Chipola Announces New Basketball Coach

By: Rolando Rosa - JCFloridan.com

On St. Patrick’s Day, the Chipola Indians were pinching themselves at their newest hire.

Chipola College introduced Bret Campbell as its next men’s basketball head coach at a press conference Wednesday morning.

Campbell, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and Chipola-yellow tie, is invigorated for the challenge to return the Indians to their winning ways.

“I know the culture of Chipola. I’ve been in the business a long time. I’ve been through these roads a number of times from a recruiting standpoint,” Campbell said. “I know the expectations and that also gets me very excited in taking this position. You want to go to a place that has the resources and the know-how to win championships.”

The 51-year-old Campbell is Chipola’s 17th head men’s basketball coach, succeeding Patrick Blake, who led the Indians to the Panhandle Conference Championship in 2014. Campbell was an assistant at Austin Peay State University from 2009-2014 and previously the head coach of the University of Tennessee at Martin for ten seasons, where he was the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 2008-2009.

“We wanted a guy with great discipline and a great communicator,” AD Jeff Johnson said. “He has an extensive recruiting background and extensive coaching background.”

Being two years younger than himself didn’t hurt either quipped Johnson.

“We were looking for a guy who had maturity. I was trying not to be the oldest guy on the staff,” the 49-year-old Johnson jokingly remarked.

Chipola finished 3-9 in the Panhandle Conference last season under Blake. However Campbell isn’t concerned the Indians brand has lost any luster and is eager to rebuild the program.

“I think Chipola sells itself. It’s a little bit of the [University of] Kentucky of junior college. It’s got a name. It’s got a tradition,” Campbell said. “People know in the basketball world how successful Chipola has been.”

Campbell promises to deliver an appealing brand of basketball to Jackson County. He says he’s looking to recruiting players willing to roll up their sleeves and do whatever it takes to win every night. Campbell also wants to make sure the returning players are properly utilized as well.

“I’m not going to come in here and slow it down. I think you’ll see an exciting style of play,” Campbell said. “I think you’ll see us aggressive defensively and we’ll push the ball on the offensive end and be fun.”

Chipola College President Dr. Jason Hurst believes Chipola’s newest hire will be a wonderful asset to the student body and community.

“One of the reasons I was so impressed with our new coach is because he believes that they are student-athletes. He believes that they are students first. He believes in character and morals and integrity.” Hurst said. “Those are the kinds of things we’re looking for in our student-athletes and our basketball program.”

Campbell is confident his ties in the community will aid the recruiting process, which he says is already underway.

“It’s just a matter of developing a relationship with that player and with that coach,” Campbell said. “I think there’s a lot of coaches out there that know me and trust me to know that I can help those young men get to the next level and bring discipline into a program and bring discipline into those young men on a daily basis.”

Johnson was particularly impressed with Campbell’s mentality to develop less-touted players and turn them into winners on and off the court.

“He’s not necessarily concerned with the five-star. He wanted the three-star to become a five-star,” Johnson said. “Guys that are willing to listen, learn and willing to work. That was something that really touched me.”

Campbell is seeking not only talent in his recruiting class but also the players’ ability to be outstanding citizens as well.

“Looking forward to bringing quality young men into this program. No.1 they’re very good on the basketball floor but they’re very respected in the community,” Campbell said. “I hope that they can be role models for your children and your grandchildren.”

Campbell sees many similarities between his last stop in Martin, Tennessee and now in Marianna, among them a strong passion for the game.

“A small community that has great people that are interested in the program and gets involved with basketball,” Campbell said.

Campbell was formerly an assistant as well at Central Florida, Birmingham-Southern and Kennesaw State. Campbell began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Valdosta State University in 1983. Campbell, from Anderson, Indiana, graduated from Valdosta State as the school’s all-time leader in assists.

In the search for a new leader, Johnson wanted someone with prior head coaching experience. Campbell believes his stint as head coach for Division I University of Tennessee at Martin for 10 years gives him the knowledge and wisdom to guide Chipola back to prominence in a Panhandle Conference he deemed the best in the nation at the junior college level.

“Anytime you’ve been a head coach you’ve got a little different feelings of expectations and the daily routine on how to run a program…” Campbell said. “Those years I think certainly helped me when I walk into a program and be a head coach again.”

Campbell vowed the bar for success will be nothing less than winning the conference title and competing at the national level each season.

“I’m looking forward to meeting our boosters, our fan base and looking forward to putting a good product on the floor for them to enjoy,” Campbell said.