Chris Capko has assembled his first staff as the Ball State basketball head coach.
Ball State officially announced that Capko has hired four assistant coaches and two additional full-time staffers to his coaching staff. Capko was hired as the 21st head coach in Ball State basketball history on March 20.
According to the release from the university, Capko’s staff is “regarded for recruiting, pro development, analytics and organizational efficiency – and has heavy ties to the Midwest and Mid-American Conference.” Here’s a look at the new coaching staff for Ball State basketball:
Pershin Williams
Capko informed The Star Press of Williams’ hire at his introductory press conference on Tuesday, March 24. The most experienced coach on the Cardinals’ new staff, Williams spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech alongside Ball State legend Bonzi Wells. He has also spent time at Kennesaw State and Columbus State and coached in the NCAA Tournament at both schools.
“I have known Pershin for over 15 years as a friend, colleague and coach,” Capko said via the university’s press release. “I know how hard he works and have full confidence our program will benefit from his leadership. Pershin has experience at every level of college basketball and will be instrumental in helping us recruit and develop student-athletes who will help us compete for championships in the MAC. He will fit in seamlessly with the rest of the staff to help us hit the ground running.”
John Clancy
The lone holdover from last season’s Ball State basketball staff, Clancy will return for a second season in Muncie after being retained by Capko. Prior to Ball State, Clancy was an assistant coach for two years at Western Illinois and the head coach at Triton College in River Grove, Ill., for two years before that. He took Triton to the NJCAA national semifinals and was named the IBCA Junior College Coach of the Year. Clancy has strong ties to Illinois, particularly the Chicago area.
“John is one of the most energetic and hardest-working people in the business,” Capko said. “We have gotten to know each other very well over the past 5-10 years. He was a successful junior college coach at Triton and another guy who has a great feel for the MAC and the Midwest. I know John will bring the right energy and effort every day to help compete for championships, and I am so happy that we get this opportunity to work together.”
Jordan Surenkamp
Surenkamp, an Indiana native who played four seasons at Wabash College, joins Ball State after spending last season as an assistant coach at Radford University. Before Radford, Surenkamp coached in the NBA for nearly a decade and spent 2021-25 as an assistant and head coach in the G-League.
“I am excited that Jordan has decided to join our staff at Ball State,” Capko said. “I met Jordan when he was a GA at South Alabama and have seen him work himself through the business. His experience as a G-League head coach will be extremely valuable to me and the staff. Jordan has worked with some of the best coaches in basketball and his experience at both the professional and college levels will benefit the program.”
Manny Dosanjh
Dosanjh joins Ball State after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach for MAC rival Western Michigan. Before joining the Broncos, Dosanjh spent two years as a graduate assistant at Michigan State. As a player, he was a JUCO All-American at Delta College and went on to play for and graduate from Oral Roberts.
“Manny and I have gotten to know each other very well throughout the past five years,” Capko said. “He has an infectious spirit and special ability to relate with student-athletes today. I know he is a relentless worker, top notch person and one of the best young coaches in the game. His experience in the Midwest and our conference is very important to me and something I know I will be able to lean on. Our program will benefit greatly from Manny and I’m excited for his future at Ball State.”
Beruk Asfaw
Asfaw joins Ball State as the director of basketball operations after holding the same position for two years at Towson State and one year at Pacific. He was a graduate assistant at USC when Capko was the associate head coach there.
“Beruk and I worked together for two years at USC,” Capko said. “He is very sharp, detailed, organized and someone I trust will carry out with detail, some of the most important parts of our program. Beruk will be dedicated to this program and has a bright future ahead of him as a coach in this business.”
Ellis Spar
Spar was in attendance and introduced by Capko during the latter’s introductory press conference. He will join the Cardinals as the video coordinator and director of analytics and strategy. Spar recently finished his second season as a graduate assistant at Providence and spent three undergraduate years as a student manager at USC where he first got acquainted with Capko.
“Ellis was a student manager for us during my tenure at USC,” Capko said. “I thoroughly enjoyed being around him every day and always knew, that if I was in position to hire him, I would. He is very sharp, detailed, organized and passionate about the game. He will be an incredible coach and will be an integral part of our program here at Ball State.”
Contact Cade Hampton via email at cbhampton@usatodayco.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ball State basketball announces coaching staff hires for Chris Capko
Reporting by Cade Hampton, Muncie Star Press / Muncie Star Press
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