University of Tennessee at Martin second-year head coach Ryan Ridder has completed his staff for the 2022-23 men’s basketball season as Austin Nisbett and Alston Jones have joined the fold. Nisbett will serve as the Skyhawks’ director of basketball operations while Jones takes over the role of graduate assistant.
“I have known both Austin and Alston for a long time – they are impressive young men who are welcome additions to our program,” Ridder said. “Austin has experience at the Division I level and brings a lot of knowledge and expertise in the video and analytical areas. Alston is a winner – he played for me in junior college and was also part of a Division I championship team. They are perfect fits as the final two members of our staff.”
An Ormond Beach, Fla. native, Nisbett comes to UT Martin after spending the past four seasons with a pair of NCAA Division I basketball programs. He was a graduate assistant for the Columbia University men’s squad last year and was an assistant video coordinator for the Duke University women’s team from 2018-21.
During the 2021-22 season, Nisbett worked under head coach Jim Engles at Columbia, an Ivy League institution located in New York, NY. Nisbett assisted coaches and full-time support staff members with administrative duties, team travel, practice preparation, on-court operations and player development. He also acted as video coordinator, breaking down film and developing statistical databases of personnel to assist the Lion coaching staff with scouting, roster management and construction of developmental plans.
At Duke, Nisbett was a part of an Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouse program under head coaches Joanne P. McCallie (2018-20) and Kara Lawson (2020-21). He coded team and player film for video breakdown and statistical analysis while assisting the Blue Devil coaching staff produce scouting reports. He also assisted coaches with player development and acted as a scout team player.
Outside of the collegiate realm, Nisbett was a video assistant for the USA 3×3 women’s national team in the spring of 2021. In that role, he assisted Lawson and the coaching staff with team video operations during their spring training camp sessions.
Nisbett graduated from Duke in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He is pursuing a Master’s degree in sport management after completing his first year of the graduate program at Columbia.
Jones joins the Skyhawks after an accomplished collegiate playing career on the hardwood. He saw playing time in 113 games from 2015-19, earning all-conference accolades in three different seasons. Overall, the point guard tallied 1,188 points and 475 assists over his career while his teams piled up 82 victories, a .631 winning percentage and a trio of conference championships.
A Kansas City, Mo. native, Jones began his playing career at Daytona State College under Ridder. He helped lead the Falcons to a combined 50-14 record and a pair of Mid-Florida Conference titles. As a freshman, he was an all-conference second team performer after shooting a career-best 50.8 percent from the floor. The following season, he was an All-Mid-Florida Conference first team selection, averaging a career-highs of 14.1 points and 5.5 assists per contest. He poured in a career-best 35 points (on 15-of-26 shooting) at Palm Beach State College on Nov. 22, 2016 and distributed a career-high 15 assists against Trinity Valley three days later.
Jones then transferred to the Division I level, where he was a part of NC Central’s run to the NCAA Tournament in 2017-18. He sank a career-best 84 percent of his free throw tries while playing in 23 games under head coach Levelle Moton, guiding the Eagles to four dramatic wins over the course of five days at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.
Jones wrapped up his collegiate career under head coach Steve Ridder (Ryan’s father) at Embry-Riddle. He garnered Sunshine State Conference All-Newcomer accolades while averaging 13.7 points and a team-high 4.3 assists per outing. He scored at least 20 points on seven different occasions and handed out 13 assists against Rollins on Jan. 30, 2019 – the third-best single-game performance in school history.
Following his playing days, Jones spent two years working in the corporate field before pursuing his Master’s degree from UT Martin. He graduated from Embry-Riddle with a degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2020 and has one son, Kruz.
Tennessee Martin Basketball Staff Update
