Jonathan Scott as an assistant coach.
“Jonathan is going to be a rising star in the college coaching ranks. He’s competitive, sharp, and fully invested in helping players grow both on and off the court. He’s earned the respect of players at every level through his relentless work ethic, his ability to teach the game, and the genuine care he shows for people,” Ruebesam said about Scott. “He has deep Colorado roots, a strong playing background, and a real hunger to grow in this profession. I’m fired up to have him join the Pack as we continue building something special at CSU Pueblo!”
Scott, who is the older brother of former Black Hills State University All-American and Division II National Player of the Year Joel Scott, comes to CSU Pueblo after serving the past year as the head boys’ basketball coach at Widefield High School in Colorado Springs, Colo. In his one season at Widefield, Scott helped improve the team’s winning percentage by nearly 100 percent.
Prior to becoming the head coach at Widefield, Scott spent two seasons as an assistant boys’ basketball coach at his alma mater, Lewis-Palmer High School.
“I’m extremely grateful and excited to join the men’s basketball staff at CSU Pueblo. I want to thank Athletic Director Dr. Paul Plinske and Head Coach Zach Ruebesam for believing in me and giving me this incredible opportunity,” Scott said. “It means a lot to be a part of a program that values homegrown talent, and being on an all-Colorado staff is something I take great pride in. We understand what basketball means to this state and to our communities. This is a chance to be part of building something special right here at home, and I’m fully committed to helping our student-athletes grow on and off the court. I’m proud to represent Colorado and can’t wait to get started.”
Along with his high school coaching experience, Scott is also the owner of SOCO Basketball, which is a basketball organization in Colorado Springs that focuses on skill development, sportsmanship and team dynamics. He also served as a personalized basketball trainer for high school, college, professional and youth basketball players.
Scott was a collegiate basketball player as he began his playing career in 2016 at Otero Junior College and after two seasons at Otero, he transferred to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in 2018. During his time at Otero, Scott played in 60 games and made 57 starts and helped the program to a 49-14 overall record. He averaged 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and shot 47 percent from the field, 41 percent from the 3-point line and 76 percent from the free throw line.
In his two seasons at UT-Chattanooga, Scott played in 65 games and made 32 starts and he averaged 4.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game in his two-year playing career with the Mocs. He was named to the Dean’s List and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in both of his years at UT-Chattanooga and was named an Academic All-SoCon selection in 2018-19.
As a high school player at Lewis-Palmer, Scott was a three-year starter and averaged 17.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game as a senior for the Rangers and was named a Second-Team All-State selection. Lewis-Palmer finished Scott’s senior season in 2015-16 with a 24-2 overall record. He was a member of Lewis-Palmer’s 2013 Class 4A State Championship team and he helped the program to a Final Four appearance in 2015 and a title game appearance in 2016.
Originally from Colorado Springs, Colo., Scott earned his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in 2020 and earned his Associate of Arts degree from Otero in 2018.
