Mike Schwartz Basketball LLC

Michael Schwartz
Head Coach Read more Read less
Michael Schwartz enters his third season as head coach of the East Carolina men’s basketball program after being appointed the 24th head coach in program history on March 16, 2022.

Schwartz led the Pirates to their most wins in conference play as a member of the American Athletic Conference with seven league victories in his second season and the Pirates won three consecutive AAC contests for the first time since joining the league. ECU also recorded a win the AAC Men’s Basketball Championship in consecutive seasons for the first time with the Pirates’ 84-79 win over Tulsa in the second round. RJ Felton was named to the AAC All-Conference Third Team and NABC All-District 24 Second Team after enjoying a career year in multiple statistical categories including his 17.3 points per game and six rebounds per contest. Under Schwartz’s tutelage, Felton also became the first Pirate to record back-to-back 30 point games since Blue Edwards in 1989 and he became the 34th player in program history to record 1,000 career points. The Pirates finished the campaign top five in scoring defense in the American, allowing 70.3 points per game, were one of the league’s best ball clubs in recording steals, tallying the third-most in the conference at 7.8 per game and finished fourth in turnover margin.

In Schwartz’s first season at the helm, the Pirates posted a 16-17 overall record and a 6-12 mark in conference play. The 16 wins were the most for the Pirate program in nearly a decade (2013-14) and the six conference victories tied for the most since the Pirates joined the American prior to the start of the 2014-15 season. ECU defeated South Florida 73-58 in the first round of the AAC tournament to win its first game in the tournament since 2017. Under Schwartz’s guidance, Ezra Ausar led all AAC freshmen in field goal percentage at 56 percent (5th best in AAC) to become the first Pirate freshman since 2019 to be unanimously selected to the All-AAC Freshman Team. The Pirates were also one of the league’s top offensive rebounding clubs at 12.2 per game and in rebounding margin at +2.1, led by Brandon Johnson’s 8.1 rebounds and 10 double-doubles.

Considered one of the most versatile and well-rounded assistant coaches in college basketball, Schwartz spent the last seven seasons on staff at the University of Tennessee – including four as the associate head coach. In the fall of 2019, Schwartz earned feature placement on The Athletic’s list of the nation’s top-25 up-and-coming college basketball coaches.

Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes has entrusted Schwartz with the role of defensive coordinator for each of the last five seasons, a move that has yielded extraordinary results, as the Vols own a 118-45 record dating to the start of the 2017-18 campaign. During the 2020-21 season, Tennessee posted the nation’s fourth-best defensive efficiency rating, per KenPom.com—its second top-10 finish in four years. Additionally, Schwartz’s schemes resulted in the Vols leading the Southeastern Conference in scoring defense in 2018 (65.7), 2021 (63.5) and 2022 (62.8)

Schwartz’s leadership was instrumental in helping guide the Big Orange to the 2022 SEC Tournament title, 2018 regular-season SEC Championship, an appearance in the 2018 SEC Tournament Championship Game and a No. 3 seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament where the Vols advanced to the second round.

Tennessee’s defensive statistics during that 2017-18 season stood among the top programs nationally. The Vols led the SEC in scoring defense and ranked sixth nationally in KenPom’s defensive efficiency ratings.

There was no drop-off in 2018-19. Tennessee led the SEC in field-goal percentage defense (.393) and blocks per game (5.4). The team’s 199 total blocks stood as a school record. The Vols held 17 opponents to fewer than 70 points and eight opponents to fewer than 60. And three Vols who benefited from Schwartz’s tutelage were selected in the 2019 NBA Draft.

For four consecutive weeks—amid a school-record 19-game win streak—Tennessee stood atop the Associated Press Top 25 rankings. During that span, McDonald’s All-American Josiah-Jordan James signed with UT, validating Schwartz’s years of tireless effort as the elite guard’s primary recruiter.

The Vols earned a No. 2 seed for the 2019 NCAA Tournament, advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and finished the season ranked fifth in the coaches’ poll.

In 2019-20, Schwartz’s defensive schemes saw UT lead the SEC in blocks while ranking second in scoring defense during league play. Junior forward Yves Pons, another standout recruited by Schwartz, was named the 2020 SEC Defensive Player of the Year—the first Tennessee player ever to win the award.

Tennessee finished the 2020-21 season with the nation’s fourth-rated defensive efficiency, per KenPom, while ranking 13th nationally in defensive turnover percentage—forcing turnovers on 22.8 percent of its opponents’ possessions.

Schwartz has handled the scouting duties for numerous wins over the past five seasons, including triumphs over No. 3 Auburn, No. 15 Kansas and No. 18 Purdue, four wins over Kentucky (two on the road), a pair victories vs. Georgia Tech and a win against Wright State in the NCAA Tournament.

An outstanding scout and floor coach, Schwartz played a key role in the development of Tennessee’s 2016-17 freshman class, which was responsible for 44 percent of the team’s scoring that season and finished the year as the highest-scoring crop of freshmen in program history (1,040 points). Forward Grant Williams anchored that class and developed into a two-time SEC Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American and a first-round NBA Draft pick.

Schwartz spent the 2015-16 season as an assistant coach, offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Tulsa, helping the Golden Hurricane advance to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to that, he spent four seasons as the lead assistant under Rodney Terry (another former Barnes assistant) at Fresno State, including one year as associate head coach.

Shouldering responsibility for Fresno’s in-game coordination, recruiting, scouting and skill development, Schwartz helped guide the Bulldogs to their first 20-win season and postseason appearance in seven years—the finals of the College Basketball Invitational—in 2013-14. That same year, Paul Watson was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year and selected to the Kyle Macy Freshman All-American Team.

Fresno State produced an NBA guard during Schwartz’s time on staff there, as Tyler Johnson (2011-14) spent four seasons with the Miami Heat. During Johnson’s three seasons with Schwartz on staff at FSU, his scoring average, field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage all improved each year.

Schwartz also helped spearhead the assembly of some of Fresno State’s highest-rated recruiting classes. The Bulldogs beat out several Pac 12 schools to sign shooting guard Marvelle Harris, who in 2016 became Fresno’s all-time leading scorer and the Mountain West Player of the Year as well as earning AP All-American acclaim.

No stranger to the Southeast and East Coast, Schwartz spent six years on staff at Miami (Fla.) in the Atlantic Coast Conference—the first two as coordinator of basketball operations and the final four as a full-time assistant coach.

As an assistant in Coral Gables, Schwartz helped lead the Hurricanes to an 83-52 record, appearances in the Top 25 rankings and three postseason appearances in four years. His impact was immense during Miami’s historic 2007-08 campaign, which included the second-most wins in school history (23), a school-record 14 home wins and a program-best fifth-place finish in the ACC.

Miami earned a No. 7 seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and defeated St. Mary’s before falling to Barnes’ No. 2-seeded Texas squad in the second round.

In Schwartz’s operations role at Miami, he handled video responsibilities, film breakdown, opponent scouting, oversight of recruiting mailings and served as a liaison with the program’s managerial staff.

Schwartz’s tenure in southern Florida was preceded by a one-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio, a position he attained after working as Barnes’ video coordinator at Texas for two seasons.

While working in a full-time capacity alongside Barnes at Texas, Schwartz was a part of a Longhorns program that posted a two-year record of 51-15, produced a pair NBA Draft picks (guards T.J. Ford and Royal Ivey) and advanced to the 2003 Final Four and the 2004 Sweet Sixteen.

Following his prep career at Beverly Hills High School, Schwartz played two seasons of college basketball at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California. He then transferred to Texas where he concluded his playing career and was a member of Barnes’ 1999 Big 12 championship team. After Schwartz earned his degree in speech communication studies from Texas in 1999, Barnes appointed Schwartz to a graduate assistant position, which he held from 1999-2001.

Schwartz also boasts valuable experience with USA Basketball, having served in a support capacity for the 2000 USA Youth Development Festival, the 2000 USA National Select Team—coached by Mike Jarvis and Bob Huggins and featuring future NBA stars Shane Battier and Jason Richardson—and the 2001 Young Men’s World Championship Trials.

The Schwartz File
Full Name: Michael Leon Schwartz
Born: Sept. 25, 1976, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Alma Mater: Texas, ’99
High School: Beverly Hills High School
Wife: Stephanie
Children: Sydney and Samantha

Coaching Experience
2022-present: East Carolina, head coach
2019-21: Tennessee, associate head coach
2016-19: Tennessee, assistant coach
2015-16: Tulsa, assistant coach
2014-15: Fresno State, associate head coach
2011-14: Fresno State, assistant coach
2007-11: Miami (Fla.), assistant coach
2005-07: Miami (Fla.), coordinator of basketball operations
2004-05: Texas-San Antonio, assistant coach
2002-04: Texas, video coordinator
2001-02: Long Beach State, operations/video assistant
1999-2001: Texas, graduate assistant

Mike Schwartz Basketball Camps, hosted on the beautiful campus of East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, offer a premier basketball experience for aspiring athletes. Under the expert guidance of the Pirates coaching staff, participants are immersed in an environment that emphasizes skill development, teamwork, and a deep love for the game. These camps provide a unique opportunity to train in state-of-the-art facilities while learning from some of the best coaches in collegiate basketball. Whether you’re looking to refine your techniques, enhance your understanding, or simply enjoy the camaraderie of fellow basketball enthusiasts, Mike Schwartz Basketball Camps promise a rewarding and unforgettable experience.

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Michael Schwartz
Head Coach Read more Read less
Michael Schwartz enters his third season as head coach of the East Carolina men’s basketball program after being appointed the 24th head coach in program history on March 16, 2022.

Schwartz led the Pirates to their most wins in conference play as a member of the American Athletic Conference with seven league victories in his second season and the Pirates won three consecutive AAC contests for the first time since joining the league. ECU also recorded a win the AAC Men’s Basketball Championship in consecutive seasons for the first time with the Pirates’ 84-79 win over Tulsa in the second round. RJ Felton was named to the AAC All-Conference Third Team and NABC All-District 24 Second Team after enjoying a career year in multiple statistical categories including his 17.3 points per game and six rebounds per contest. Under Schwartz’s tutelage, Felton also became the first Pirate to record back-to-back 30 point games since Blue Edwards in 1989 and he became the 34th player in program history to record 1,000 career points. The Pirates finished the campaign top five in scoring defense in the American, allowing 70.3 points per game, were one of the league’s best ball clubs in recording steals, tallying the third-most in the conference at 7.8 per game and finished fourth in turnover margin.

In Schwartz’s first season at the helm, the Pirates posted a 16-17 overall record and a 6-12 mark in conference play. The 16 wins were the most for the Pirate program in nearly a decade (2013-14) and the six conference victories tied for the most since the Pirates joined the American prior to the start of the 2014-15 season. ECU defeated South Florida 73-58 in the first round of the AAC tournament to win its first game in the tournament since 2017. Under Schwartz’s guidance, Ezra Ausar led all AAC freshmen in field goal percentage at 56 percent (5th best in AAC) to become the first Pirate freshman since 2019 to be unanimously selected to the All-AAC Freshman Team. The Pirates were also one of the league’s top offensive rebounding clubs at 12.2 per game and in rebounding margin at +2.1, led by Brandon Johnson’s 8.1 rebounds and 10 double-doubles.

Considered one of the most versatile and well-rounded assistant coaches in college basketball, Schwartz spent the last seven seasons on staff at the University of Tennessee – including four as the associate head coach. In the fall of 2019, Schwartz earned feature placement on The Athletic’s list of the nation’s top-25 up-and-coming college basketball coaches.

Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes has entrusted Schwartz with the role of defensive coordinator for each of the last five seasons, a move that has yielded extraordinary results, as the Vols own a 118-45 record dating to the start of the 2017-18 campaign. During the 2020-21 season, Tennessee posted the nation’s fourth-best defensive efficiency rating, per KenPom.com—its second top-10 finish in four years. Additionally, Schwartz’s schemes resulted in the Vols leading the Southeastern Conference in scoring defense in 2018 (65.7), 2021 (63.5) and 2022 (62.8)

Schwartz’s leadership was instrumental in helping guide the Big Orange to the 2022 SEC Tournament title, 2018 regular-season SEC Championship, an appearance in the 2018 SEC Tournament Championship Game and a No. 3 seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament where the Vols advanced to the second round.

Tennessee’s defensive statistics during that 2017-18 season stood among the top programs nationally. The Vols led the SEC in scoring defense and ranked sixth nationally in KenPom’s defensive efficiency ratings.

There was no drop-off in 2018-19. Tennessee led the SEC in field-goal percentage defense (.393) and blocks per game (5.4). The team’s 199 total blocks stood as a school record. The Vols held 17 opponents to fewer than 70 points and eight opponents to fewer than 60. And three Vols who benefited from Schwartz’s tutelage were selected in the 2019 NBA Draft.

For four consecutive weeks—amid a school-record 19-game win streak—Tennessee stood atop the Associated Press Top 25 rankings. During that span, McDonald’s All-American Josiah-Jordan James signed with UT, validating Schwartz’s years of tireless effort as the elite guard’s primary recruiter.

The Vols earned a No. 2 seed for the 2019 NCAA Tournament, advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and finished the season ranked fifth in the coaches’ poll.

In 2019-20, Schwartz’s defensive schemes saw UT lead the SEC in blocks while ranking second in scoring defense during league play. Junior forward Yves Pons, another standout recruited by Schwartz, was named the 2020 SEC Defensive Player of the Year—the first Tennessee player ever to win the award.

Tennessee finished the 2020-21 season with the nation’s fourth-rated defensive efficiency, per KenPom, while ranking 13th nationally in defensive turnover percentage—forcing turnovers on 22.8 percent of its opponents’ possessions.

Schwartz has handled the scouting duties for numerous wins over the past five seasons, including triumphs over No. 3 Auburn, No. 15 Kansas and No. 18 Purdue, four wins over Kentucky (two on the road), a pair victories vs. Georgia Tech and a win against Wright State in the NCAA Tournament.

An outstanding scout and floor coach, Schwartz played a key role in the development of Tennessee’s 2016-17 freshman class, which was responsible for 44 percent of the team’s scoring that season and finished the year as the highest-scoring crop of freshmen in program history (1,040 points). Forward Grant Williams anchored that class and developed into a two-time SEC Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American and a first-round NBA Draft pick.

Schwartz spent the 2015-16 season as an assistant coach, offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Tulsa, helping the Golden Hurricane advance to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to that, he spent four seasons as the lead assistant under Rodney Terry (another former Barnes assistant) at Fresno State, including one year as associate head coach.

Shouldering responsibility for Fresno’s in-game coordination, recruiting, scouting and skill development, Schwartz helped guide the Bulldogs to their first 20-win season and postseason appearance in seven years—the finals of the College Basketball Invitational—in 2013-14. That same year, Paul Watson was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year and selected to the Kyle Macy Freshman All-American Team.

Fresno State produced an NBA guard during Schwartz’s time on staff there, as Tyler Johnson (2011-14) spent four seasons with the Miami Heat. During Johnson’s three seasons with Schwartz on staff at FSU, his scoring average, field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage all improved each year.

Schwartz also helped spearhead the assembly of some of Fresno State’s highest-rated recruiting classes. The Bulldogs beat out several Pac 12 schools to sign shooting guard Marvelle Harris, who in 2016 became Fresno’s all-time leading scorer and the Mountain West Player of the Year as well as earning AP All-American acclaim.

No stranger to the Southeast and East Coast, Schwartz spent six years on staff at Miami (Fla.) in the Atlantic Coast Conference—the first two as coordinator of basketball operations and the final four as a full-time assistant coach.

As an assistant in Coral Gables, Schwartz helped lead the Hurricanes to an 83-52 record, appearances in the Top 25 rankings and three postseason appearances in four years. His impact was immense during Miami’s historic 2007-08 campaign, which included the second-most wins in school history (23), a school-record 14 home wins and a program-best fifth-place finish in the ACC.

Miami earned a No. 7 seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and defeated St. Mary’s before falling to Barnes’ No. 2-seeded Texas squad in the second round.

In Schwartz’s operations role at Miami, he handled video responsibilities, film breakdown, opponent scouting, oversight of recruiting mailings and served as a liaison with the program’s managerial staff.

Schwartz’s tenure in southern Florida was preceded by a one-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio, a position he attained after working as Barnes’ video coordinator at Texas for two seasons.

While working in a full-time capacity alongside Barnes at Texas, Schwartz was a part of a Longhorns program that posted a two-year record of 51-15, produced a pair NBA Draft picks (guards T.J. Ford and Royal Ivey) and advanced to the 2003 Final Four and the 2004 Sweet Sixteen.

Following his prep career at Beverly Hills High School, Schwartz played two seasons of college basketball at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California. He then transferred to Texas where he concluded his playing career and was a member of Barnes’ 1999 Big 12 championship team. After Schwartz earned his degree in speech communication studies from Texas in 1999, Barnes appointed Schwartz to a graduate assistant position, which he held from 1999-2001.

Schwartz also boasts valuable experience with USA Basketball, having served in a support capacity for the 2000 USA Youth Development Festival, the 2000 USA National Select Team—coached by Mike Jarvis and Bob Huggins and featuring future NBA stars Shane Battier and Jason Richardson—and the 2001 Young Men’s World Championship Trials.

The Schwartz File
Full Name: Michael Leon Schwartz
Born: Sept. 25, 1976, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Alma Mater: Texas, ’99
High School: Beverly Hills High School
Wife: Stephanie
Children: Sydney and Samantha

Coaching Experience
2022-present: East Carolina, head coach
2019-21: Tennessee, associate head coach
2016-19: Tennessee, assistant coach
2015-16: Tulsa, assistant coach
2014-15: Fresno State, associate head coach
2011-14: Fresno State, assistant coach
2007-11: Miami (Fla.), assistant coach
2005-07: Miami (Fla.), coordinator of basketball operations
2004-05: Texas-San Antonio, assistant coach
2002-04: Texas, video coordinator
2001-02: Long Beach State, operations/video assistant
1999-2001: Texas, graduate assistant

Jake Morton
Assistant Coach Read more Read less

Jake Morton was hired as an assistant coach for the East Carolina men’s basketball program in April of 2022.

Morton arrives in Greenville after helping the 2021-22 Jacksonville State squad to a 21-11 record, Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecock coaching staff has averaged 20 wins per year since arriving in Jacksonville and has twice broken the record for the program’s Division I single-season wins mark. Over the past five seasons, Jacksonville State has tallied 98 wins and appeared in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament each year. JSU is one of only three programs to qualify for the league’s postseason in each of the last five seasons.

Morton helped guide the Gamecocks to a program-best 24 victories in 2018-19, breaking Jacksonville State’s single-season wins total for a second year in a row. It marked the first time the program logged three-straight seasons with 20 or more wins since joining the Division I ranks. In addition, the 2018-19 season set a record-low for losses. Prior to the campaign, a JSU team had never finished a year with single digits in the loss column.

In 2017-18, Jacksonville State scored a then-record 23 wins with Morton’s guidance. The Gamecocks qualified for their second national postseason tournament with a berth in the College Basketball Invitational. JSU claimed wins over Canisius and Central Arkansas in the first and quarterfinal rounds, respectively, on the way to its first ever wins in a major postseason tournament.

Morton’s first season at Jacksonville State saw the program earn its first Division I title, first appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first 20-win season since 2003. After getting picked last in the OVC Preseason Poll, the Gamecocks rattled off consecutive wins over Southeast Missouri, Belmont and UT Martin as the No. 4 seed to win the tournament title. JSU proceeded to play Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Morton spent the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons on the sidelines at Coppin State under head coach Michael Grant. The Eagles ranked among the national leaders in three-point field goal percentage, turnovers forced and offensive rebounding.

From Baltimore, Morton went to Western Kentucky for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, helping take both of those Hilltopper teams to the NCAA Tournament.

Morton was at his alma mater in Coral Gables from 2008-11 when he helped the Hurricanes to three 20-win seasons and three postseason berths – including a win in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

Before returning to Miami, Morton worked three seasons as an assistant coach at James Madison under head coach Dean Keener from 2005-07. Prior to joining the JMU staff, Morton was an assistant coach at St. Francis (Pa.) from 2001-04 and spent the 1999-2000 campaign at Division II Bowie State.

Morton’s coaching career began in New York, where he served as a counselor and coach at the Five-Star Basketball Camp, which included future collegiate and NBA stars such as Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul.

Morton graduated from Miami in 1993 with a degree in general studies.

Riley Davis
Assistant Coach Read more Read less

Riley Davis was named an assistant coach for the East Carolina men’s basketball program in April of 2022.

Davis has spent the last four seasons at UT Arlington where he was promoted to assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator in April of 2021.

In his first season with the Mavericks in 2018-19, Davis played an integral role in guiding a UTA team predicted to finish second to last in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Poll to a second-place finish in the regular-season standings and a berth in the Sun Belt Tournament Final for the second-straight year.

In 2019-20, he helped the Mavericks finish in the top 40 nationally in four key statistical categories: assist-to-turnover ratio (16th, 1.3), three-point percentage defense (20th, 29.6), fewest turnovers per game (29th, 11.2) and assists per game (35th, 14.9). The 29.6 percent rate for opponents from the three-point line set a single-season program record for defensive performance by the Mavs – bettering the mark set in 2018-19 of 29.8.

In 2020-21 behind Davis, UT Arlington once again wrapped up a year in the top 40 in the country in the following categories: blocks per game (21st, 4.8), steals per game (24th, 8.3), turnover margin (33rd, +2.8) and three-point field goals made per contest (37th, 9.0).

Davis served as the video coordinator and director of player development at Tennessee for two seasons before coming to UTA in April of 2018. Prior to his stint at Tennessee, Davis served in numerous collegiate coaching roles – primarily at Texas – while gaining experience in the NBA scouting ranks.

Davis’ seven total years at Texas were split into two separate stints: the first consisting of two years as a volunteer student assistant (2009-11) and the other one year as a graduate assistant (2011-12). In those roles, he assisted in film exchange as well as all aspects of video coordination and internal operations.

After leaving Austin in 2012, Davis spent the 2012-13 season as an assistant coach at Sam Houston State. He then served for one year as a regional advance scout for the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats (now the Charlotte Hornets) in 2013-14. Davis returned to the Texas staff in 2014-15 in the full-time role of special assistant/video coordinator before embarking to Tennessee along with head coach Rick Barnes.

Davis earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Texas in 2011.

Reggie Williams
Assistant Coach Read more Read less

Reggie Williams is entering his second season with the Pirates and his first as assistant coach after being elevated to the position on July 12, 2023. Williams previously served as the Director of Player Personnel for the men’s basketball team in his first year with ECU after arriving in Greenville in September 2022.

Williams holds a decorated 11-year professional basketball career which included tenures with the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans. The Prince George, Va., native most recently served as the head coach of Team Loaded VA’s 16U AAU squad, competing on the nationally renowned Adidas 3SSB Circuit.

Prior to the 2009-10 season, Williams was drafted by the National Basketball Association G-League Sioux Falls Skyforce and averaged a league-high 26.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, earning G-League First-Team honors and a spot on the G-League All-Star Team.

On March 2, 2010, Williams signed with the Golden State Warriors and averaged 15.2 points on 49.5 percent shooting from the field to finish the 2010 season, becoming the second player from VMI to make it to the NBA. After playing two seasons with the Warriors, Williams signed a two-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets under the leadership of Owner/CEO Michael Jordan. Williams played additional seasons for the New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 7.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game during his seven NBA seasons. Williams played under legendary NBA Coaches Don Nelson (Warriors) and Greg Popovich (Spurs). During his career, Williams was teammates with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, amongst others.

Williams played collegiately at the Virginia Military Institute where he led the NCAA in scoring for two straight seasons, becoming one of nine players in NCAA Division I history to do so – joining “Pistol” Pete Maravich and Oscar Robertson. Williams finished his collegiate career as the all-time leading scorer in VMI, Big South Conference and Virginia state Division I history with 2,556 points, while ranking fourth all time in VMI history in rebounds (820), fourth in three-point field goals made (196), sixth in assists (368) and sixth in steals (175). In 2010, Williams became the fifth VMI athlete in school history to have his jersey retired.

Williams earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from VMI in 2008.

Josh Giardina
Assistant Coach Read more Read less

Josh Giardina is in his second season in Greenville and his first as assistant coach for the East Carolina men’s basketball program.

Giardina’s most recent stop was on Rick Barnes’ staff at Tennessee as a graduate assistant for the 2021-2022 season. He played a key role in the development of the All-SEC Freshman Zakai Zeigler and All-SEC point guard and SEC Tournament MVP Kennedy Chandler. During the freshman’s outstanding debut season with the Vols in 2021-22. Chandler led UT in scoring (13.9 ppg), assists (4.7 apg) and steals (2.18 spg) while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range.

“We are very fortunate to have Josh with us here at ECU,” Schwartz stated. “He is the ultimate grinder and was one of the first coaches we wanted to be a part of our coaching staff. He made a great impact on our players during our time at Tennessee together and has already done the same here with our team. He is one of the sharpest young coaches in this profession that has great experience with player development, video-editing and scouting.”

Prior to Tennessee, Giardina spent the 2020-21 season as a graduate assistant at Radford University under head coach Mike Jones. Radford was projected to finish fifth in the Big South standings. The 2020-2021 Highlanders incoming recruiting class added 8 new players to the program, 5 of which were freshman. Radford outperformed expectations and turned in a second-place finish with a 12-6 league mark.

The Harrisburg Pennsylvania native is a 2020 graduate of Marymount University (Virginia) with a degree in health science. He was a four-year standout point guard for the Division III Saints and served as captain during his junior and senior campaign. Giardina graduated with Marymount’s highest honor of summa cum laude from the Marymount Honors Program. As a part of the Honors Program degree requirements, he researched the effects of coaching leadership styles on player efficiency for his senior independent-study thesis.

During the summer of 2019 Giardina worked as a recruiting coordinator for the Hoop Group, a grass-roots basketball company that conducts camps, clinics and tournaments. He managed recruitment and administration for highly attended camps at East Stroudsburg University in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. He also coached and assisted with player development throughout those events.

Jesse Higdon
Director of Basketball Operations Read more Read less

Jesse Higdon was named Director of Basketball Operations at East Carolina in April of 2022.

Higdon has served as an arena management assistant for Thompson-Boling Arena at Tennessee since 2016 as both a student then full-time employee, helping with operations for both concerts and sporting events in 21,600-person venue including ticketing, customer service, event preparation, VIP area coordination and event liaison for concert tours.

In addition to her duties with Thompson-Boling Arena, Higdon worked with Tennessee Athletics in ticketing, event management, hospitality and administration. Higdon was a top graduate from the Haslam College of Business, earning her Master of Business Analytics in May 2022.

“There are some people out there who just have the ‘it’ factor,” Schwartz said. “Jesse Higdon is one of them. Her education, experience and infectious personality make us very lucky to have her here at ECU. Her background in athletics administration and analytics will create a very professional atmosphere within our program.”

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Mike Schwartz Basketball Camps at East Carolina University are inclusive and welcome individuals of all backgrounds and skill levels. All our camps are open to the public, and we encourage players who fall within the specified age range to join us. We hope to provide outstanding training and development opportunities.

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Our camps are open to all basketball players, regardless of skill level, age, grade level, or gender. We welcome beginners looking to learn the game as well as advanced players seeking to enhance their skills.

Our camps boast a highly qualified and experienced coaching staff. Instructors include ECU Basketball coaches, and current ECU players. This ensures that participants receive top-notch instruction from experts who are dedicated to fostering the growth and development of young athletes.

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