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Marietta College head men’s basketball coach Jon VanderWal announced the hiring of Stephen Draper as the Pioneers’ new second assistant coach. Draper replaces Michael Kenney, who recently accepted the top assistant coaching position at Allegheny College.

“We are very excited to have Coach Draper join our program.,” VanderWal said. “He is extremely hungry and determined to be a good college basketball coach and we fully expect him to enhance our program. His background with individual skill development, knowledge of the game, and work ethic are exactly what we are looking for in an assistant coach.”

Draper comes to Marietta after spending the last three years as the head junior varsity and assistant varsity boy’s basketball coach at Holt High School in Holt, Mich. Draper helped Holt to back-to-back league and district titles.

In addition to his time at Holt High School, Draper has extensive experience in individual skill development, both domestically and internationally. Since 2005, he has worked with various organizations training athletes from youth camps to NBA players.

Draper has worked with Primetime Camps (Allen Park), 1 on 1 Sports (Ann Arbor) and I’mpossible Training (Lansing). He recently started his own company, Draper Basketball Training, LLC.

Draper has travelled the globe using sports as a platform to help others. He spent a month in Varanasi, India teaching sports and music at Nirman Vidyashram, an arts based private school. Draper has also spent several weeks in Uganda, the Dominican Republic and Oaxaca City, Mexico teaching sports and doing various service projects.

Draper graduated from Spring Arbor University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Studies and a minor in English. Following graduation he worked for Playworks, a non-profit organization, teaching conflict resolution skills in the Detroit public schools.

http://pioneers.marietta.edu/news/2015/9/15/MBB_0915151527.aspx

Photo Courtesy Marietta Athletics