John Heinen began his law enforcement career in 1989 as a patrolman for the Clarke County Police Department in Athens, Georgia.  He was employed as a Special Agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with over 25 years of creditable service.  During that time, John worked in various assignments to include the GBI Training Unit, the GBI Special Response Team/State of Georgia SWAT Team, and the Thomasville, Kingsland, Douglas and Athens Regional Field Offices.  He served as a member of the Investigative Division Command Staff at GBI Headquarters with responsibilities over several regional offices and special investigative units until his retirement in 2014.  He joined the Georgia Lottery Corporation immediately after his GBI retirement.

John served as Past President of the National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies.   He also teaches college level criminal justice classes and provides leadership presentations to community and professional organizations.  As a certified senior instructor, he continues to train peace officers in a variety of topics.

John received his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Studies from the University of Georgia.  He earned his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and attended the 230th Session of the FBI National Academy.  John is married to his wife Allison and spends all of his free time unsuccessfully trying to keep pace with his 15 year old twin daughters, Hailey and Hannah.

[email protected] 

@GeorgiaLottery

Teri Morrison has been in education as a coach, teacher and athletic Director for 35 years and a head women’s basketball coach for 29 years. She retired from High School Coaching in Texas in 2018 and moved to Santa Fe New Mexico.

Following retirement, Teri decided to help coach the Varsity team at Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, work the nike EYBL circuit, and direct the Blue Star ’30 elite camps. She started her career at Arlington Martin as a JV basketball and Head Track coach and spent 6 years with Arlington Martin. From Arlington Martin she became the Head Girls Basketball coach and women’s coordinator at Ralph H. Poteet High School for 16 years. Following Poteet she spent two years at Royce City High School as the Head girls basketball and Women’s Athletic Director. Following Royce City she spent two years at Waco Midway as the Head Girls basketball Coach. For the last nine years she has been the Head coach and Women’s Coordinator at Carroll Senior High School. Her Varsity win/loss record is 678 wins and 293 losses. Teri has made consecutive state play-off appearances from 1993-2016, regional tournament appearances in 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2009, and State Tournament Champion in 2009. She has been the District Coach of the year in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. In 2009 She led Waco Midway to the 4A state Championship. In 2008 and 2009 the Midway teams reached National ranking status. In 2012, The Carroll team reached has high as #12 in the nation. Teri is involved in player development and a skill clinician; as a skills coach for Nike skills academies, EYBL (Early Youth Basketball League), Nike Girls National tournament gym director, EYBL Nike girls clinician coach, clinic speaker for Texas Girls Coaches Association and Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, and gym director for Baylor Women’s Basketball and Southern Methodist University summer camps. She was selected as Budget Rental Car National coach of the year in 1994, WBCA District 6 Coach of the year in 2010, Head Coach of the WBCA All-American Red team at the 2010 women’s final four, assistant coach in the McDonald’s All-American game in 2011, and served as the U16 USA court coach in 2014, and Inducted into Midway High School Hall of Honor in 2017. Teri is instrumental in working with, supporting, and team skill development for summer youth/grassroots programs; Southlake Basketball, Cy-Fair Nike, Southwest Sports Alliance Skill Academies, and Blue star skill clinics “I have had a blessed career. The wins and honors are secondary to the life long relationships I have gained in the landscape of coaching and teaching. My personal “State Championship” is reflected in the players that have become teachers, coaches, doctors, politicians, lawyers, and wonderful moms. I believe you cant judge a coach at the end of a season but, after 10 years and see what the team members have become.”

[email protected]

@1TMorrison

In his 40th year as head coach of Waterloo West High School and 43rd year overall as a head coach.  As a prep athlete, he played on Mason City High School basketball and baseball teams that participated in five state tournaments while winning two state championships.  He achieved All-State and Honorable Mention All-American status while playing at Mason City High School.  He has won numerous Coach of the Year Awards, including:  being named the National Federation of High School's National Girl's Basketball Coach of the Year in 2015.  He was the recipient of the Morgan Wooten Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed by the Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame in April, 2016.  In addition, he was awarded the Golden Plaque of Distinction by the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union in March, 2016--the highest coaching award given by the IGHSAU. He was inducted into the Iowa Girls Coaches Association's State Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005. He was a Finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association National Coach of The Year award in 2017. He is the only Iowa coach to be selected to coach in both the McDonald's High School All-American game and the WBCA All-American game--both televised by ESPN.  Dr. Pappas has coached numerous Division I recruits and has taken several Wahawk teams to the Iowa Girls State Basketball Tournament.

Coaching Record:  570-371

State Tournaments:  7 State Tournament Berths--including 6 Final Four appearances

[email protected]

@WahawkSports

@WaterlooWest

Michael Vincent Palmer is a native of Oconee County Georgia and presently resides with his wife, Jennifer, and daughters, Mary Grace, Madeline Kate, and son Noah Anderson in Bogart, Georgia.  2020 marks the 15th year for Coach Palmer as CEO of MVP School of Sports. Coach Palmer graduated from Piedmont College, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Educational Studies.  He also holds an Associate’s Degree from North Georgia University in Sports Management.  He is a Basketball Coach with over 25 years’ experience coaching in Northeast Georgia. Coach Palmer specializes in defense and transition as well as other essential fundamentals of the game. He is the founder and President of Northeast Georgia Feeder League (NEGFL) as well as MVP School of Basketball Camps for both boys and girls. Coach Palmer also founded the Atlanta Cagers East Travel Basketball Program, MVP Youth Football League and L.E.A.P. Basketball Academy as well as the Drew League and Training for Try-outs.  He just completed his 15th season as PACS middle school girls coach with a 23-1 season.  He served 2 years as an assistant varsity basketball coach at Prince.  Also served 4 seasons as varsity soccer coach and going into his 6th season as PACS Varsity XC coach.  2014-2016 the PACS Girls Middle School program went 59-0 over a 3 year period.  Coach Palmer led the middle school program to the first Athens Area Middle School League Championship in 2007 as well as back-to-back-to-back championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015.  He is also officiated varsity football for GHSA for almost 20 years as well as varsity basketball for 7 years.  Coach Palmer graduated from Oconee County High School in 1996.

@MVPSOS

mvpschoolofsports.com

[email protected] 

James Deakyne is a happy husband and proud father to an amazing son. He graduated from Heritage Academy, Mesa in 2013. After graduation, he went on to be the boys’ varsity basketball assistant coach, and the junior varsity head coach for the 2013-2014 school season. In 2014-2015 Coach Deakyne was the boys’ varsity basketball head coach at South Pointe HS, where they won the state championship against powerhouse program Westwind Prep and Coach Deakyne was awarded the Canyon Athletic Association Division III Coach of the Year Award. During this time he also trained and privately coached a number of basketball players from the high school to NCAA Division 1 level.

From 2015 to 2019 Coach Deakyne served in the United State Marine Corps. As an infantry rifleman, he served with the Blackhearts of Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. There he spent time as a Fire Team Leader, Assistant Rifle Squad Leader, and Team Small Unit Leader Course Instructor. In 2018 Coach Deakyne was promoted as a Non-Commissioned Officer. He did two deployments to South East Asia on the 31st MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit).

2019-2020

- Head Coach at Heritage Academy in Maricopa, AZ

- State champion runner ups

- Led all of HS basketball in ppg

- Broke AZ record for 3PM in a single game (22)

- Team comprised of all Sophomores and Freshmen

- School's first year in existence

[email protected] 

@DeakyneJames

Founder of the #GBetBBChat

-Founder of Get Better Basketball

-Basketball coach, football coach, and player development specialist for 17 years

-Former college football player

-2013 CAL Coach of the Year, basketball

-2013 Salem News Coach of the Year, basketball

-2017 Salem New Coach of the Year, basketball

-2017 Massachusetts Boston Globe All-Scholastic Coach of the Year, basketball

-Also coached HS football with a 2012 State Championship Appearance

-Received my doctorate from Northeastern University in 2016

-Stepped away from team coaching in 2017 to raise my children and work as a school administrator

-Started the #GBetBBChat in 2019 and we are on our 67th straight week with our weekly Twitter Coaches Chat

-Started #GBetBBLive WebCast on YouTube in 2020

-Weekly FOCUSED Series for basketball coaches on Twitter and YouTube

-Presented Get Better Basketball Coaches Clinics

-Presenting at the Virtual Coaches Clinic next week

[email protected]

@Coach_DeMarco

The Lake Oconee Academy Lady Titan coaching staff have put together a "Quarantine Off-Season" Challenge to motivate their players to be accountable and responsible for their workouts. We feel that by providing our players a fun and organized workout challenge, they will develop a sense of pride and dedication regarding their individual improvement during this time of isolation and separation. 

Coach Kevin Furtado

[email protected]

@Kevinfurtado

 Coach Jaryt Hunziker: Head Girls Basketball Coach at Boonville High School

He just concluded his 8th season of coaching the Boonville Lady Pirates where his team ended the 2018-19 season at 21-4. Over the last 7 seasons they have won 5 Conference Championships, 4 District Titles, made 2 Quarterfinal appearances which included a 3rd Place finish in Class 3 in 2015 (30-1). Overall record at Boonville is 171-47.  Overall I have accumulated over 270+ wins during that time.

This season they went 22-4 and made it the District 4 Finals

Coach Grant Berendt: Head Girls Basketball coach Mt. Vernon HS, Mt. Vernon, MO

3-Time Defending District Champions

100+ Career Wins in Missouri

Coach Berendt has been the Head Coach of the Neosho Lady Wildcats for four seasons 2013-2017 compiling a 61-42 record. Prior to Neosho, Mr. Berendt served four years as an Assistant Coach in the Jefferson City Helias Lady Crusader Basketball program and five years as an Assistant in the Jefferson City Lady Jays Basketball Program.

Coach Greg Buescher: Head Boys Basketball Coach LaPlata HS, LaPlata, MO

Buescher just wrapped up his 30th season of coaching boys basketball. In 2010, he led an undefeated Sturgeon team to the state championship with an undefeated 32-0 record, was named the KRES Coach of the Year, MBCA Class 2 Boys Coach of the Year and National Federation High School Coach of the Year for the state of Missouri. Buescher also previously coached at Moberly, Clark County, Glasgow and Trenton in Missouri. He has amassed 500+ wins in his career and has amassed 9 conference titles.

Played at Tift Co. High School for his father, Gene Willis.

He graduated from Flagler Palm Coast HS in Bunnell Fl.

He received his BS degree in Education from UCF and was mentored by Torchy Clark from Xavier HS in Appleton, Wisconsin.  Coach Clark was the first head basketball coach at UCF.

During college Willis coached with Dennis Cox at Lake Highland HS in Orlando Fl.  Dennis later won a National D2 championship at Clayton State University.

After College Willis was asst boys basketball coach at Tift Co HS with Tommy Blackshear.  The Tift boys program has won 3 state championships in Georgia's highest classification.

Coach Willis went into private business for 15 years then back into coaching in 2009 with Julie Conner at Tift Co HS in the girls program.  The Lady Devils have enjoyed 11 straight state playoff appearances.

Willis became the head coach at North Oconee HS outside of Athens Ga in 2015 and has enjoyed a region championship, a region runner up,  4 state playoff appearances including 2 sweet 16's and an Elite 8.

Coach Willis also coaches tennis and was the Ga. Tennis coach of the year in 2018.

[email protected] 

@LadyTitansBall

PROUD FATHER; Athletic Director / Boys Basketball / Baseball Coach at Payson-Seymour (IL)...IHSA Football, Basketball & MSHSAA Football Official

Grew up in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan, where I played for my father at Caledonia High School. 

Started as a head coach immediately after College playing career ended...and thought that I was ready for the big time because I knew the game. Threw myself right into the fire and had to take my lumps!

15 Seasons as a Head Basketball Coach

  - 256 wins overall (.650 overall win %)

After 5 seasons at 3 schools, I knew I had to find my identity and a style that was mine if I really wanted to succeed. 

Hired as the head coach at Payson-Seymour, where I’ve been the coach for 10 Seasons and counting! 

Payson-Seymour HS in Payson, IL (on the Mississippi River just minutes south of Quincy, IL)

  - 217-75 Record at Payson (.743 win %)

  - 3 Regional Championships

  - Programs first-ever Sectional Championship

  - Elite 8 Qualifier (Programs first State Appearance)

  - State Ranked 6 of last 7 seasons

  - Currently holding 7-Straight Conference Championships

  - Have helped develop and send 11 players on to play College basketball in the last 8 years

  - 8 wins from being all-time wins leader in program coaching history

  - Multiple COY honors

  - Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Board Member

 @coachbrea 

 @paysonathletics