In September 2020, Jesse DeLoof was named the head men’s basketball coach at Pitt-Bradford, returning to the program with which he spent seven seasons as a player and assistant coach.

“Coming back to this place, and this program means so much to me,” said DeLoof. “Being in this role I have already developed a great sense of both gratitude for the opportunity to lead this team, but also the responsibility that comes with it.”

DeLoof was a member of Pitt-Bradford’s basketball team from 2009 to 2013. During his four years on the Pitt-Bradford basketball team, he played in 74 games, starting in 55. He was a part of 49 victories and appeared in four AMCC post-season tournaments. Over his final two seasons, DeLoof played in all 51 games for the Panthers, scoring 7.15 points per game. 

“My senior season was definitely the highlight of my playing career,” reminisced DeLoof. “We had a great group of guys that made memories on and off the court.”

After DeLoof graduated with a degree in sport and recreation management, he remained a part of the program, serving as an assistant coach for three seasons under Head Coach Britt Moore. While DeLoof was on the team’s staff as an assistant, the team compiled 43 victories and three more appearances in the AMCC Tournament, including one trip to the semi-final round.

In 2017, DeLoof moved into high school basketball, becoming the head coach at Youngsville High School. In three seasons with the Eagles, DeLoof changed Youngsville from a two-win team, into a 20-win team, which included the school’s first winning season in 15 years.

DeLoof hopes to take the experience from the turnaround he led at Youngsville and apply it to the program he has rejoined. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this turnaround was delayed for a year, but while disappointing, DeLoof sees the delay as a positive.

“Obviously we were disappointed to not play last season,” said DeLoof, “but it gave us the opportunity to see what we had here, as well as bring in some new players to foster some competition within the program.”

This year, DeLoof’s team has gotten off to a good start as they have won three of four to start the season. “It’s very exciting to start off so well, but we know we still have a lot of work to do!”

The Then and Now Series is part of the AMCC's 25th anniversary where the conference will be recognizing current AMCC coaches and/or athletic administrators who are former AMCC student-athletes. The Then and Series will run every Tuesday throughout the academic year.