Nimley announces inaugural coaching staff for 2024-25 season

CHARLESTON – Head coach Saah Nimley and his staff are on the right track this summer as they prepare for the program’s first campaign with Nimley as their leader. Nimley added three new full-time team members as well as a trio of graduate assistants.

This year’s basketball coaching regime includes two CSU alumni, a veteran operations director and a former conference opponent who has been in Charleston for just over a month. All members of Coach Nimley’s staff have different backgrounds and have followed different paths to the Holy City, but one common denominator remains: They are ready to grow the Buccaneer basketball program and treat each day as game 7.

For a breakdown of this year’s coaching staff, see below:

Saah Nimley – Although this is his sixth year as coach of the Bucs, Saah Nimley is now entering his first season as head coach. A former CSU basketball player and Lawrenceville, Georgia native himself, head coach Saah Nimley is ready to grow the program he’s loyal to. He was officially promoted to starting role on March 4, 2024 before the Big South Championships.

During his tenure as an assistant coach, Nimley showed great success developing players in several areas, particularly on the defensive aspects of their game. Phlandrous Fleming Jr., former Big South Defensive Player of the Year , has developed extremely well as a student-athlete in the Holy City under the wing of Coach Nimley.

Nimley’s coaching skills have yet to rival his reputation as a record player. He leads the CSU hoops program in all-time assists, while also holding third place on the all-time scoring podium. Only one player in Big South Conference history has had 1,800 points and 500 assists, and that player is now poised to lead his alma mater to contention later this year.

Mike Howland – Coach Mike Howland arrived in Charleston this offseason as an assistant on Coach Nimley’s staff, coming to the Bucs via William & Mary University. As a five-year member of the W&M staff, Howland helped the Tribe to 21 victories in 2019-20. He also played an important role in the development of players such as Nathan Knight. Knight won the Lou Henson National Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, as well as CAA Player of the Year and CAA Defensive Player of the Year for good measure.

Guard growth is where Howland has thrived most at William & Mary. Luke Loewe (2021 CAA All-Star), Connor Kochera (2021 CAA Rookie of the Year) and Tyler Rice (2022 CAA All-Rookie) have all racked up accolades under Howland.

Prior to his tenure with the Tribe, Coach Howland spent four years in Rock Hill, South Carolina at Winthrop University. With the Eagles, Howland compiled a record of 86-40. He bagged immense postseason experience in Rock Hill, winning two Big South championships, a Big South tournament title and competing in the 2017 NCAA tournament. Howland has coached two Big South Players of the Year, Keon Johnson (2017) and Xavier Cooks (2018), as well as six other All Big South selections during his four years there.

Similar to Coach Nimley, Howland also has experience in the Big South as a defensive specialist. In 2018, Howland was named defensive coordinator for the Eagles program. In his lone season as Winthrop’s defensive advisor, the Eagles ranked number one in the Big South in defense according to KenPom. The following year, however, Howland switched sides and got the key to the Eagle offense. As the offensive leader, Howland led the Eagles to 8th in the nation in scoring (83.3 points per game). Winthrop also showed comfort scores at all three levels, especially outside of the three-point line where they made more jump shots than any other school in the country that year (2019).

Prior to Winthrop, Howland gained experience at Missouri State University (director of basketball operations), Saint Viator High School (head coach), and at the AAU level.

Howland is an alumnus of DePauw University and is a member of the school’s Hall of Fame. A four-year starting basketball player, Howland won numerous awards: NABC All-American (2002), Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year (2002), 24-4 season record ( 2001-2002) and an appearance in the NCAA Division III Elite Eight.

Saah Nimley – Charleston Southern Head Coach: “We are very excited to add Mike Howland as an assistant coach. Mike brings a lot of experience to our staff. His offensive mind, player development skills and familiarity with our league will help make an immediate impact for our program. Mike checks all the boxes we were looking for, and we couldn’t be happier to have him and his family outside of our basketball family.

Trey Johnson – Coach Johnson returned to his alma mater this offseason to join Coach Nimley’s staff as an assistant and recruiting coordinator.

Last season, he served at another Big South member school, on the Presbyterian staff as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator. Johnson also served on the Blue Hose staff from 2019-2021 as director of basketball operations. In between his Presbyterian stints, Coach Johnson helped the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears during their 2021-2023 seasons.

After graduating from CSU in 2018, Johnson first coached at Francis Marion where he guided two Peach Belt Conference award-winning athletes, Brandon Parker (co-player of the year) and Kailex Stephens (co -freshman of the year).

Coach Johnson is a native of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, graduated from Charleston Southern with a degree in business management, and is now back on his undergraduate home court to help coach Nimley and the men’s basketball program to participate in the competition this coming season.

Saah Nimley – Charleston Southern Head Coach: “We are excited to add Trey Johnson as an assistant coach. Trey brings an edge on the recruiting trail, a history of player development and has been directly involved in orchestrating some very good attacks at both Division One and Division Two levels. Trey has a deep passion for CSU as a basketball alumnus, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome him back to Charleston.

Nate Louis – Another Buccaneer graduate is on Coach Nimley’s coaching list. Coach Louis is entering his fifth season, second as an assistant, on the Charleston Southern staff, but his tenure at CSU began in 2018 when he was a member of the basketball team for two seasons. A successful shooting threat himself, Coach Louis ranked in the top five in three-point making percentage as a CSU student-athlete. In 2020-2021, Louis joined the team as a Video Coordinator, which assisted the program with numerous operations and scouting efforts.

Saah Nimley – Charleston Southern Head Coach: “We are thrilled to have retained Nate Louis as an assistant coach. Nate is someone who wears many hats and moves our program forward. He builds a lot of relationships and does a great job developing our guys as men and basketball players. He has a bright future ahead of him thanks to his work ethic and knowledge of the game. Being a basketball veteran is something he takes very seriously, and we see it in his daily work. We are excited about what he will continue to bring to our program in the years to come. »

Eric Wagenlander – Wagenlander returns to CSU after a six-year absence. Coach Wagenlander serves as Coach Nimley’s Director of Basketball Operations and assists on the coaching side. Wagenlander brings to this CSU staff years of experience from institutions such as James Madison, Virginia Tech and, most recently, North Alabama, where he served as director of player development. He initially served at CSU during the 2017-2018 season as video coordinator.

Wagenlander was a four-year hoops letterman at Wofford University. He won back-to-back Southern Conference titles (2014 and 2015) and was team captain during his senior campaign as a Terrier.

Saah Nimley – Charleston Southern Head Coach: “We are grateful to add Eric Wagenlander as Assistant Coach/Director of Basketball Operations. Eric is a very experienced guy who has experience at many different levels in premier league basketball. He has a great ability to communicate with guys, has an incredible work ethic and will be great at developing our perimeter players. We are happy to have Eric with us.

Additionally, Coach Nimley added: Johnny Anderson, Jamal Edmonson and Michael Ervin to the staff as graduate assistant coaches.