Posted on May 17, 2017
Coach Hiro to Lead Men’s Basketball at CCU
Colorado Christian University is proud to announce the hiring of Jeff Hironaka (Hiro), who will lead the next era of CCU men's basketball. Hironaka has served as the head coach of perennial DII Basketball Power at Seattle Pacific University, and been the assistant coach at Washington State and Portland State Universities, respectively.
"We are extremely excited to hire Coach Hiro (pronounced hero). He is a highly-respected and successful coach both on and off of the floor," commented Brian Wall, the athletic director at CCU. "Coach Hiro's network, which extends to the highest levels of basketball positions, opens up opportunities for Cougar Athletics to be a highly sought-after destination for players."
Wall continued, "We want college-bound athletes to know that CCU is just as committed to athletic excellence and player development as it is to spiritual and academic excellence."
CCU's vice president of Student Life, Jim McCormick, echoed AD Wall's comments, "With the addition of Jeff to our coaching staff, CCU becomes a destination not only for competitive DII athletes, but also for players who prefer to develop their skills on the court during their freshman year, rather than losing time as they wait to play in a Division I program."
Hiro was a head coach from 2002 to 2009 at Seattle Pacific University (SPU). In only seven years, he led the Falcons to five post-season appearances, including appearing in the Final Four. SPU averaged 19 wins, 81.2 PPG, and with Coach Hiro, finished each season with a winning record.
Player development was superb at SPU (.501 FG%, .738 FT%, and .387 3P%), with 40 of Coach Hiro's athletes exceeding seven PPG. Jeff was ultimately headhunted away from SPU by a Pacific 12 conference school where, as an assistant, he would play a key role in developing Klay Thompson for the NBA.
"Jeff is a great person and a highly intuitive coach" said Herb Livsey, lead scout for the Denver Nuggets. "Players trust Jeff because he understands them." Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors agrees, "Jeff helped prepare me for the greatest basketball stage in the world."
"As a leader, I want to inspire greatness in my athletes because greatness reflects mental, spiritual, and physical development," said Coach Hiro. "Moreover, CCU offers a caliber of spiritual and mental growth that cannot be found elsewhere. The faith in me that President Sweeting, vice president Jim McCormick, and athletic director Brian Wall have shown is humbling and I am excited to join the Cougar family."