Jack Castleberry, who has over 10 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level, has been with The Citadel men’s basketball program for five seasons, three as an assistant coach after serving for one season as the Director of Basketball Operations, and has coached under head coach Duggar Baucom for nine seasons. Castleberry was promoted to Associate Head Coach on May 10, 2021.
Since being moved into his assistant coaching role, Castleberry has been instrumental in player development for the Bulldogs, most notably through his work with Matt Frierson, Kaiden Rice and Hayden Brown. While working with Castleberry, Frierson and Rice posted three of the top five single-season marks in school history for three-pointers made and finished first and third, respectively, on the career charts in that same category. Brown enjoyed one of the strongest individual seasons in program history in 2020-21, returning from an injury-shortened season to become the first Bulldog to average a double-double since 1970-71 with 18.8 points and 10.5 rebounds en route to consensus First Team All-SoCon and All-District honors.
During the summer of 2019, Castleberry attended the first-ever Jay Bilas Coaches Leadership Program. The four-day-long event helped the group prepare to become head coaches with mock interviews, media training, and learning from current head coaches.
As the program's recruiting coordinator since 2018, Castleberry has led the addition of three talented classes for The Citadel, including 2020-21 regular starters Fletcher Abee, Stephen Clark and Tyler Moffe. Others from these recruiting classes include Rudy Fitzgibbons III, Brady Spence and Brent Davis, who have also made an immediate impact for the Bulldogs.
Under Castleberry’s guidance, the Bulldogs have made the most 3-point field goals (2,052) in NCAA Division I over the last six seasons, the only Division I program to eclipse the 2,000 mark in that category over that span.
During the 2020-21 campaign, The Citadel finished with a winning record for the first time since 2008-09, recording a 13-12 mark. The Bulldogs also won 11 games inside McAlister Field House, their most in a single season since the 2001-02 campaign.
Under Castleberry's tutelage, Hayden Brown emerged as one of the top players in the SoCon, becoming the first Bulldog to average a double-double since 1970-71. Brown also captured consensus First Team All-SoCon honors, while Kaiden Rice was named Second Team by the media and Third Team by the coaches.
The 2018-19 season saw the Bulldogs begin the campaign 9-2 through the first 11 games, including road wins over South Florida, James Madison and Campbell. The 9-2 record marked the best start since the 1979-80 team, and the Citadel’s nine wins before the Christmas break set the program record. The Bulldogs’ 8-3 record in games against non-SoCon teams marked the best out-of-conference record since the 2001-02 team also went 8-3 prior to opening up SoCon action.
During the season, the Bulldogs set 11 single-game program records, including most points scored, most field goals made, most 3-point field goals made, most made 3-pointers in a regular-season SoCon game and most 3-pointers made against a Division I opponent. The ‘Dogs also set single-game records for most 3-point field goals attempted, most defensive rebounds, most total rebounds, most blocked shots versus a D-1 opponent, most blocked shots in a regular-season SoCon game and most 3-point attempts in a SoCon tournament game.
The ‘Dogs ended the season ranked in the top five in the Southern Conference in eight statistical categories, including leading the league in scoring average (85.1 ppg), free throw percentage (.736) and made 3-pointers per game (12.3). The Citadel ranked third in the SoCon in offensive rebounding average (10.7), defensive rebounding average (26.1) and assists per game (15.4). The ‘Dogs were fifth in the SoCon in blocked shots per game (3.7) and turnover margin (+0.73).
In the NCAA Division I ranks, The Citadel finished the 2018-19 campaign ranked second for made 3-pointers per game and fourth in both scoring average and total 3-pointers attempted (1,076). The ‘Dogs ranked seventh in total treys made (370) and 39th in assists per contest.
Following the season, Lew Stallworth was named a second-team All-Southern Conference selection by both the coaches and media, while Najdawi was tabbed to the media’s third team. Stallworth, who earned five player of the week honors during the season, was also named to the HoopsHD.com All-SoCon team.
In his first season as a full-time assistant on Baucom’s Citadel staff, the 2017-18 campaign saw The Citadel field one of the youngest and smallest teams in all of NCAA Division I. The Bulldogs’ scholarship roster included six freshmen, four sophomores and three juniors with no seniors. Even so, the Bulldogs finished the campaign in the top-25 in the nation in eight statistical categories, including second in 3-pointers made per game (12.1), third in 3-pointers attempted (1,133), fourth in total 3-point field goals made (386), tied for fourth in steals per game (9.4) and fifth in total steals (301). The Bulldogs were also sixth in turnovers forced (542), 20th in scoring (82.5 ppg) and 21st in assists per game (16.5).
The Bulldogs led the Southern Conference in scoring, totals steals, steals per game, total 3-point field goals made and 3-pointers made per game. The Bulldogs were also second in the league in turnover margin (+2.03), total assists (528), assists per game and offensive rebounds per contest (11.8).
The 2017-18 Bulldogs’ 386 made 3-pointers, 528 assists and 301 steals are all second in program history to the 2016-17 team that converted 397 treys, finished with 561 assists and had 306 steals. The 2017-18 campaign also saw the ‘Dogs finish fourth in program history for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.107) and seventh in blocks (99).
In February, the Bulldogs earned three wins over teams ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. On February 1, the ‘Dogs downed in-state rival Wofford 80-78 with the Terriers ranked No. 17 in the poll and No. 4 in the SoCon standings at the time. Two days later, The Citadel notched an exciting 100-92, overtime win over Furman with the Paladins 19th in the mid-major top-25 poll and third in the SoCon. Possibly one of the biggest wins in recent history came on February 20 as the Bulldogs went on the road to defeat ETSU 84-82. The Buccaneers entered the game atop the SoCon standings and ranked the fifth-best mid-major program by CollegeInsider.com at the time. The Bucs ended the season ranked 16th in the poll. Two weeks prior to that win, the Bulldogs had lost a close, 73-71 game to the Bucs at home after defeating Mercer on the road 76-74 on January 27. The win over the Bears marked the first win for The Citadel over Mercer in Macon, Georgia since the 1926-27 campaign.
In the Bulldogs’ 116-66 win over Trinity Baptist on November 21, the ‘Dogs had 45 made field goals, 25 steals and 32 assists. The 116 points scored ranked tied for 26th in the nation for most points scored in a single game that year while the 25 steals ranked tied for fourth for steals by an NCAA Division I team in a single game. The Bulldogs’ 32 assists were tied for the 15th-most by a team in a single game during the year and the 45 made field goals was tied for 18th in the nation. The Citadel also ranked third in the nation for 3-pointers made in a single game with 21 against Oglethorpe on November 10.
Junior Zane Najdawi was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 22 First Team as well as the All-Southern Conference First Team by the league coaches, media and HoopsHD.com. Najdawi became just the fourth player in program history to pick up first-team all-conference honors from both the coaches and the media. In the regular-season finale at Western Carolina on Sunday, Feb. 25, Najdawi became just the 27th player in SoCon history and second in program history to eclipse 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks for his career. Najdawi scored his 1,000th-career point in the home win over Wofford on February 1 and brought down his 500th rebound in the game regular-season finale at Western Carolina.
Fellow junior Matt Frierson saw his offensive production take off during the 2017-18 campaign with Frierson ending the year ranked sixth in all of NCAA Division I for 3-point field goals attempted (314) and 3-pointers made per game (3.6). Frierson set the program record for treys made in a season with 114, and was named the Sixth Man of the Year for the SoCon by HoopsHD.com.
Known for their fast-paced, high-scoring offense, the Bulldogs eclipsed the 100-point mark in six games, going 5-1 in those contests. Over the last three years, the Bulldogs are now 14-3 when scoring at least 100 points.
In Castleberry’s first season at The Citadel, the Bulldogs led Division I in scoring offense and ranked second in turnovers forced and total three-point field goals made while also shattering eight single-season team records.
Prior to coming to Charleston, he served as an assistant coach for the women’s basketball program at Siena College from 2012-14.
Castleberry attended Virginia Military Institute and walked on to the Keydets’ basketball team. Following Castleberry's sophomore season, VMI hired Coach Baucom, who steered the Keydets to new heights of success. Castleberry played a major role in setting the precedent for that success as his relentless motor and work ethic on the court earned him a full scholarship. Coach Baucom named him team captain for the 2006-07 campaign and he led the Keydets to the most victories in a season in more than a decade.
Upon graduation, Castleberry immediately landed an assistant coaching position at the University of Tennessee-Martin. Following a year there, he returned to VMI and worked under Coach Baucom from 2008-12, assisting in player development, recruiting and scheduling and serving as the team’s academic coordinator.
