Waldorf College men’s basketball coach Nigel Jenkins is excited to announce George Hemmingsen and Gunsby DeJohnett as assistant coaches on his staff.
Hemmingsen joins the Warriors after spending last season as an assistant coach at the University of Indianapolis. He was an assistant coach the previous five seasons at Kentucky Wesleyan College, including the last three years as the program’s head assistant coach.
“I am very happy to add George to our staff,” Jenkins said. “He has been very successful throughout his entire coaching career.”
A native of New Brighton, Minn., Hemmingsen led three Minneapolis high school teams to success during the course of a decade before making the move to the college ranks. He helped Mound View High School, Maple Grove High School and Minneapolis Southwest High School find success, including multiple state titles and conference championships while establishing new program records for wins in a season.
Hemmingsen arrived at Kentucky Wesleyan for the 2010-11 season. During his tenure at Kentucky Wesleyan, the Panthers continued their reputation as a powerhouse program that has won eight NCAA Division II national championships. In the five years Hemmingsen was at Kentucky Wesleyan, the team compiled a 109-41 (.727) record. In 2011, the Panthers qualified for the NCAA Tournament. They reached the NCAA Tournament again in 2012 and advanced to the Sweet 16. Both of those years, Kentucky Wesleyan topped the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) poll during the season. Hemmingsen also helped the Panthers produce the nation’s top recruiting class in 2013, along with two more top-five classes and another in the top 10.
Last season at Indianapolis, Hemmingsen helped the Greyhounds to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament and tie the school record for wins in a season with a 25-6 mark. Indianapolis also earned the No. 1 spot in the NABC poll during the season and finished the year ranked No. 15.
Since 2011, Hemmingsen has helped engineer five consecutive 20-win seasons between his time at Kentucky Wesleyan and Indianapolis.
Hemmingsen earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Augsburg College in 2009. As an assistant coach, he owns an overall career record of 134-47 (.740). Hemmingsen also possesses a broad knowledge of the Midwest region and recruiting collegiate players.
“He has done a great job of recruiting at every level,” Jenkins said. “He is a very personable guy who knows how to relate well with players from various backgrounds.”
“George is the right fit for our program as I was looking for someone with a very high work ethic, someone who is loyal and someone who was very good on the court,” Jenkins added. “I look forward to working with him.”
DeJohnett is a familiar face to the Waldorf community. The Milwaukee native graduated from Riverside High School in 2009 and went on to play basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan for one season before transferring to Waldorf where he played under Jenkins during the final three years of his athletic career.
“When I was looking for a graduate assistant, Gunsby made my search and decision very easy,” Jenkins said. “He knows my system, he knows what I want and expect out of my guys and he will be an easy resource for my players to use.”
In 2014, DeJohnett graduated from Waldorf with a bachelor’s of arts degree in foundations of education and also received a coaching endorsement. He is currently pursuing a master’s of arts degree in organizational leadership from Waldorf with a teacher leader concentration.
During DeJohnett’s final two seasons at Waldorf, he served as a team captain for the Warriors and was a two-time Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) Scholar-Athlete. DeJohnett ranks seventh in Waldorf school history in scoring with 619 points and also ranks third in assists (165).
“He did a great job for me on and off the court as a player,” Jenkins said. “I expect him to do the same as a coach, leader and mentor for our young guys.”
The Warriors tip off the 2015-16 season on Nov. 3 when they welcome Dakota Wesleyan University to Hanson Fieldhouse for a 7 p.m. matchup.
