Here come the Soldiers

Kevin McCarthy
 

Damany Hendrix bleeds Vallejo first and foremost but also extends his personal affiliation to the entire East Bay. Described by Aalim Moor II, the CEO of the Bay Area Hoosiers, as the "consummate role model, mentor and educator," Hendrix is all about giving back. That has taken many incarnations along the way and currently finds him as the lead coach for the Drew Gooden Soldiers basketball club.

"I love coaching, it’s always something I wanted to do," Hendrix explained, "and I’ve always been about community."

He played hoops at Vallejo High, then Santa Rosa Junior College, followed by a redshirt year at Gonzaga before traveling to Beaumont, Texas to suit up at Lamar University. It was Mike Deane, a longtime coach who also headed programs at Marquette, Sienna and Wagner, and took every school but Wagner to the Big Dance, who lured Hendrix to the Lone Star State.

Hendrix earned all-conference honors during his 2001-2003 there based upon a 16.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game average. He connected on 80% of his free throw attempts while nailing 126 treys.

Heading back home, Hendrix then taught in the Vallejo public school system and elsewhere, assisted with the boys basketball team at Vallejo High and was the head coach there for one season before jumping into club team basketball.

"I lace up and practice with them [the Soldiers’ players] and we do skill work plus individualized strength and conditioning training," Hendrix said of his duties. "Not a lot of guys prepare the players mentally and physically for the next level and a lot never played behind high school. From experience, I know college coaches will test you so I test the kids mentally and tell them what to look for."

Continuing on, he explained, "I’m young enough to still relate to the kids and their type of music, movies, television shows. I’ve been where they are and that helps with credibility because kids are good at seeing through false intentions."

Off the court, Hendrix stays in touch with his players. "I text them during the season," he explained, "I go watch them, see what they need to improve on and am straight with them. Hype and coddling isn’t beneficial because once they get to next level after being told how great they are all their lives and put on a pedestal, a college coach won’t hesitate to call them out. For those who haven’t experienced this before, it leaves them thinking ‘who is this guy to tell me...’"

His ultimate goal is to land a college coaching position, "preferably in D-1 but anything that will get my foot in the door."

Asked what he would bring to a college program, Hendrix offered, "I played for four different college coaches and have been exposed to a lot of styles and techniques plus I have a wealth of knowledge while remaining a student of the game. I operate a basketball skill development business so I’m familiar with instructing plus I have relationships with a lot of high school and AAU coaches."

Here is a 3+ minute YouTube tape of Hendrix and Soldier Jabari Brown in-between games at the recent Boo Williams tournament.

Here are the Drew Gooden Soldiers 17 team players, each followed by a Hendrix commentary:

• Brandon Ashley, 6-foot-9 Bishop O’Dowd High, 2012 (a skilled big with a wingspan that is unmatched, he has tons of potential and the skill set to be very special.)
• Dominic Artis, 5-foot-8, Salesian High, 2012 (a baby-faced guard with the poise of a veteran. Great one-on-one with a devastating pull-up jumper and a competitor on defense)
• Kori Babineaux, 6-foot-4, Folsom High, 2011 (an athletic combo guard who is very versatile -- with his strength he can bully guards on the inside and knock down the jump shot.)
• Jabari Brown, 6-foot-4, Oakland High, 2011 (one of the top scorers in his class, Jabari can do it all, deadly from three, great when attacking the basket and also has a great pull-up jump shot.)
• Kiwi Gardner, 5-foot-7, Manteca High, 2011 (he is a very special kid, a born leader who is a joy to be around and a winner is so many aspects of life)
• Chuck Iroegbu, 6-foot-3, Franklin High, 2011 (athletic wing who gets after it on defense and can finish around the rim, a glue guy who is an asset on any team.)
• Nick Johnson, 6-foot-4, Findlay Prep (Las Vegas, NV), 2011 (a supremely athletic combo guard with a pillow soft touch from outside and a tenacious defender -- also a great rebounder from the guard position)
• Freddy Tagaloa, 6-foot-8, Salesian High, 2012 (with the body of an NFL lineman, Freddie is very light on his feet and surprisingly athletic, a force in the middle)
• Josiah Turner, 6-foot-3, Sacramento High, 2011 (a point who can do it all: defends, shoots the three, great mid-range pull-up, and impossible to keep in front of, a special talent)
• Kyle Wiltjer, 6-foot-9, Jesuit High (Portland, OR), 2011 (a big who can step out to the three, with the post moves of a young Kevin McHale, one of the better bigs in his class.)