New VCU basketball coach Mike Rhoades completes his staff

By AP
Published

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) New VCU basketball coach Mike Rhoades has finished assembling his coaching staff.

Rhoades says Jeremy Ballard will return to VCU as the associate head coach after a two-year absence. Ballard worked with Rhoades under Shaka Smart at VCU from 2012-15 and spent last season at Pittsburgh. The other assistants will be J.D. Byers and Brent Scott, who were on Rhoades' staff at Rice.

Also, Jimmy Martelli, son of Saint Joseph's head Phil Martelli, will be the director of operations.

Joey Rodriguez, a member of the Rams' 2011 Final Four team, will be the director of player development, with Mike Venezia the director of student-athlete development and Don Brown the director of sports performance.

Rhoades was named VCU's head coach in March after Will Wade left to take the same position at LSU.

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