By John Ostapowicz
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – When a new coach is introduced to a program, community feedback can be both negative and positive.
But for the men’s and women’s basketball programs at Youngstown State University, it has been a seamless transition for the newly hired coaches who have been welcomed with open arms by both fans and the athletics department
Ethan Faulkner, head coach of the men’s basketball team, and Melissa Jackson, head coach of the women’s team, have worked tirelessly over the offseason to add new recruits and become acquainted with their coaching staffs and players.
Men’s Team
Faulkner, who was hired in April, is the 14th head coach in program history. He was elevated to the position after the departure of former head coach Jerrod Calhoun to Utah State University. Faulkner had served as the associate head coach since 2022 and has been with the program for six seasons.
Moving from associate to head coach, Faulkner has made changes in the coaching staff, added recruits and implemented a new style of play.
He says the biggest difference between the two roles is the decision making.
“You go from the guy who is making suggestions, to the guy who is making decisions,” Faulkner says. “I have surrounded myself with really good
people as far as the coaching staff and I’m excited for what we have been able to do.”
Before Youngstown State, Faulkner spent three seasons at the University of the Cumberlands and one season at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Faulkner also played at the Division I level at Northern Kentucky University, where he was a two-time team captain and ranks in the top 10 in all-time career assists as well as 11th in all-time free throw percentage.
Over the past few seasons under Calhoun, the men’s program has relied heavily on the transfer portal, bringing in stars such as Adrian Nelson, Ziggy Reid, Brandon Rush, Dwayne Cohill and DJ Burns.
Under the jurisdiction of Faulkner, the approach has stayed the same with the exception of two true freshmen in Elijah Guillory and Shaheed Solebo.
Fifth-year seniors Nico Galette, Ty Harper and Siem Uijtendaal are expected to make an immediate impact on the team.
“We have created a model for what successful recruiting looks like here at Youngstown,” Faulkner says. “We have done really well in the transfer portal over the last several years and as you continue to win, you are able to recruit a different player than maybe you could have in the past.”
Galette, a transfer from Sacred Heart University, was a two-time all-conference selection in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Last season, he averaged 13.5 points per game, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game and leaves SHU with over 1,300 career points.
Harper is also expected to be slotted into a starting role, as he averaged 20.2 PPG during the 2023-24 season at The Master’s University. He was also named Second-Team All-American by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
From Canisius University, Uijtendaal averaged 13.3 PPG, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He reached double-digit scoring numbers in 18 games with a season-high 25-point effort against Iona University.
Faulkner also retained six returnees from last year’s playoff team. Senior EJ Farmer, sophomore Gabe Dynes and junior Imanuel Zorgvol all saw generous playing time last season and are expected to return with an elevated role.
Women’s Team
Jackson, the ninth head coach of the women’s basketball program, brings over 15 years of coaching experience.
She has spent over a decade in northeastern Ohio as the head coach at the University of Akron and most recently as the assistant coach at Cleveland State University.
In total, she has coached at a high level since her first opportunity at the University of Delaware in 2004 as an assistant coach. Over four seasons, the Blue Hens earned 80 total wins. Jackson worked with Tyresa Smith, who was the 18th pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft, at Delaware.
Jackson has felt welcomed by the city of Youngstown and is excited to take over the program.
“It has been a seamless transition, from the amount of support that is here at Youngstown,” Jackson says. “It has been good to get out and see everyone to talk about women’s basketball and everyone is super excited.”
For the 2024-25 season, Jackson added six freshmen and four transfers to round out her recruitment efforts. Senior Jewel Watkins, junior Faith Burch, redshirt freshman Dacia Lewandowski and junior Xoe Rosalez make up the transfer portal signees for the upcoming season.
Burch returns to the Mahoning Valley after she spent three seasons at Cleveland State. She is a local product, graduating from Harding High School, and worked extensively with Jackson as a member of the Vikings.
At CSU, Burch played in all 35 games and was a part of the team that won the Horizon League regular season championship in the 2023-24 campaign. She averaged 3.6 PPG and shot 47.8% from the field to go along with 3.9 rebounds.
Watkins comes from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she played in 28 games as a member of the American Athletic Conference. Before Charlotte, she spent two seasons at Coppin State University in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and was named Second-Team All-MEAC.
Lewandowski, a former committed player of Jackson’s at Akron, joined the YSU program after a redshirt season with the Zips. At North Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, Lewandowski averaged 16 points and six rebounds.
With new faces on the team, Jackson says the importance of team bonding and working together before the start of the season will benefit the team both fundamentally and stylistically.
“It’s the spacing and them getting comfortable playing with each other together,” Jackson says. “With so many new faces, we are really trying to play at a higher level, to play a little bit faster.”
For any incoming coach, veteran leaders are an important part of a program’s growth. Graduate student Malia Magestro has elected to return for her fifth season, and her leadership and experience will help the team progress throughout the season.
Last season, Magestro was third on the team in scoring. She averaged 10 PPG and appeared in 31 games and made 27 starts.
Other veteran players, such as junior Abby Liber, senior Haley Thierry, redshirt sophomore Mackenzie Hurd and sophomores Bella Samz and Abbie Davidson, all return from last year’s playoff squad.
Both Thierry and Liber played in all 32 games last season, with a combined total of 1,206 minutes on the court.
Although the schedules for both teams have not been released, the basketball season will begin in early November.
Pictured at top: Ethan Faulkner is YSU’s 14th head basketball coach. Image: YSUSports.com