Columbia College appoints Jake Deer as first men’s basketball coach

Fall 2024 will launch the inaugural season of Columbia College Men’s Basketball, coached by Jake Deer. Jake joins Koala Athletics from a 21-year career in Collegiate Athletics, most recently at Point University in West Point, Georgia, where his team competed as part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC). During his time there, Jake worked to improve his team’s performance on the court while increasing the Cumulative Team Grade Point Average from 2.01 to an impressive 3.25. His commitment to his players led to a 2020-2021 AAC Regular Season Championship and AAC Coach of the Year Award.

Coach Jake Deer shared, “I’d like to thank President Dozier and Mr. Crawford for the opportunity to start and lead the Men’s Basketball program at Columbia College. I’m excited to get started!”

This new athletic program promises to build engagement on campus and eventually become a community stronghold. With the College’s rich history in athletics, Men’s Basketball can build on that success to foster growth and further diversify offerings for our dynamic student body.

Director of Athletics Glen Crawford shared, “Jake is the perfect addition to our team at Columbia College. His dedication to his players and the sport of basketball is evidenced through his impressive and dynamic coaching experience. The men who make up our inaugural Men’s Basketball team deserve a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I know Coach Deer can give it to them.”

Jake Deer will assume the position of Head Coach of Men’s Basketball as of April 1, 2024.