With Larry Davis retiring Mick Cronin took his time, but he finally made official adjustments to his Men’s Basketball team coaching staff. Congrats to Greg Youncofski and Mark Berger for their promotions.
Also, congrats to T.J. Wolf and JaQuon Parker to their added duties also.
Per GoBearcats
University of Cincinnati men’s basketball head coach Mick Cronin has announced adjustments to his coaching and support staff.
// YOUNCOFSKI NAMED ASSISTANT COACH FOR 2018-19
Greg Youncofski has been promoted to assistant coach for the 2018-19 season. Entering his sixth season with the men’s basketball program, Youncofski previously served as the team’s video, analytics and recruiting coordinator.
Youncofski was named a 2017-18 Under Armour 30-under-30 honoree by the National Association of Coaches (NABC) in May 2018. The award recognizes up-and-coming young coaches in men’s college basketball. He also serves as a member of the board of directors for Rising Coaches Elite, an organization that facilitates learning, growth and networking within the coaching profession.
“Greg has the best work ethic of any young coach I have ever seen,” Cronin said. “Our players have tremendous respect for him and there’s no question he will do a great job. Greg will work hard at recruiting, especially underclassmen, as 2020 will be a big class for us.”
A 2013 graduate of the University of Kansas, Youncofski came to Cincinnati as a program assistant prior to the 2013-14 campaign. He was promoted to video coordinator during the 2016-17 season before taking on the additional analytics and recruiting coordinator responsibility prior to last season.
// BERGER ELEVATED TO ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD COACH
Mark Berger has been promoted permanently to assistant to the head coach. Berger, who has been on Cronin’s staff for the last eight seasons, previously served as the team’s director of basketball operations. A former Bearcats basketball manager, Berger rejoined the program as a project coordinator for the 2009-10 campaign.
“Mark has been a rock for our program and helps me in many ways,” Cronin said. “He will be more involved in the basketball side of things and his experience will help me immensely. Mark knows me and how we win and I look forward to having him assist me in game preparation and self-scouting our team.”
Berger’s resume includes coaching experience with stops at Presbyterian College (assistant coach, 2008-09), Western Texas College (head coach, 2006-07), Wilmington College in Ohio (associate head coach, 2007-08) and Grayson County College in Texas (assistant coach, 2002-04). He was temporarily elevated to an assistant coach for practices and games during the 2014-15 season at Cincinnati when Cronin missed the last 25 games due to health reasons.
// WOLF AND PARKER GAIN ADDED DUTIES
A pair of Cronin’s former players on staff will also take on added roles during the 2018-19 season.
Director of Student-Athlete Development T.J. Wolf and program assistant JaQuon Parker will assist more with video coordinator and analytics duties. Both are entering their sixth season on Cronin’s staff in 2018-19.
“T.J. Wolf and JaQuon Parker will take on more of our video breakdown and analytics in their respective roles,” Cronin said. “They are both loyal and vital to our success and we are fortunate to have such a great, cohesive staff.”
Wolf, who played for Cronin at Murray State (2004-06), joined the Bearcats program as a video coordinator in August 2013 before the promotion to his current role three seasons later. He served as an assistant coach at Martinsville High School for four seasons prior to his arrival at UC.
Parker has served as an undergraduate assistant coach and assistant for student-athlete development along with his current role as program assistant with Cincinnati since December 2013. A guard for the Bearcats from 2010-13, Parker signed with a professional basketball team in Finland in June 2013 and later played briefly in the NBA Developmental League.
“We are all working extremely hard to prepare for the season and continuing our success on and off the court for Bearcats Basketball,” Cronin said.
