Jon Tropf has been promoted to associate head coach of the Goshen College men’s basketball program, head coach Neal Young announced Tuesday.
A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Tropf will begin his third season on the Maple Leaf sideline this fall. Goshen improved from 5-25 in 2013-14, the year before Tropf’s arrival, to 19-13 in his second season as an assistant last winter. In addition to his role as an assistant, he also served as acting head coach for a game in 2016 when Young was sidelined with an illness.
“Jon has been an integral part of the growth of this program the last two seasons, and it’s time his title more accurately reflected both his level of responsibility as well as the way I view him,” said Young. “He works incredibly hard and has continued to earn more and more responsibility.
“Jon fully embodies our mantra of ‘Live Last, Hunt Lions,'” Young continued. “He puts Christ and other people before himself and he is not afraid of the challenges or risks that accompany the pursuit of big dreams. He is also a man that I fully trust to help disciple our players in the never-ending process of growth.”
Prior to joining Goshen’s staff, Tropf spent two seasons as a graduate manager at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. He also spent four years as a manager, including three as head manager, for the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball program from 2008-12 before graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in history.
A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, who was raised in Findlay, Ohio, Tropf made back-to-back state quarterfinal appearances at Van Buren High School in 2007 and 2008.
He has also served as a coach for the Western Washtenaw Basketball Association’s summer AAU program and helped lead summer camps for inner-city boys in 2011 and 2012 through Team Focus USA.
“Tropf has a hand in everything we do, but his primary responsibilities include organizing all of our recruiting, heading up on court player development, scouting opponents and planning daily practice segments,” Young said. “But what makes him unique in our profession is the energy, passion, and positivity that he does it all with. I feel fortunate to have him as a part of this program.”
Tropf’s hobbies include golf, record collecting, and watching the Cleveland Browns and Indians.
The 2016-17 season will mark the 60th anniversary of Goshen’s first full season of intercollegiate men’s basketball competition and is slated to begin in late October, with the full schedule to be announced in early August. For more information on men’s basketball or any of the other 12 varsity sports at Goshen College, visit GoLeafs.net.
What His Players Say About Coach Tropf:
Trevor Commissaris, 2016 graduate, signed by ASD Polisportiva Alfa Catania of Italy: “Coach Tropf’s work ethic and emphasis on player development is what makes him such a big part of the program. He is always available for an individual workout, and when you go through it you can tell he put time into creating it. His workouts are much more than basic drills you can look up and do on your own. His passion and energy don’t compare to any other assistant coach that I have had. You’re just not going to find someone who genuinely enjoys putting in the work with players and seeing them get better as much as he does. He was great for me and I feel fortunate to have had him for two years.”
Christian Grider, junior: “Coach Tropf is one of the most unselfish coaches I’ve ever been around. He does everything for the betterment of the team. I know he has inconvenienced himself many times to help me get better, and I am sure he does that for the rest of our team as well. He also brings a ton of positive energy to everything we do and that makes everything more enjoyable. It’s fun being around people like him.”
Devin Heath-Granger, junior: “Coach Tropf is one of the hardest working individuals I have ever been around, not just in basketball, but in my life. What I appreciate the most about him though is that he has never once been about himself, but that he is all about helping us as players. His scouting reports are a great example of that. He puts in a lot of time to make sure we’re never caught off guard. I feel like our team has an advantage going in to every game and he is a big reason for that.”
