New Men’s Basketball Coach Chosen


Published originally in the Summer 2010 issue of Berea College Magazine

John Hemenway was recently named the new men’s basketball coach at Berea College.

Hemenway began as assistant coach at the University of South Dakota, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He followed with five years as head coach of the Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Hemenway comes to Berea with a 115-49 record. He led the Tigers to four consecutive national post-season tournament trips in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division II. Last year they won 28 games (including 17 in a row) and collected their first regular and post-season championships.

Hemenway inherits Berea’s team after their third consecutive winning season (19-10). He is excited about the opportunity.

“Berea is just a handful of places that have such a powerful attraction to me and my wife and I look forward to raising our family here,” says Hemenway. “We will teach our team how to be difference makers on the court and in the community.”

College Athletic Director Mark Cartmill believes Hemenway will be a good asset to Berea because “He embraces the challenges and opportunities of competing with a unique type of student athlete.”

Categories: News, People, Programs and Initiatives
Tags: athletics, John Hemenway, Men's basketball

Berea College, the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, focuses on learning, labor and service. The College only admits academically promising students with limited financial resources—primarily from Kentucky and Appalachia—but welcomes students from 41 states and 76 countries. Every Berea student receives a Tuition Promise Scholarship, which means no Berea student pays for tuition. Berea is one of nine federally recognized Work Colleges, so students work 10 hours or more weekly to earn money for books, housing and meals. The College’s motto, “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth,” speaks to its inclusive Christian character.