As the calendar turns to 2025, our first Pioneer Spotlight of the year will shine on each basketball head coach at Cal State East Bay. Bryan Rooney has been a leader of the men's basketball program since 2017, while Jenny Thigpin is coaching her third season for the women's basketball program. 

BRYAN ROONEY

Bryan Rooney spoke in his own words about the value of coaching Pioneer Men's Basketball. Intentional and meaningful relationships are foundational guiding principles for the coach who exudes a lot of energy with those he interacts with. And it goes well beyond the court for Rooney.

"Leading the program at East Bay is an absolute privilege and I am thankful everyday for the opportunity. I understand how incredibly fortunate I am to live out the dream of being a college basketball coach.  I have always felt it is extremely important to lead our program in a genuine and authentic way. For me, that means being intentional about the energy I bring to each interaction. One of the most important parts of my job is making sure that everyone I come into contact with on our campus-most importantly our student-athletes feel my gratitude for their investment in our program.    
 
"We obviously want our teams to experience tremendous success on the court and we are proud of the strides the program has taken since we were hired.  We talk daily about the mission of being transformative in one another's lives and this idea is one that we will always be the foundation of the program.  A great deal of dialogue is taking place nationally about the changing landscape of college athletics.  A common refrain seems to be how transactional relationships and experiences are becoming. There is certainly evidence of that in the sports world but I remain steadfast in my belief in the power of meaningful relationships.  When players join our program, we are direct and prideful in our communication that the relationships we have with them and their families extend far beyond their last games in a Pioneer uniform.  I certainly have tremendous memories of big wins here but what will always be most impactful are the graduations, weddings, meeting a player's baby son or daughter for the first time, and other life changing moments.
 
"This year our transformative approach centers around the idea of Ubuntu ("I am what I am because of who we all are"). For our team and for each of us individually to reach our fullest potential, it is essential that we value the power of team and work tirelessly to build up one another. I am fired up for the journey as our university, athletic department, and basketball program are aligned in providing a high level experience for our student-athletes."

JENNY THIGPIN

Jenny Thigpin has coached for many years, even prior to her first on the East Bay campus in 2022. With many years of coaching, you learn from other coaches and family. Such is the case for Thigpin. 

"Growing up in the Central Valley, I was a huge fan of Vance Walburg and his pressure-defensive system. He is someone who I have looked up to over the years when it comes to style of play. I studied his film and even went to practices to watch drills and learn all his terminology to teach my players how to read and react. We want to play fast and force teams into quick shots. This type of play allows us to start our transition break, which is one of our best offensives schemes. In the pressure defense, you make teams uncomfortable. With that, they can never really get into their offense. Then, there is my college coach from ASU. Charlie Turner-Thorne has always been one of my go-to mentors when discussing strategy, mentoring and recruiting. She has been in my corner since she recruited me in the early 2000s. Then last but not least, my father. He is the one who jump-started my career years ago. While in college, he handed me the keys to his AAU program one summer, and from that point on, I knew coaching was my calling. Those who know him will tell you I am a spitting image of who he was as a coach, too. He still gives me insight into how my team is playing and, statistically, where we need to improve."

And since family has had an influence on Thigpin's coaching career, it's also important for balancing her lifestyle between family and basketball. And the balance is also complementary on an off the court for the Pioneers' head coach.  

"I try to balance home and basketball as you have to separate the two things and know when to turn them off and on. I am the mother of a four-year-old who is currently becoming active in sports and getting closer to being in the education system. I also have to tend to the needs of 15 young women who are away from home and learning tools in daily life that they are taking into the real world. The best coaches that I have ever had were the ones that used the word sacrifice because, at the end of the day, you need to build relationships, value relationships, and understand how to communicate to get the most out of your players when it comes to life. As far as things to focus on I would say the biggest thing is being able to be a mother both on and off the court has helped me become a successful coach when having empathy for these young women growing into the individuals they are and want to become."