This past April, Langston’s men’s basketball hired head coach Chris Wright. Wright previously coached at Talladega University for the past 4 seasons, going 31-7 and making an appearance in the NAIA National Championship game.
According to assistant athletic director Fachaitte Kinslow, the goal in the hiring was to see a “winning program.” When describing Wright and his coaching staff Kinslow said, “They’re excited to be here.”
With the new coach came two new junior varsity teams, blue and orange. Junior varsity is the level below varsity and is used as a means to help build the program.
The teams are coached by assistant coaches Jon Warren and Markel Williams. Both formerly played for Wright, and Warren coached alongside Wright en route to their National Championship appearance this past season.
Although he is familiar with coaching both varsity and junior varsity, Warren feels as if now his transition to Langston opens up more opportunities and gives him more of a chance to “grow as a coach,” instead of just knowing everyone at his alma mater to “get by.” He feels this is just a “bigger and better opportunity” overall in branching out and meeting people.
The JV teams develops and prepare players for the varsity level, Warren said. It’s strong on discipline and making the players better men, as well as helping them compete at a high level.
Warren coaches for the orange team who have 20 players on the roster and Williams coaches blue who have 22 players. Both him and Williams plan to run the teams the same as the varsity.
Kinslow said, “It will not even be like it is a JV team,” meaning the teams are expected to perform at a high level. The teams are a “great add” and contribute 42 new athletes to the program. The team is operated as a sport likewise to the varsity team. They travel and get the same luxuries as the varsity, but play fewer games throughout the season. Kinslow expects to see “a lot of excitement even at the JV level.”
Story ideas, opinion editorials, calendar events and advertising requests can be sent to dthom34@langston.edu. You may follow The Gazetteon Instagram @lu_gazette.
The Gazette serves as the student voice of Langston University. It is produced within the Department of Communication as a teaching tool and local news source for the campus community. The views and opinions expressed within are those of the writers whose names appear with the articles and do not necessarily represent the views of Langston University.
