Zone Defense

The Coach

Kelvin Jefferson

Head Men's Basketball Coach Gannon University

Follow

Kelvin Jefferson was named head coach at Gannon on April 30, 2019. Jefferson is the 19th head coach in program history and enters his second season in 2020-21.

Jefferson brings 25 years of coaching experience with him to Erie, including 12 seasons as a Division I assistant and eight as head coach of the elite prep team at South Kent School in Connecticut.

In his first season, Jefferson built a foundation and guided the Golden Knights to a fifth-place finish in the PSAC West with a 14-13 overall record and 13-9 in the PSAC. Gannon capped the season making its ninth appearance in the PSAC Tournament. The Knights leaned on their defense that finished fourth in the PSAC and held their opponents to 60 points or less in eight games. Gannon proved to be one of the best rebounding teams in the PSAC finishing the season second in rebounding margin. The Knights also ranked third in both free throw percentage and steals in the PSAC in 2019-20.

Jefferson earned his first career win with a 71-62 victory over Millersville and Gannon would later pick up its second straight win after rolling past Alderson Broaddus, 81-74, in the first round of the annual Gary Miller Classic. Gannon almost made it three straight wins in the Gary Miller Classic championship game after the Knights comeback fell short in final seconds to then-ranked No. 11 Ashland, 81-76.

Later in the season, Gannon assembled a five-game win streak, which included a 74-47 road win over rival Edinboro. The Knights capped the hot streak with an 82-76 win on the road over Seton Hill behind a season-high 32 made free throws. The performance marked the most made free throws in a game in program history since the 2010-11 season.

Under the guidance of Jefferson, Gannon earned four PSAC Western Division Athlete of the Week honors and three PSAC Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week accolades. Jefferson also helped produce two All-PSAC selections in 2019-20. DeAnte Cisero and Frank Webb Jr. were both named to the All-PSAC Second Team for the first time in their careers.

Before coming to Gannon, Jefferson spent the three seasons as an assistant at Division I Old Dominion, where he helped the Monarchs go 70-28 over three seasons, capping the run with the 2018-19 Conference USA regular season and tournament title and the program's first NCAA tournament berth since 2011.

Old Dominion improved upon its record and finish in each of the three seasons Jefferson was on its bench, going from 19-12 overall and the Conference USA quarterfinals in 2016-17 to 25-7 overall and the conference semifinals in 2017-18 before last season's championship breakthrough. ODU players earned five all-conference honors during his stay in Norfolk, Virginia, including three first-teamers and the 2018-19 Conference USA Player of the Year in B.J. Stith, who also earned Associated Press honorable mention All-American laurels.

Prior to returning to the college ranks, Jefferson led the South Kent School prep team from 2008 to 2016, leading the Cardinals to an overall record of 131-76. He helped tutor six future NBA players, including 2012 Big East Rookie of the Year Moe Harkless of St. John's, Louisville All-American and national champion Russ Smith, and All-American and 2014 Big Ten Player of the Year Nik Stauskas of Michigan.

In all, over 50 players who came through South Kent during Jefferson's time there signed with a Division I program. He also coached two Connecticut Gatorade Players of the Year in Matt Moyer and Tremont Waters.

Before taking the head coaching job at South Kent, Jefferson served as an assistant at four different Division I programs over a span of nine seasons. In one season at Colgate, he helped the 2007-08 Raiders go 18-14 overall -- tying the program record for single-season wins -- and reach the Patriot League tournament championship game. The two years prior to that were spent as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach at Stony Brook from 2005 to 2007. His 2006-07 recruiting class was ranked 27th in the country by Hoopscooponline.com.

From 2001 to 2005, Jefferson spent his first stint on a staff of current Old Dominion coach Jeff Jones, working with Jones at American. In his first season, Jefferson helped engineer the second-best turnaround season in Division I in 2001-02, as the Eagles improved by 11 wins to finish 18-12 overall and win the Patriot League regular-season championship.

American would return to the top of the conference again two years later, earning the Patriot League regular-season title in 2003-04. In four seasons in Washington, D.C., Jefferson helped the Eagles go 69-50 overall with three trips to the conference tournament championship game. He helped coach seven all-conference performers, including the 2002 Patriot League Player of the Year and AP All-American Patrick Doctor, while players earned a spot on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll 14 times.

Jefferson's first crack at Division I came with two seasons at Vermont. The 1999-00 version of the Catamounts matched a Division I program record with 16 victories and went 11-7 in the America East. His recruiting helped Vermont kick start a sustained run of success that lasts to today, with 20-win seasons in 16 of the past 18 years, as he brought in 2001 America East Rookie of the Year and 2002 Player of the Year T.J. Sorrentine, as well as three-time Player of the Year Taylor Coppenrath.

His coaching experience began as an assistant at a trio of Division III schools. Just before heading to Vermont, Jefferson coached two championship seasons at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, helping the Mariners to Skyline Conference titles and NCAA tournament berths in both 1997-98 and 1998-99.

In one season at Salem State in Salem, Massachusetts, he helped the Vikings win the MASCAC championship and reach the NCAA round of 16 in 1996-97. Jefferson's first coaching job was in 1995-96 at Wesleyan in Connecticut.