Men's Basketball Adds Scott Cherry, Hassan Nizam as Assistant Coaches
7/13/2023 6:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Scott Cherry joins the Chippewas’ staff with 26 years of coaching experience, including nine successful seasons as a head coach at High Point; Detroit native Hassan Nizam spent two years as the head coach at Macomb Community College and guided the Monarchs to the NJCAA Division II national championship game.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—The Central Michigan Men's Basketball program has announced the addition of Scott Cherry and Hassan Nizam as its two new assistant coaches, head coach Tony Barbee announced on Thursday afternoon. Cherry and Nizam join Barbee's coaching staff that also consists of Assistant Coach Chris McMillian, Director of Basketball Operations Steve Smith, and Director of Player Development Chris Reeves.
"We are extremely excited to welcome both Scott and Hassan to our program as we complete our coaching staff," Barbee said. "Scott brings with him a vast coaching background, which includes nine years as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level. His overall experience and reputation as a recruiter and talent evaluator, and national championship pedigree as a player are all things that will benefit our program. With his junior college, AAU ties and local recruiting relationships, Hassan gives us a high-level recruiter in the Detroit area and state of Michigan. He has also experienced high-level success as a head coach. We cannot ask for two better individuals and coaches to join our program and help develop and mentor our student-athletes as people as well as players."
With over 26 years of coaching experience, Cherry joins the CMU basketball program after spending the last two years at Jacksonville University under head coach Jordan Mincy. He also spent nine years (2009-18) as the head coach at High Point, where he guided the Panthers to four consecutive Big South regular season championships from 2013-16 and two Big South North Division titles in 2012-13 and 2013-14. High Point was one of just four programs nationally to win four straight regular season titles during that stretch. Teams that Cherry has either coached or played for have made 13 postseason appearances, including seven NCAA Tournaments, four NIT tournaments, and two CIT appearances. He has also worked at South Carolina (2008-09), Western Kentucky (2007-08), Tennessee Tech (2002-03) and at George Mason in two different stints (1999-02 and 2003-07), including the 2005-06 season, which saw the Patriots advance all the way to the NCAA championship game. To access a full bio on Cherry, click here.
With over 10 years of coaching experience, Nizam spent the last two years as the head coach at Macomb Community College, where he guided the Monarchs to a NJCAA national championship game appearance in 2023, an NJCAA Region XII championship, the program's first MCCAA title, an MCCAA Eastern Conference title, and a combined 53-13 record. Overall, he helped send a total of 12 players to four-year NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II colleges and universities. For his efforts, he was crowned the 2023 NJCAA Region XII Coach of the Year, the 2022 MCCAA Coach of the Year, MCCAA Eastern Conference Coach of the Year, and the Men's Junior College Coach of the Year by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan. Prior to taking over the Macomb CC program, Nizam was a successful high school (Roseville H.S.), AAU coach (The Family), and college assistant (UM-Dearborn). To access a full bio on Nizam, click here.
Cherry and Nizam have begun their new posts at Central Michigan.
"We are extremely excited to welcome both Scott and Hassan to our program as we complete our coaching staff," Barbee said. "Scott brings with him a vast coaching background, which includes nine years as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level. His overall experience and reputation as a recruiter and talent evaluator, and national championship pedigree as a player are all things that will benefit our program. With his junior college, AAU ties and local recruiting relationships, Hassan gives us a high-level recruiter in the Detroit area and state of Michigan. He has also experienced high-level success as a head coach. We cannot ask for two better individuals and coaches to join our program and help develop and mentor our student-athletes as people as well as players."
🔴🟡 @cmumensbball adds @Coach11cherry and @coachniz as assistant coaches!
— CMU Men's Basketball (@CMUMensBBall) July 13, 2023
📰https://t.co/SnNE7MVVNc
🧬Cherry Bio: https://t.co/rT37nfV0xB
🧬Nizam Bio: https://t.co/FAD6E7IWyy#FireUpChips 🔥⬆️🏀 pic.twitter.com/etKckHSKrF
With over 26 years of coaching experience, Cherry joins the CMU basketball program after spending the last two years at Jacksonville University under head coach Jordan Mincy. He also spent nine years (2009-18) as the head coach at High Point, where he guided the Panthers to four consecutive Big South regular season championships from 2013-16 and two Big South North Division titles in 2012-13 and 2013-14. High Point was one of just four programs nationally to win four straight regular season titles during that stretch. Teams that Cherry has either coached or played for have made 13 postseason appearances, including seven NCAA Tournaments, four NIT tournaments, and two CIT appearances. He has also worked at South Carolina (2008-09), Western Kentucky (2007-08), Tennessee Tech (2002-03) and at George Mason in two different stints (1999-02 and 2003-07), including the 2005-06 season, which saw the Patriots advance all the way to the NCAA championship game. To access a full bio on Cherry, click here.
With over 10 years of coaching experience, Nizam spent the last two years as the head coach at Macomb Community College, where he guided the Monarchs to a NJCAA national championship game appearance in 2023, an NJCAA Region XII championship, the program's first MCCAA title, an MCCAA Eastern Conference title, and a combined 53-13 record. Overall, he helped send a total of 12 players to four-year NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II colleges and universities. For his efforts, he was crowned the 2023 NJCAA Region XII Coach of the Year, the 2022 MCCAA Coach of the Year, MCCAA Eastern Conference Coach of the Year, and the Men's Junior College Coach of the Year by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan. Prior to taking over the Macomb CC program, Nizam was a successful high school (Roseville H.S.), AAU coach (The Family), and college assistant (UM-Dearborn). To access a full bio on Nizam, click here.
Cherry and Nizam have begun their new posts at Central Michigan.
—CMU—
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