Donyell Marshall Announces Coaching Staff
Mike Witcoskie, Anthony Anderson and Obie Nwadike named as assistants.
Central Connecticut men's basketball head coach Donyell Marshall has announced the hiring of his assistant coaches to join his coaching staff. Mike Witcoskie and Anthony Anderson will join Marshall's staff at CCSU, along with Obie Nwadike who will remain on the staff with the Blue Devils.
Witcoskie joins the Blue Devils after spending 10 seasons at Rider University where he helped the Broncs play in the postseason five times. He was involved in all areas of the program, including off-campus recruiting, post-player development, game scouting, practice and game coaching and coordinating the team's academic program.
"[Witcoskie] is someone I have known for several years," said Marshall. "He is a tireless worker and strong recruiter who is well-known up and down the east coast. He works relentlessly and knows the ins and outs of how to run a program and the work that is necessary behind the scenes to build a successful program. He is a good coach to have around as he relates well with student-athletes and will be both liked and respected by them."
Witcoskie served as the associate head coach for the previous four seasons with the Broncs and was on the team's coaching staff with Marshall from 2013-15. The 2014-15 Broncs went 21-10 overall and set a program record with a 15-5 mark in MAAC play before earning a postseason berth in the College Basketball Invitational.
Witcoskie's work with the Broncs academic program helped them receive national recognition from the NCAA three times for its Academic Progress Rate. He helped the program record its highest and third-highest grade point averages in the past five years.
Prior to joining Rider, Witcosckie spent two season at Wilkes University and helped the Colonels reach the Middle Atlantic Conference playoffs in both seasons and also advance to the Freedom Conference Championship Game in the MAC.
Witcoskie attended Susquehanna University where captained the basketball team as a senior and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Biology in 2001.
Anderson comes to Central after spending the previous two seasons on the staff at Lamar University. In his first season with the Cardinals in 2014-15 he helped the program post an 11-win improvement over the previous season. He also helped mentor the 2014-15 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year. Three student-athletes earned All-Southland Conference recognition during his two seasons at LU.
"[Anderson] is a talented evaluator, a pitbull in recruiting and he's driven to win," said Marshall of Anderson. "He's been able to recruit and bring in guys everywhere he's been and at the highest level. As a veteran coach he shares a similar philosophy and style to mine. I've known him for close to 20 years, dating back to Five Star Basketball Camp. He had a successful playing career at McNeese State and will be able help work with our guards."
Anderson has over 20 years of coaching experience at the collegiate, high school and AAU levels. Anderson has been a dogged recruiter at his previous stops, helping assemble impactful and highly-regarded recruiting classes.
At Florida International University, Anderson was the associate head coach under NBA Hall of Famer, Isiah Thomas. He helped sign the nation's 30th-ranked recruiting class according to Hoop Scoop Inc. At the University of Miami, he helped assemble a 2003 class that received top-10 recognition from Street & Smith's. A combined five different players from those classes were either drafted or signed via free agency by NBA franchises.
In addition to achieving success on the court, Anderson has been a part of programs with success in the classroom. During his time at Southern Methodist University, the men's basketball team posted an 89 percent graduation success rate, which was among the nation's top 10 percent for men's basketball programs, and ranked second among all Conference USA schools.
Anderson also brings two years of head coaching experience at the NAIA level, having led the program at Dillard University in New Orleans.
Anderson received his bachelor's degree from McNeese State in 1995 where he played two seasons for the Cowboys after transferring from Lakes Community College.
Nwadike will remain on the staff with the Blue Devils and begin his third season as an assistant coach at his alma mater. Nwadike is a former First Team All-Northeast Conference selection for CCSU and was a member of the 2007 Northeast Conference championship squad.
"Obie showed that he wants the best for Central and for the program through his tireless work before he was hired," said Marshall. "I felt it was vital to keep him on the staff. He made sure our student-athletes did what they needed to do and took care of what needed to be done. I've been in his shoes when a coaching staff changes and not knowing what will happen and I have a great deal of respect for his work and doing what needed to be done to help this program be successful."
Following his playing career at Central, Nwadike played four seasons professionally in Luxembourg and Spain before beginning his coaching career at Wagner College.